Arielle Tepper is a theater and film producer, native New Yorker, and founder of the concierge service, WhatShouldWeDo?! She also serves as the Board Chair for

The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

in New York. Tepper has won six

Tony Awards 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 c ...

Early life

Arielle Tepper was born and raised in Manhattan's

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...

. From the age of three, she attended

The Dalton School The Dalton School, originally the Children's University School, is a private, coeducational college preparatory school in New York City and a member of both the Ivy Preparatory School League and the New York Interschool. The school is located i ...

in New York City, spending most of her summers in East Hampton. Arielle's mother, Susan L. Tepper was an artist and her father, a self-employed commodities trader. At the age of eight, Arielle saw her first Broadway show, ''

Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

,'' which she would later go on to produce. After graduating from high school, she attended Syracuse University, majoring in Design and Technical Theater.

Career

In 1998, after graduating from Syracuse University, Tepper founded Arielle Tepper Productions, a theatrical production company to develop and produce plays and musicals both on and off Broadway. Her first production was

John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...

's ''Freak'', a semi-autobiographical one-person play that ran for six months at the Cort Theater in New York. Arielle’s producing credits include the film ''

Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...

'' and many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows including: ''

Les Liaisons Dangereuses ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782. It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and ...

'', ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then we ...

'' starring

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...

, ''

The Cripple of Inishmaan ''The Cripple of Inishmaan'' is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary ''Man of Aran''. The play is set on the small Aran Islands community of Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) off the Western C ...

'' starring

Daniel Radcliffe Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...

, '' Lucky Guy'' starring

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

, '' I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers'' starring Bette Midler, ''

'', ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' starring Jude Law, '' Frost/Nixon, Monty Python’s Spamalot'', and ''

A Raisin in the Sun ''A Raisin in the Sun'' is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Chi ...

.'' In 2016, Arielle took a small step back from her production company to launch her newest venture, WhatShouldWeDo?!, a New York planning, recommendations, and booking service.

Philanthropy

In 2005, Tepper formed The Living Room for Artists, a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization whose aim is to sustain and support the Summer Play Festival which was first presented in 2004. SPF formed an alliance with

and had a relationship with the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...

through its creation of the ''Playwright Residency Program''. In 2001, in an effort to promote Theater Education, she created ''The Tepper Center for Careers in Theatre'' which, through The Tepper Semester in New York provides opportunities for college seniors to develop specific strategies for pursuing their career goals in the entertainment industry. In 2005, she initiated a theater program for second and third graders at

. She serves on the Board of Governors for

The Broadway League The Broadway League, formerly the League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers, is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry based in New York, New York. Its members include theat ...

. She is an Emeritus member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, and a past Board member of

. Tepper is also a member of the

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

Drama Council and has been listed in ''Crain’s 40 under 40'' and was one of ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

’s Fun Fearless Females''.

Production credits

References

External links

*
Tepper Semester
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tepper, Arielle Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Businesspeople from New York City Syracuse University alumni American theatre managers and producers