Leighann DeLorenzo

Leighann DeLorenzo joined Laurel in 2006 as the Upper School drama and speech teacher. Over her tenure, she served as Dean of Upper School and Associate Director of the Upper School. As Director of the Upper School since 2022, she continues to direct and teach.

Recognized for her teaching expertise and commitment to students both in and beyond the classroom was the recipient of the Virginia Beidler Neff Award and the Mary French Conway ’46 Endowment for Teaching Excellence. Ms. DeLorenzo studied Testimony Theater in Israel with film actor Ezra Dagan and brought that approach to Laurel in 2017, earning the 2017-2018 Changemaker Award from Facing History and Ourselves. She presented on social justice theater at the 2019 ISACS conference; and in 2020, she was chosen by the Class of 2019 as the Cum Laude speaker.

As a school leader, Ms. DeLorenzo played a key role in creating Laurel’s Hub for Learning and Research. Her commitment to student mental health led to her current role as a Board member of The Emotional Relief Fund. She holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.F.A. in classical theater performance from the University of South Carolina and completed her graduate studies in the highly selective acting fellowship program at the Shakespeare Theater in Washington, DC.  She is currently a member of the acting faculty at Dobama Theatre.