Jack O'Brien
JACK O'BRIEN Acclaimed for his numerous credits on Broadway, off-Broadway, and for regional theatre, and for his direction of a variety of genres, from Shakespeare to opera to musical comedy, Jack O'Brien has been Artistic Director of The Old Globe since 1981. The Tony Award-winning director has captivated San Diego audiences with over 60 provocative productions, including world premieres, musicals, adaptations and classical works. Recent productions include the world premieres of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, by David Yazbek and Jeffrey Lane, which opened to rave reviews on Broadway in March of 2005; Stephen Metcalfe's Loves &Amp; Hours; and Nora Ephron's Imaginary Friends, with Swoosie Kurtz and Cherry Jones; Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, with Paxton Whitehead and Harry Groener, on the Globe's outdoor stage; the world-premiere of The Full Monty, the Terrence McNally/David Yazbek musical, which went to enjoy successful runs on Broadway, London and national tour; Chekhov's The Seagull (a new version by Tom Stoppard); The Magic Fire by Globe Associate Artist Lillian Garrett-Groag and Brendan Behan's The Hostage. He also directs the Globe's popular annual musical, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, which made its debut on Broadway in 2006. O'Brien was the recipient of the 2007 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for his work on Tom Stoppard's trilogy, The Coast Of Utopia, which won a total of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Play. His previous Tony Awards for direction were for the Broadway productions of Henry IV (2004) and Hairspray (2003). In 2002, O'Brien received the "Mr. Abbott" Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, one of the country's most prestigious directorial honors. He also received the 2001 Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination for his direction of Tom Stoppard's The Invention Of Love. Notably, he was also nominated in 2005 for Best Direction of a Musical for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and 2001 for Best Direction of a Musical for THE FULL MONTY. Additionally in 2001 O'Brien was honored with the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing from the Drama League, and received accolades in 1994 with his induction into the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Theatre and an honorary doctorate from the University of San Diego. O'Brien's other New York credits include Il Trittico for the Metropolitan Opera, Two Shakespearean Actors (Tony nomination for Best Direction), and Hapgood (Lucille Lortel Award for Direction) at Lincoln Center. His 1993 adaptation/revival of Damn Yankees earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical Revival, going on to a long Broadway run and tour. Other New York stagings include More To Love at the O'Neill; Lincoln Center's The Little Foxes and Pride's Crossing; Manhattan Theater Club's Labor Day; and City Centre Encores! production of St. Louis Woman. In other notable projects for the Globe, O'Brien directed Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2, starring John Goodman, the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim & George Furth's The Doctor Is Out, and Hamlet, starring Campbell Scott, which was cited by Time Magazine as 1990's "finest classical revival." His productions of Uncle Vanya and The Snow Ball were also commended by Time Magazine as "Critics' Voices" selections in 1991. The world premieres of A.R. Gurney's The Cocktail Hour (1988), which went on to a celebrated run at the Promenade Theatre as well as engagements in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center; and Stephen Metcalfe's Emily (1986) were similarly cited. His thirst for a new look at American classics has brought audiences revivals of Philip Barry's Holiday, George Kelly's The Torch Bearers and The Show Off, and Thornton Wilder's The Skin Of Our Teeth, which was televised live from the stage of the Old Globe Theatre as the opening of the 1983 season of PBS's "American Playhouse" series. In 1976, O'Brien revived (for Houston Grand Opera) George Gershwin's Porgy And Bess, which subsequently toured a consortium of 14 American regional opera houses as well as some in Europe. On Broadway, the production garnered a Tony Award for Most Innovative Revival and a Tony Award nomination for O'Brien for Best Direction. Other opera and musical theatre credits include Peter Maxwell Davies' The Lighthouse for San Diego Opera, Mozart's The Magic Flute for the San Francisco Opera, Verdi's Aida for Houston Grand Opera, Kurt Weill's Street Scene for New York City Opera, and Puccini's Tosca for Santa Fe Opera. His television credits include An Enemy Of The People, I Never Sang For My Father, All My Sons, and Painting Churches for "American Playhouse." His production of Street Scene was televised on "Live from Lincoln Center," and his Broadway revival of Most Happy Fella and staging of The Good Doctor, were produced for PBS. O'Brien has staged major productions at such theatres as the Ahmanson in Los Angeles, American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, Berkeley Repertory, Hartford Stage Company, Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, N.Y., the Huntington Theatre in Boston, and the St. Louis Repertory Theatre. Bio as of November, 2007. American Theatre Wing programs, interviews and/or credits include: Working in the Theatre (video) Production: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - April, 2005 - Watch now. Production: Hairspray - December, 2002 - Watch now. Production: The Full Monty - September, 2000 - Watch now. Downstage Center (audio) Jack O'Brien - December, 2007 - Listen Now. SDCF Masters of the Stage (audio) Jack O'Brien - December, 2001 - Listen Now. Internet Broadway Database Listing (IBDB.com)