Anne Kauffman is an American director known primarily for her work on new plays, mainly in the New York area. She is a founding member of the theater group

the Civilians The Civilians is an investigative theatre company in New York City founded in 2002 by Artistic Director, Steve Cosson. The plays and musicals they produce aim to "blend the real and the theatrical" by utilizing interviews, research, residencies, ...

.Grode, Eric
"Meet the Directors"
''New York Times'', January 31, 2013 She made her

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 Stre ...

debut with the Scott McPherson play '' Marvin's Room'' (2017) and returned with the revival of the

Lorraine Hansberry Lorraine Vivian Hansberry (May 19, 1930 – January 12, 1965) was an American playwright and writer. She was the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Her best-known work, the play ''A Raisin ...

play ''

The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window ''The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window'' is the second and last staged play by playwright Lorraine Hansberry, author of ''A Raisin in the Sun''. The play focuses on events that occur after Sidney hangs a political sign urging an end to Political ...

'' (2023) and '' Mary Jane'' (2024).

Early life and education

Kauffman received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her MFA from the graduate directing program at

UCSD The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing ...

. Kauffman has said: "I'm attracted to plays that need the theater and belong only to the theater,...I've always been very interested in writers who have a kind of mystery to them--something that makes me work a little hard and is compelling and mysterious...trying to get at the world from a slightly odd angle....I do love working with a playwright more than once."Onofri, Adrienne
"BWW Interview: A Women's History Month Special [sic
/nowiki> with Director Anne Kauffman of 'SMOKEFALL'"">ic">"BWW Interview: A Women's History Month Special [sic
/nowiki> with Director Anne Kauffman of 'SMOKEFALL'"broadwayworld.com, March 9, 2016

Career

2006–2013: Regional and off-Broadway

Kauffman's past regional productions include ''Body Awareness'' by Annie Baker (2012) at the Wilma Theater (Philadelphia), Wilma Theater; and Pulitzer Prize finalist ''Becky Shaw'' by Gina Gionfriddo (2009); ''The Flea and the Professor'' by Jordan Harrison at the

Arden Theatre Company The Arden Theatre Company is a professional regional theatre company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company includes three theatres: the 175-seat Arcadia Stage and the 360-seat F. Otto Haas Stage, located in the main property at 40 ...

(2011); ''Six Degrees of Separation'' by

John Guare John Guare ( ; born February 5, 1938) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known as the author of '' The House of Blue Leaves'' and '' Six Degrees of Separation''. Early life He was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens.Druckma ...

at the

Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. ...

(2010); ''We Have Always Lived in the Castle'' by

Adam Bock Adam Bock (born November 4, 1961) is a Canadian playwright currently living in the United States. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In the fall of 1984, Bock studied at the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. ...

and Todd Almond at Yale Rep (2010); ''The Communist Dracula Pageant'' by

Anne Washburn Anne Washburn is an American playwright. Life Washburn graduated from Reed College and from New York University, with an M.F.A. Her plays have been produced in New York City by Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, Vineyard Theat ...

at ART (2008); ''Expecting Isabel'' by

Lisa Loomer Lisa Loomer (born 1950) is an American playwright and screenwriter who has also worked as an actress and stand-up comic. She is best known for her play ''The Waiting Room'' (1994), in which three women from different time periods meet in a modern ...

and ''Doubt'' by

John Patrick Shanley John Patrick Shanley (born October 13, 1950) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film ''Moonstruck''. His play, '' Doubt: A Parable'', won the 2005 Pulitzer Pri ...

at ''Asolo Repertory Theatre'' (2007); ''Act A Lady'' by Jordan Harrison at the

Humana Festival of New American Plays Humana Festival of New American Plays was an internationally renowned festival which celebrated the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, the festival showcased new theatrical ...

(2006); and ''Typographer's Dream'' and ''Shaker Chair'' by

(2005). Kauffman directed ''The Thugs'' by

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

at the Soho Rep in 2006. She received the 2007

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

for direction for this production. Kauffman directed

Amy Herzog Amy Herzog is an American playwright. She is known for her poignant and character-driven plays that explore themes of family dynamics, personal relationships, and the complexities of human experience. She has received a Drama Desk Award as well a ...

