Art Manke has built a 35-year-and-counting career as an award-winning theater professional. Over this time, he has stood out as a driving creative force in hundreds of productions. In addition to his extensive producing and director credits as the cofounding artistic director of L.A.'s acclaimed classical theatre company, A Noise Within, Art Manke has served as a freelance director with nearly two dozen theater companies and playhouses across the United States.

Art Manke is also well-known as a theatrical choreographer and movement director. In this capacity, he has won awards for his work with South Coast Repertory, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the California Shakespeare Festival, the Mark Taper Forum, and the American Conservatory Theatre. In recent years, Mr. Manke has for the third time added “playwright” to his resume as the writer of “Pearl's in the House,” a biographical musical that pays tribute to the life and work of singer Pearl Bailey, placing specific emphasis on her frequent White House performances.