John Tillinger (born June 28, 1938) is a

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Life and career

Joachim F. Tillinger was born in

Tabriz Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. His father was German Jewish and his mother was

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

. Tillinger was raised in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, where he was first exposed to the theatre. He spent his early years on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

as an actor, appearing in ''

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (standby "Freddie", 1968), '' Othello'' ("Roderigo", 1970), '' Hay Fever'' ("Sandy Tyrell", 1970), and '' The Changing Room'' ("Colin Jagger", 1973). Tillinger's first Broadway directing credit was ''Solomon's Child'' in 1982. Since then he has directed:"John Tillinger Credits and Awards"
playbillvault.com, accessed May 4, 2014 ''

Love Letters A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a l ...

'' (1989) with Colleen Dewhurst and

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...

, '' The Price'' (1992) with

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

, '' Three Men on a Horse'' (1993) and ''

The Sunshine Boys ''The Sunshine Boys'' is an original two-act play written by Neil Simon that premiered December 20, 1972 on Broadway starring Jack Albertson as Willie Clark and Sam Levene as Al Lewis and later adapted for film and television. Plot The pla ...

'' (1997), both with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, '' Inherit the Wind'' (1996) with

George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...

and

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

, ''

Night Must Fall ''Night Must Fall'' is a play, a psychological thriller, by Emlyn Williams, first performed in 1935. There have been three film adaptations, '' Night Must Fall'' (1937); a 1954 adaptation on the television anthology series ''Ponds Theater'' sta ...

'' (1999) with

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994) ...

, ''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic courtroom drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene D ...

'' (2001) with

George Grizzard George Cooper Grizzard Jr. (April 1, 1928 – October 2, 2007) was an American stage, television, and film actor. He was the recipient of a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award, among other accolades. Life and career Grizzard ...

and Maximilian Schell, '' Say Goodnight, Gracie'' (2002) with Frank Gorshin, and ''

Absurd Person Singular ''Absurd Person Singular'' is a 1972 play by Alan Ayckbourn. Divided into three acts, it documents the changing fortunes of three married couples. Each act takes place at a Christmas celebration at one of the couples' homes on successive Christma ...

'' (2005) with

Paxton Whitehead Francis Edward Paxton Whitehead (born 17 October 1937) is an English actor, theatre director and playwright. He was nominated for a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of ''Camelot''. He has h ...

and Sam Robards. Tillinger's many Off-Broadway directing credits include ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' (1981), '' After the Fall'' (1984), '' Loot'' (1986), '' What the Butler Saw'' (1989), ''

The Lisbon Traviata ''The Lisbon Traviata'' is a play by Terrence McNally. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1989. It revolves around several opera fans, especially of the opera singer Maria Callas, and their gay relationships. Overview The play focuses on two of ...

'' (1989), '' Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' (1991), '' Sylvia'' (1995), and '' Jewtopia'' (2004). He has directed numerous regional theatre productions. He directed ''

The Wedding Banquet ''The Wedding Banquet'' is a 1993 romantic comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Ang Lee. The story concerns a gay Taiwanese immigrant man (played by Winston Chao, in his film debut) who marries a mainland Chinese woman ( May Chin) t ...

'' at the Village Theatre,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, in 2003. He was the literary consultant for the

Long Wharf Theatre Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared. Fou ...

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

from 1975 to 1997. Additionally, he was the associate artistic director at Long Wharf Theatre. He directed many plays at the Long Wharf Theatre, including ''This Story of Yours'' and ''Solomon's Child'' (1980), ''Another Country'' (1982), and most recently ''Paddywhack'' and ''Broken Glass'' (1994).[Biography"
filmreference.com,_accessed_May_4,_2014

_Personal

Tillinger_was_married_to_actress/director_ [Biography"
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Tillinger_was_married_to_actress/director_Dorothy_Lyman">iography"">[Biography"
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Tillinger_was_married_to_actress/director_Dorothy_Lyman_from_1971_to_1978._They_have_two_children,_actor_Sebastian_Tillinger_and_producer_Emma_Tillinger_Koskoff.html" ;"title="Dorothy_Lyman.html" ;"title="iography"">[Biography"
filmreference.com, accessed May 4, 2014

Personal

Tillinger was married to actress/director Dorothy Lyman">iography"">[Biography"
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Personal

Tillinger was married to actress/director Dorothy Lyman from 1971 to 1978. They have two children, actor Sebastian Tillinger and producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff">Emma Tillinger.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

*2001 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (''Judgment at Nuremberg'', nominee) *1991 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director (''The Lisbon Traviata'', winner)Awards, see 1989 and 1991"
lortelaward.com, accessed May 4, 2014 *1989 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director (''Love Letters'', winner) *1986

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Direction of a Play (''Loot'', nominee) *1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (''

It's Only a Play ''It's Only a Play'' is a play by Terrence McNally. The play originally opened off-off-Broadway in 1982. It was revived off-Broadway in 1986, and on Broadway in 2014. The plot concerns a party where a producer, playwright, director, actors and ...

'' nominee) and (''Loot'', nominee) *1986 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Direction of a Play (''Loot'', winner)" 'Loot' Listing"
Internet Off-Broadway Database Listing, accessed May 4, 2014 *1982 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (''Entertaining Mr. Sloane'', nominee)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tillinger, John 1938 births Living people American theatre directors American male stage actors American people of German-Jewish descent