's '' Belleville'' Off-Broadway at the

New York Theatre Workshop __NOTOC__ New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) is an Off-Broadway theater noted for its productions of new works. Located at 79 East 4th Street between Second Avenue and Bowery in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, it h ...

in 2013. The reviewer for ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine wrote: "She auffmanserves the play wonderfully, with a light but firm hand, for a tense, almost breathtaking hour and a half." She also directed ''Belleville'' at the

Steppenwolf Theatre Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Immaculate Conception grade school in Highland Park, Illinois and is now located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighbo ...

, Chicago, in 2013. The reviewer of the Chicago production noted "Kauffmann's tense, adroit, nuanced, deftly cast production..." She directed

's '' Mary Jane'' Off-Broadway at the

in Sept. 2017. Jesse Green, in his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', noted "Ms. Kauffman's ideally detailed direction." Past Off-Broadway productions include ''Maple and Vine'' by

Jordan Harrison Jordan Harrison (born 1977) is an American playwright. He grew up on Bainbridge Island, Washington. His play ''Marjorie Prime'' was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Biography Harrison received a B.A. from Stanford University in ...

(2011) and Pulitzer Prize finalist play ''

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

'' by

Lisa D'Amour Lisa D'Amour is a playwright, performer, and former Carnival Queen from New Orleans. D'Amour is an alumna of New Dramatists. Her play ''Detroit'' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Biography Education D'Amour received a B.A. in En ...

(2012) at

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit American Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. ...

;. ''

Stunning Stunning is the process of rendering animals immobile or unconscious, with or without killing the animal, when or immediately prior to slaughtering them for food. Rationale Within the European Union, most animals slaughtered for human consump ...

'' by

David Adjmi David Adjmi (born 1973) is an American playwright. He is the recipient of a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, the inaugural Steinberg ...

(2009) and ''Slowgirl'' by Greg Pierce (2012) at LCT3 ; ''You'd Better Sit Down: Tales From My Parents' Divorce'' (Written with

The Civilians The Civilians is an investigative theatre company in New York City founded in 2002 by Artistic Director, Steve Cosson. The plays and musicals they produce aim to "blend the real and the theatrical" by utilizing interviews, research, residencies, ...

) at

The Flea Theater The Flea Theater is a Theater (structure), theater in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It presents primarily experimental theatre by Black, brown, and queer artists, as well as a venue for film stars to act on a 74-seat st ...

(2012); ''This Wide Night'' by Chloe Moss by

Naked Angels Theater Company Naked Angels is an American theater company founded in 1986 and based in New York City. It was named after John Tytell's book about the Beat Generation, ''Naked Angels''. The company has produced plays on controversial social topics, including ...

(2010); ''Sixty Miles to Silver Lake'' by Dan Le Franc at

Soho Rep The Soho Repertory Theatre, known as Soho Rep,The official website'now use "Soho", with a lowercase h, as do most articles from th''New York Times''/ref> is an American Off-Broadway theater company based in New York City which is notable for pro ...

(2009); ''Have You Seen Steve Steven'' by Ann Marie Healy with 13P (2007); ''God's Ear'' by Jenny Schwartz at The Vineyard and New Georges (2007); and ''The Ladies'' by

at the Cherry Lane Theater and

Dixon Place Dixon Place is a theater organization in New York City dedicated to the development of works-in-progress from a broad range of performers and artists. It exists to serve the creative needs of artists—emerging, mid-career and established—who ...

(2004).

2016–present: Broadway debut

In 2016, she directed ''Smokefall'' by Noah Haidle with

Zachary Quinto Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' (2006–2010); Spock in the film ''Star Trek ...

at the Off-Broadway

Lucille Lortel Theatre The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse at 121 Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior design is large ...

in an MCC production; she had previously directed the play at the

South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...

, and the

Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the ...

in 2013. She directed ''The Nether'' by Jennifer Haley in 2015 for MCC. She directed ''

Marjorie Prime ''Marjorie Prime'' is a 2017 American Science fiction, science-fiction film written and directed by Michael Almereyda, based on Jordan Harrison's play of the same name. It stars Jon Hamm, Tim Robbins, Geena Davis, and Lois Smith. Footage was scre ...

