DES McANUFF - Director

Des McAnuff is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and was recently named co-artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada. He is director emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, which he has headed for much of the past 25 years. Under his leadership, La Jolla Playhouse garnered more than 300 theatre awards, including the 1993 Outstanding Regional Theatre Tony Award. Recent productions directed at the Playhouse: The Wiz (2006), Zhivago (2005), Palm Beach (2005), Private Fittings (2005), Tom Donaghy’s Eden Lane (2003), Tartuffe (2002) and Michael Ondaatje’s The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (2001). Playhouse to Broadway credits: Jersey Boys,
Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Broadway 2004, Tony Award), Dracula: The Musical (2004), How to Succeed… (1995), The Who’s Tommy (director/co-author with Pete Townshend, 1993 Tony Award Best Director of a Musical, 1997 London Olivier Awards Best Director/Best Musical), A Walk in the Woods (1988) and Big River (1985, seven Tonys including Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical). Film includes: Cousin Bette and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (director), Iron Giant (producer) and Quills (executive producer). Recently on Broadway: Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention.

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