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Diane Paulus

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Diane Paulus
Born
Diane Marie Paulus

1966 (age 57–58)
New York City, U.S.
EducationHarvard University(BA)
Columbia University(MFA)
OccupationDirector
Spouse
​
(m.1995)​
Children2

Diane Marie Paulus(born 1966) is an American theater and opera director who is currently the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of theAmerican Repertory TheateratHarvard University.[1][2]Paulus was nominated for theTony Award for Best Direction of a Musicalfor her revivals ofHairandThe Gershwins' Porgy and Bess,and won the award in 2013 for her revival ofPippin.

She received the 2009 Harvard College Women's Leadership Award and theColumbia UniversityIAL Diamond Award. She was selected for the 2014Time100,Timemagazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world; as one ofVariety's"Trailblazing Women in Entertainment for 2014";Bostonmagazine's "50 Thought Leaders of 2014";[3]andBostonmagazine's 2018[4]and 2020[5]"100 Most Influential People in Boston".

Early life and education[edit]

Paulus was born in New York City in 1966, the daughter of a Japanese mother and an American father. Her parents met while her father, a New York television producer, was stationed inJapan after World War II.[6][7]

She attended theBrearley School,studied dance atNew York City Ballet,and trained in classical piano.[2]In 1988, she graduatedmagna cum laudefromRadcliffe Collegewith aBachelor of Artsdegree insocial studiesand as a member ofPhi Beta Kappa.[8]She then earned amaster's degreefrom theColumbia University School of the Arts.[2]

Career[edit]

Paulus and her husband,Randy Weiner,along with a few other theater school graduates established a small theater troupe in New York City called Project 400 Theatre Group.[2][9]With Project 400, Paulus and Weiner specialized in creatingavant-gardemusical productions which married classic theater and modern music.[10]Paulus's first production with the group was a rock version ofThe Tempest.[10]Other productions included anR&BPhaedraand a hip-hopLohengrin.[10]In collaboration with Weiner, Paulus co-createdThe Donkey Show,adiscoadaptation ofA Midsummer Night's Dreamwhich ran off-Broadway from 1999 to 2005.[11]Critics cited the production as an example of a trend in which edgy avant-garde theater had become fashionably mainstream.[12]

In May 2008, Paulus was named the artistic director of theAmerican Repertory Theater(affiliated withHarvard University). TheAmerican Repertory Theaterchose Paulus afterAnna D. Shapiro,theAugust: Osage Countydirector, decided not to take the job to replaceRobert Woodruff.[13]Paulus's first production was a revival ofThe Donkey Show,written by Paulus and her husband Randy Weiner.[11]Paulus previously taught courses atColumbia UniversityandYale University.[13]

In 2010, Paulus was selected by the magazineAmerican Theatreas one of the 25 theater artists who were asked to share their vision of coming developments in the next 25 years in the theater world.[14]In her comments she talks about her goal to "revolutionize" the theatre experience by making it more interactive, letting the audience participate and making theatre content more "open source". She has also argued that theater has the power to make people more compassionate and cooperative citizens.[15]

Also in 2010, Paulus directedIl mondo della luna(The World on the Moon), an opera by Joseph Haydn, in theHayden Planetariumat the American Museum of Natural History. A Gotham Chamber Opera, in partnership with the Museum and in association with American Repertory Theater, Paulus's production fused live opera and stargazing using the 180-degree dome with projections courtesy of NASA.[16]

Paulus directed a concert production ofPaul Simon'sThe Capemanat theDelacorte Theaterin Central Park forthe Public Theaterin August 2010.[17]

In 2011 she staged a production of theGershwinoperaPorgy and Bessat the American Repertory Theater, which moved to Broadway in 2012. The production was nominated for 9 awards in the 2012Tony Awards,winningBest Revival of a MusicalandBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a MusicalforAudra McDonald.The production ran through September 23, 2012.[18]In advance of this production, renowned composer and lyricistStephen Sondheimexpressed his dismay on her proposed edits and directorial choices in a letter toThe New York Times.[19]

In 2012, Paulus directed a production ofPippinfor theAmerican Repertory Theater.She cast a woman,Patina Miller,in the part of Leading Player, originated byBen Vereen.The production opened on Broadway at theMusic Box Theatreon Broadway, on April 25, 2013.[20]Paulus won theTony Award for Best Direction of a Musical,becoming the third woman to win the award afterJulie Taymorin 1998 andSusan Stromanin 2001.[21]The production also received Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Miller, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical forAndrea Martin.[22]

In 2014, at the American Repertory Theater Paulus directed the American premier of the musicalFinding Neverland,based on the film of the same name. Tony winnerRoger Bartwas announced to star, but left the project over creative differences.[23]At the American Repertory Theater, Michael McGrath replaced Bart asCharles Frohman,a role played on Broadway byKelsey Grammer.Finding Neverlandwas produced on Broadway byHarvey Weinsteinand played theLunt-Fontanne Theatrefor 565 performances.

