Producer/Director/Dramaturg BEN KRYWOSZ is the co-founder of Nautilus Music-Theater, for which he serves as Artistic Director. The company’s work blurs the distinction between classical opera, American musicals, and innovative alternative work. In addition to directing fully-staged productions for Nautilus, Ben hosts the company’s monthly Rough Cuts works-in-progress program; leads the annual Wesley Balk Opera/Music-Theater Institute for performers and directors; and developed and continues to direct Composer-Librettist Studios around the country (including his annual studio at New Dramatists in NYC, where he started the program in 1984). Over the last 33 years, Nautilus has contributed to the professional development of over 600 composers and writers; trained over 1,100 singer-actors; produced 185 Rough Cuts presentations; and has presented over 3 dozen fully-staged productions, including 29 world premieres (such as SNOW LEOPARD, ANSWERED PRAYERS, JOAN OF ARC, TWISTED APPLES, UNTOLD LIES, LOSS OF BREATH, MEDITATIONS ON ARION, LAMENTATIONS, HEARTS ON FIRE, REQUIEM FOR A BUTTHEAD, SEVEN SEVENS, WITHOUT COLORS, RED TIDE, and others), 5 classic musicals in innovative productions, and 10 Midwest premieres. His productions of ORDINARY DAYS, SISTER STORIES, and I AM ANNE FRANK won Ivey awards. From 1983 to 1987, Krywosz was a pioneer in supporting new work, serving as Project Director of OPERA FOR THE 80s AND BEYOND, Opera America’s first funding program for encouraging new and innovative operas, where he introduced the professional opera field to the work of such innovative music-theater artists as Meredith Monk, Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, John Adams, George Coates, Glenn Branca, Morton Subotnick, Dominick Argento, Maria Irene Fornes, and many others.