'' by Jordan Harrison at

in 2015. This was the second time that Kauffman and Harrison worked together. In 2014 she directed the Off-Broadway production of ''You Got Older'' by Clare Barron at HERE. She directed ''Sundown, Yellow Moon'' by Rachel Bonds, which premiered Off-Broadway at the

WP Theater WP Theater (formerly known as Women's Project Theater) is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater based in New York City. It is the nation's oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of Women+ theat ...

in a co-production by

Ars Nova ''Ars nova'' ()Fallows, David. (2001). "Ars nova". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan. refers to a musical style which flourished in the Kingdom of ...

and WP in 2017.

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher, and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 t ...

, in his review for ''

'', noted the "beautifully acted production...directed with probing sensitivity by Anne Kauffman." In 2017, she made her

debut directing '' Marvin's Room'' for

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...

, ''

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. The origin of the term is the medieval Order of Assassins, a sect of Shia Islam 1090–1275 CE. Assassin, or variants, may also refer to: Fictional characters * Assassin, in the Japanese adult ...

'' at Encores! Off-Center, ''Mary Jane'' at

, and ''Hundred Days'' at the

Under the Radar Festival The Under the Radar Festival is an internationally-sourced experimental theater festival based in New York City, founded in 2005 by Mark Russell. Russell was the former Artistic Director of P.S. 122 for over twenty years, Guest Artistic Director ...

and New York Theatre Workshop. In 2018, she directed ''The Lucky Ones'' at the Connelly Theater for

, and ''Hundred Days'' at

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...

, where she is about to direct

Lindsey Ferrentino Lindsey Ferrentino is an American contemporary playwright and screenwriter. Early life Lindsey Ferrentino is the daughter of comedian and magician John Ferrentino.

's ''The Year to Come''. She is a

Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...

program associate, a usual suspect at

, an alumna of

The Drama League The Drama League is an American theatrical association based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1910, in Chicago, as the Drama League of America, and chapters were established throughout the United States. In 1911, the organization b ...

Directors Project and

Writers and Directors Lab, a current member of Soho Rep's Artistic Council,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

Directors Lab, a founding member of

, an associate artist with

Clubbed Thumb Clubbed Thumb is a downtown theater company in New York City that commissions, develops, and produces "funny, strange, and provocative new plays by living American writers." Since its founding in 1996, the company has earned five OBIES (including ...

and co-creator of the CT Directing Fellowship, and member of New Georges Kitchen Cabinet. From 2000 to 2006, Kauffman was on the directing faculty at

NYU New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a non-denominational all-male institutio ...

. Kauffman is an executive board member of the

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), formerly known as Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC), is an independent national labor union established in 1959, representing theatrical directors and choreographe ...

. Kauffman is the artistic director of

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

's ''Encores! Off-Center'', and was the co-artistic director with

Jeanine Tesori Jeanine Tesori, known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson, (born November 10, 1961) is an American composer and Arrangement, musical arranger best known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical com ...

for the 2018 season. ''Encores! Off-Center'' has been on hiatus since 2020. Kauffman directed the 2023 production of

's ''

'' starring

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is an American actor. Recognized for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino characters in Cinema of the United States, H ...

and

Rachel Brosnahan Rachel Brosnahan (born July 12, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Midge Maisel, an aspiring stand-up comedian in the Amazon Prime Video period comedy series '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' (2017–2023), for which sh ...

at the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center in Brooklyn, New York City. It hosts progressive and avant-garde performances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues. BAM was chartered in 18 ...

. She returned to Broadway directing its transfer at the

James Earl Jones Theatre The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 138 West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. It was built in ...

. She received a

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

for her direction and the production received a

Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * ...

nomination.

Theatre credits

Selected credits as director

Awards and honors

She has received the Lilly Award for directing in 2010, the Alan Schneider Director Award, the Joan and Joseph Cullman award for Exceptional Creativity from Lincoln Center, 2004 Big Easy Award, and Ambie Award (for ''The Children's Hour'') in New Orleans. She has received Philadelphia's Barrymore Award for Best Direction in 2010 for ''Becky Shaw,'' and in 2012 for ''Body Awareness''. ''Detroit'' by Lisa D'Amour was listed in the top 10 productions of 2012 by ''The New York Times'', ''New York Magazine'', ''Time'' and ''TimeOut NY''.of-2012?pageNumber=2 Time Out NY top 10 for theater 2012

References

External links

Internet Off-Broadway Databasetcg.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kauffman, Anne Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American theatre directors American women theatre directors University of California, San Diego alumni