In 2015, Paulus directed the new musicalWaitress,based on the 2007film of the same name,written byAdrienne Shelly.The music was written by six-timeGrammy Awardnominated singer-songwriterSara Bareilles.Pulitzer Prizewinning playwrightPaula Vogelwas announced to write the book of the musical, but left the project.[24]The production was notable after it moved to Broadway and became the first Broadway musical with an all female creative team.[25]The musical was nominated for fourTony Awards,winning none. It was also nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album,losing toThe Color Purple.Waitressplayed on Broadway at theBrooks Atkinson Theatrein April 2016 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, closing in January 2020 after 1,544 performances. It completed a United States National Tour and a run in London'sWest Endin 2020.[citation needed]

In 2018, Paulus directed the new musicalJagged Little Pill,based on the Grammy Award-winning 1995 album byAlanis Morissette.It incorporated selections from Morissette's catalogue and new material written for the show. Its creative team includedAcademy AwardwinnerDiablo Cody,Tony Award WinnerTom Kitt,and Olivier Award winnerSidi Larbi Cherkaoui.Jagged Little Pilldebuted at the American Repertory Theater in May 2018 and opened at theBroadhurst Theatrein December 2019.[citation needed]

In 2020, Griffin Matthews spoke out on his racism-laden experience during the production of his musicalInvisible Threaddirected by Paulus at Second Stage in 2015, which ran the previous year at the A.R.T. under the titleWitness Uganda.She responded with a statement published inThe Boston Globe.[citation needed]

On November 19, 2021, Paulus was hired by Spire Animation Studios to make her featue directorial debutCentury Goddessfrom a screenplay by Bisha K. Ali andStarrahwriting original songs.[26]

Paulus directed theWest Endproduction ofJagged Little Pillwhen it transferred to London in November 2022.[27]

Personal life[edit]

On October 1, 1995, she married fellow Harvard graduateRandy Weiner.[8]They have two daughters. They live on the top three floors of a townhouse on theUpper West Sideof Manhattan.[28]

Controversy[edit]

Theplaywrightand actor Griffin Matthews called Paulus, director of his workWitness Uganda,an "Amy Cooper",an expression meaning a white person in the theater industry who demeans the work and contributions of African-Americans. On June 1, 2020, he said on Twitter:

The thing about [Broadway] Amy Cooper is, she is a liberal, she is an artistic director, she is a Tony winner, she is a producer, she teaches at Harvard, she is charismatic, she is an excellent public speaker and fundraiser, she puts on pretty dresses and speaks eloquently about how much she cares about diversity and inclusion. She has made her entire career about that. She works with black people. She believes she loves black people. She buys their work. And then, behind closed doors, she steals it.[29]

Paulus apologized on A.R.T.'s website on June 4 in a statement that was picked up byPlaybill,thePittsburgh Post-Gazette,and other outlets.[29]

The A.R.T.'s diverse production of1776,which Paulus co-directed, was the subject of criticism by cast member Sara Porkalob after it moved to Broadway in 2022. Later, Porkalob also apologized.[30]

Awards[edit]

Year Award Category Work Result
2009 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Hair Nominated
Tony Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical Nominated
2011 Elliot Norton Award Outstanding Director, Large Theater Hair,Johnny Baseball,Prometheus Bound Won
2012 Tony Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Nominated
Drama League Award Excellence in Direction Won
2013 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Pippin Won
Tony Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Won
2017 Elliot Norton Award Prize for Sustained Excellence Won
2020 Tony Award[31] Outstanding Direction of a Musical Jagged Little Pill Nominated

Theater[edit]

  • Another CountrybyJames Baldwinat Riverside Church
  • Turandot: Rumble for the Ringat the Bay Street Theater
  • The Golden Mickeysfor Disney Creative Entertainment
  • The Karaoke Show,an adaptation ofComedy of Errorsset in a karaoke bar, produced by Jordan Roth Productions
  • Running Manby jazz composer and frequent collaborator Diedre Murray and poetCornelius Eady
  • Brutal Imagination
  • AtChicago Opera Theater:Le Nozze Di Figaro,Turn Of The Screw,Cosi Fan Tutte,and all three Monteverdi opera,Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria,L'Incoronazione Di Poppea,andOrfeo[32]
  • Amalunathe 2012 Cirque Du Soleil touring show[33]
  • Death and the Powers: The Robots' Opera,an opera written byTod Machoverincorporating robots on stage

American Repertory Theater[edit]

Off-Broadway[edit]

  • Invisible Thread(formerlyWitness Uganda)
  • Swimming with Watermelons,created in association with Project 400, the theater company she co-founded with her husband Randy Weiner.
  • The Obie award-winningEli's Comin,featuring the music and lyrics ofLaura Nyro.
  • The 40th Anniversary Concert Production ofHairat theDelacorte Theaterin Central Park forthe Public Theateras well as the subsequent production ofHairon Broadway which won aTony Awardfor Best Revival of a Musical and for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director.

