Eric Simonson
Encyclopedia
Eric Simonson is an American
writer
and director in theatre, film
and opera. He was nominated for a Tony Award
for Best Direction of a Musical
in 1993 for The Song of Jacob Zulu
.
, first growing up on a farm in the small town of Eagle
. After graduating with a B.A. in Theatre from Lawrence University
, Wisconsin, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin
for a short period, where he worked with the then fledgling Ark Repertory Theatre. He moved to Chicago in 1983, where he helped found Lifeline Theatre
, and eventually worked with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
. He became a member of the theatre’s ensemble in 1993.
Simonson now lives in Los Angeles
, but often works throughout the United States
. In 2004 he married theatre producer Susan Raab; she died of cancer in 2006.
) of Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright
, which was commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre Company
and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and was subsequently was produced across the United States. His film A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
won the 2005 Academy Award for Short Subject Documentary. He also directed the premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon
and Michael Korie
’s opera The Grapes of Wrath
at Minnesota Opera
in 2007. Also, in 2007 he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
.
His recent plays, Lombardi/The Only Thing (Madison Repertory Theatre), Carter's Way (Steppenwolf Theatre) and Slaughterhouse-Five
(Godlight Theatre of New York) received premiere
s in 2008. Simonson's play Lombardi
is currently running on Broadway
from October 2010. His play Louder Faster, co-authored with Jeffrey Hatcher, premiered at City Theatre
in Pittsburgh
in May 2011. His next play, Magic/Bird
, will be produced on Broadway in 2012.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and director in theatre, film
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and opera. He was nominated for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Direction of a Musical
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions...
in 1993 for The Song of Jacob Zulu
47th Tony Awards
The 47th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Gershwin Theatre in New York City on June 6, 1993. The host was Liza Minnelli.Presenters: Bea Arthur, Tom Bosley, Matthew Broderick, Ellen Burstyn, Diahann Carroll, Michael Crawford, Tyne Daly, Tammy Grimes, Marvin Hamlisch, Julie Harris,...
.
Personal life
Simonson spent much of his early life in WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, first growing up on a farm in the small town of Eagle
Eagle (town), Wisconsin
Eagle is a town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,117 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates a population of 3,680 for the year 2008...
. After graduating with a B.A. in Theatre from Lawrence University
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
, Wisconsin, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
for a short period, where he worked with the then fledgling Ark Repertory Theatre. He moved to Chicago in 1983, where he helped found Lifeline Theatre
Lifeline Theatre
- Mission :Lifeline Theatre specializes in original literary adaptations. Its ensemble of artists uses imaginative, unconventional staging to portray sprawling stories in an intimate space. Lifeline is committed to promoting the arts in its Rogers Park neighborhood and is an anchor of the Glenwood...
, and eventually worked with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
. He became a member of the theatre’s ensemble in 1993.
Simonson now lives in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, but often works throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2004 he married theatre producer Susan Raab; she died of cancer in 2006.
Career
Simonson is the writer (with Jeffrey HatcherJeffrey Hatcher
Jeffrey Hatcher is a playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the stage play Compleat Female Stage Beauty, which he later adapted into a screenplay, shortened to just Stage Beauty...
) of Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright
Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright
Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright is a play by Jeffrey Hatcher and Eric Simonson. It premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in 2000. The play was commissioned by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago....
, which was commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and was subsequently was produced across the United States. His film A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin is a 2005 documentary short subject about writer Norman Corwin. In addition to Corwin, the cast includes Robert Altman, Norman Lear, Walter Cronkite, Studs Terkel, and radio historians Timothy Troy and Norman Gilliland.On March 5, 2006 it won the...
won the 2005 Academy Award for Short Subject Documentary. He also directed the premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon
Ricky Ian Gordon
Ricky Ian Gordon is an American composer of songs, stage musicals and opera. The death of his lover from AIDS inspired Dream True and Orpheus and Euridice...
and Michael Korie
Michael Korie
Michael Korie is an American librettist and lyricist. Korie's works include Grey Gardens , Harvey Milk and The Grapes of Wrath . He also wrote the lyrics to Doctor Zhivago Michael Korie (born Michael Cory Indick) is an American librettist and lyricist. Korie's works include Grey Gardens...
’s opera The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath (opera)
The opera version of The Grapes of Wrath was composed by Ricky Ian Gordon to a libretto by Michael Korie based on John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel of the same title. The three-act opera was originally commissioned by the Minnesota Opera and co-produced with Utah Symphony & Opera...
at Minnesota Opera
Minnesota Opera
The Minnesota Opera is a performance organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1963 by the Walker Art Center, and is known for premiering such diverse works as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Frankenstein by Libby Larsen...
in 2007. Also, in 2007 he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
.
His recent plays, Lombardi/The Only Thing (Madison Repertory Theatre), Carter's Way (Steppenwolf Theatre) and Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim...
(Godlight Theatre of New York) received premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
s in 2008. Simonson's play Lombardi
Lombardi (play)
Lombardi is a play by Eric Simonson, based on the book When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss.-Synopsis:...
is currently running on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
from October 2010. His play Louder Faster, co-authored with Jeffrey Hatcher, premiered at City Theatre
City Theatre (Pittsburgh)
City Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Pittsburgh's South Side. It specializes in productions of new plays and has commissioned new works by playwrights on the national theatre scene, including Christopher Durang, Adam Rapp, and Jeffrey Hatcher...
in Pittsburgh
Theatre in Pittsburgh
Theatre in Pittsburgh has existed professionally since the early 1800s and has continued to expand, having emerged as an important cultural force in the city over the past 30 years.-History:...
in May 2011. His next play, Magic/Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, will be produced on Broadway in 2012.
External links
- Eric Simonson at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....
- Eric Simonson at the Steppenwolf Theatre web site