Janisheski succeeds Michael Cadman as artistic director of the National Theatre Institute on Sept. 1. Cadman will remain on the NTI faculty.

"I am hugely honored to be appointed artistic director of NTI, an extraordinary training ground for undergraduate students with a long-standing commitment to rigor and risk-taking," Janisheski said in a statement. "Education has been at the core of my career in theatre, and it is a joy to be at an institution with an educational philosophy to which I so firmly adhere: that theatre at its core is about collaboration and dialogue; that the spirit of the ensemble is essential for nurturing new theatre; and that study of global perspectives is a necessary part of an excellent education.

"The O'Neill Center's long tradition of supporting young artists and new work is an inspiration to me," he continued. "I look forward to working closely with Preston Whiteway, the board, and the entire NTI staff as we build on this tradition, expand NTI's programming, collaborate with more theatres nationally and internationally, and lead NTI into the future as we energize and cultivate the next generation of theater artists."

The National Theater Institute is the O'Neill Center's accredited 14-week intensive theatre program for college students. Accredited by Connecticut College, NTI offers classes in acting, directing, design, movement, playwrighting and voice. International components include two-week seminars at Stratford-upon-Avon or St. Petersburg, Russia; a semester at the Moscow Art Theater is also a possibility.

While serving as associate artistic director of Classic Stage Company, Janisheski saw the creation of CSC's The Young Company, a program that provides Shakespeare workshops – taught by Columbia MFA students – to underprivileged New York City schools. In addition to directing A Midsummer Night's Dream at CSC, Janisheski has taught at Yale, Fordham, Amherst, Colgate, SUNY Purchase and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. For more information on The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, visit www.theoneill.org.

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The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center was founded in 1964 and is based in Waterford, CT. Programs at the Center include the Puppetry Conference, Playwrights Conference, Critics Institute, Music Theater Conference and the National Theater Institute. The Monte Cristo Cottage, O'Neill's childhood home, is also owned and operated by the group.