References[edit]

  1. ^"Diane Paulus appointed artistic director of the American Repertory Theatre".Harvard Gazette.May 22, 2008.RetrievedJuly 27,2017.
  2. ^abcdColleen Walsh,"Paulus reaches beyond boards",Harvard Gazette,April 23, 2009
  3. ^Nanos, Janelle (April 29, 2014)."The Power of Ideas: Boston's Most Powerful Thought Leaders".Boston.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  4. ^Bernstein, David S. (April 24, 2018)."The 100 Most Influential People in Boston".Boston.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  5. ^Bernstein, David S. (April 28, 2020)."Power List: The 100 Most Influential Bostonians".Boston.RetrievedJune 18,2020.
  6. ^Ouzounian, Richard (January 21, 2011)."The Big Interview with Diane Paulus".thestar.The Toronto Star.RetrievedAugust 13,2018.
  7. ^Pacheco, Patrick (May 4, 2015)."How Diane Paulus' Kids Inspired Her for 'Finding Neverland'".Gotham.RetrievedAugust 13,2018.
  8. ^ab"Weddings; Diane M. Paulus, Randy Weiner",The New York Times,October 1, 1995
  9. ^Ricky Spears,"Quick Wit: Anna Wilson"ArchivedJune 6, 2011, at theWayback Machine,TheaterMania, July 7, 2000
  10. ^abcEric V. Copage,"Not Your Mother's Musical, and That's the Point",The New York Times,September 6, 1999
  11. ^abMegan Tench,"Disco inferno",The Boston Globe,August 23, 2009
  12. ^Arnold Aronson,American Avant-garde Theatre: A History,Routledge;1 ed. (2000), p.207
  13. ^abCelia McGee,"Harvard's Not-So-Square New Director",The New York Times,August 13, 2008
  14. ^"An Eye on the Future"ArchivedMarch 13, 2010, at theWayback MachineAmerican Theatre,April 2009
  15. ^Friedersdorf, Conor."How Theater Can Contribute to Peaceful Coexistence".The Atlantic.RetrievedJuly 27,2017.
  16. ^Video of Il mondo della lunaArchivedJuly 16, 2011, at theWayback Machinesimsscoop
  17. ^"Merry Wives - Free Shakespeare in the Park".Publictheater.org.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  18. ^Hetrick, Adam."Tony-Winning 'The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess' Will Conclude Broadway Run Sept. 23",Playbill.July 18, 2012
  19. ^"Stephen Sondheim Takes Issue With Plan for Revamped 'Porgy and Bess'".ArtsBeat.The New York Times.August 10, 2011.RetrievedJune 10,2020.
  20. ^Gioia, Michael.'Pippin' Finds "Glory" in Diane Paulus' Cirque-Inspired Broadway Revival, Opening April 25playbill, April 25, 2013
  21. ^Gans, Andrew.Nominations Announced for 67th Annual Tony Awards; Kinky Boots Earns 13 NominationsArchivedOctober 21, 2013, at theWayback Machineplaybill, April 30, 2013
  22. ^Ross, Blake (July 14, 2013)."She Flies Through the Air With the Greatest of Ease — Tony Winner Andrea Martin Talks About Singing from a Trapeze in Pippin".Playbill.RetrievedJune 19,2020.
  23. ^Gerard, Jeremy (June 13, 2014)."Not-So-Jolly Roger Bart Jumps Harvey Weinstein's 'Neverland' Ship".Deadline.RetrievedJune 10,2020.
  24. ^Shanahan, Mark; Goldstein, Meredith (January 7, 2014)."Sara Bareilles on board for 'Waitress' at ART".The Boston Globe.RetrievedJune 10,2020.
  25. ^Kao, Joanna (March 25, 2016)."'Waitress' Is Making Broadway History With Its All-Female Creative Team ".FiveThirtyEight.RetrievedJuly 27,2017.
  26. ^Hofferman, Jon (November 19, 2021)."Spire Animation Studios Helps Lead the Way for Gender Equality".Animation World Network.RetrievedNovember 22,2022.
  27. ^"Jagged Little Pill to open in the West End this autumn".Whatsonstage.February 18, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  28. ^Kaufman, Joanne (May 13, 2016)."At Home With Broadway's Diane Paulus".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJune 10,2020.
  29. ^abEberson, Sharon (June 4, 2020)."Pittsburgher Griffin Matthews speaks out about 'Amy Coopers' of Broadway".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  30. ^"For Broadway's '1776' Revival, the Drama Is Offstage".The New York Times.October 18, 2022.RetrievedOctober 19,2022.
  31. ^Libbey, Peter (October 15, 2020)."Full List of the 2020 Tony Award Nominees".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 24,2020.
  32. ^ab"DIANE PAULUS - Biography".Dianepaulus.net.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
  33. ^"Concepteurs".Cirque Du Soleil. Archived fromthe originalon January 20, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 30,2012.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diane_Paulus&oldid=1224418129"