Alfred Preisser is an award winning director, writer and producer of theatre. Mr. Preisser is currently Artistic Director of The International Studio Theatre, where he curates an annual drama festival featuring experimental companies from around the world. IST also develops aggressive modernist interpretations of classics and new plays with universal themes for international touring.

From 1999 - 2009, Mr. Preisser was the Founding Artistic Director of The Classical Theatre of Harlem. Under his leadership CTH grew from a start up into a critically acclaimed force with a national reputation for artistic excellence, producing over forty classical works ranging from Euripedes to Melvin Van Peebles. His productions with that company have been archived at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts and included for exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Award-winning highlights include his 2009 production of ARCHIBISHOP SUPREME TARTUFFE starring André De Shields; Melvin Van Peebles’ Ain't Supposed To Die a Natural Death; his 2006 production of King Lear which opened the 75th Anniversary season at The Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C. and Black Nativity Now, again with Mr. De Shields, at The New Victory Theatre. He has also created critically acclaimed original adaptations of Medea and The Trojan Women.

Other productions in New York include Macbeth, which toured Germany in 2004, Hamlet, Day of Absence, Dream on Monkey Mountain, Romeo and Juliet, Caligula Maximus at La Mama, It Aint Nothin' But the Blues for New Harlem Arts inaugural season (winner for Best Director and Best Musical Theatre Production at The 2011 Audelco Awards), and the recent hit The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller. His work has been recognized with the American Theatre Wing Award (Outstanding Artistic Achievement), Drama Desk Award (Artistic Achievement), Edwin Booth Award (Outstanding Contribution to NYC Theater), Lucille Lortel Award (Outstanding Body of Work), two Obie Awards (Sustained Achievement and Excellence in Theatre) and numerous Audelco Awards.