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 2001 by Artistic Director, Steve Cosson. The Civilians artists pursue their inquiries using interviews, community residencies, research, and other methods. Working with ...

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

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 or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...

. 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'".html" ;"title="ic">"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

Kauffman directed ''The Thugs'' 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. ...

Off-Broadway at the Soho Rep in 2006. She received the 2007

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

for direction for this production. Kauffman directed

Amy Herzog Amy Herzog is an American playwright. Her play '' 4000 Miles'', which ran Off-Broadway in 2011, was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Her play ''Mary Jane'', which ran Off-Broadway in 2017, won the New York Drama Critics' Circle A ...

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

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

in 2013. The reviewer for '' Time (magazine), Time'' 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, 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'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

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

Jordan Harrison Jordan Harrison (born 1977) is a 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 1999 a ...

(2011) and Pulitzer Prize finalist play ''

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

'' 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 ...

(2012) at

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit 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. Under the ...

;. ''Stunning'' by

David Adjmi David Adjmi (born 1973) is an American playwright. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, the inaugural Steinberg Playwright Award, a Bush Artists Fellowship, and the Kesselring Prize for Drama. Life Adjmi grew up in a ...

(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 2001 by Artistic Director, Steve Cosson. The Civilians artists pursue their inquiries using interviews, community residencies, research, and other methods. Working with ...

) at

The Flea Theater The Flea Theater, founded in 1996, is a theater in the TriBeCa section of New York City. It presents primarily new American theater and provides a venue for film stars to act on a very small (74-seat) stage, as well as a smaller black box theat ...

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

Chloe Moss Chloë Moss (born 1976 in Liverpool) is an English playwright and screenwriter. Early life Moss grew up in Liverpool and attended Manchester Metropolitan University, where she studied film. She joined the Royal Court's Young Writers programme ...

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''. It has produced plays on controversial social topics such as the criticall ...

(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 prod ...

(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

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 Theatre, ...

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 a ...

(2004). In 2016, she directed ''Smokefall'' by Noah Haidle with

Zachary Quinto Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. 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 th ...

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 is largely unch ...

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. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...

, 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 lan ...

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 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 screened for buyers a ...

'' 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 female-iden ...

in a co-production by Ars Nova 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 to ...

, in his review for ''

'', noted the "beautifully acted production...directed with probing sensitivity by Anne Kauffman." In 2017, she directed '' Marvin's Room'' on Broadway for

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading 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 Fried and Elizabet ...

, ''

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...

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

, and ''Hundred Days'' at the

Under the Radar Festival The Under the Radar Festival was a theater festival in New York City, founded in 2005 by Mark Russell (festival director), Mark Russell, former Artistic Director of Performance Space 122, P.S. 122 for over twenty years and also Guest Artistic Direc ...

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

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre 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 ...

, where she is about to direct Lindsey Ferrentino's ''The Year to Come''. Kauffman's past regional productions include ''

Body Awareness ''Body Awareness'' is a one-act play by Annie Baker. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 2008. Background This play marked the Off-Broadway debut for Annie Baker. The play takes place at Shirley State College in Shirley, Vermont, which "evokes A ...

'' by

Annie Baker Annie Baker (born April 1981) is an American playwright and teacher who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her play ''The Flick.'' Among her works are the Shirley, Vermont plays, which take place in the fictional town of Shirley: ''Circle Mirror Tr ...

(2012) at the

Wilma Theater Wilma Theater may refer to: *Wilma Theater (Philadelphia) *Wilma Theatre (Missoula, Montana) {{dab ...

; and Pulitzer Prize finalist ''

Becky Shaw ''Becky Shaw'' is a play written by Gina Gionfriddo. The play premiered at the Humana Festival in 2008 and opened Off-Broadway in 2008. The play was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Productions The play had its world premiere ...

'' by

Gina Gionfriddo Gina Gionfriddo is an American playwright and television writer. Her play ''Becky Shaw'' was a 2009 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and her play ''Rapture, Blister, Burn'' was a 2013 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. She has wr ...

(2009); ''The Flea and the Professor'' by Jordan Harrison at the Arden Theatre Company (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.Druckman, ...

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. I ...

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

and Todd Almond at

Yale Rep Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented student ...

(2010); ''The Communist Dracula Pageant'' by

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 moder ...

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 P ...

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 is an internationally renowned festival that celebrates the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, this festival showcases new theatrica ...

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

(2005). She is a Sundance program associate, a usual suspect at

, an alumna of the

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 millio ...

Directors Lab, the Drama League of New York, 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 t ...

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. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. 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 choreographer ...

. 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,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...

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

Jeanine Tesori Jeanine Tesori (known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson) is an American composer and musical arranger best known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway mu ...

for the 2018 season. ''Encores! Off-Center'' has been on hiatus since 2020.

Awards and honors

She received the 2007

for direction of ''The Thugs''. She received the 2015 Obie Award, for sustained excellence of direction. Other awards include a Lilly Award for directing in 2010, the Alan Schneider Director Award, the

Joan Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine * Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...

and

Joseph Cullman Joseph Frederick Cullman III (April 9, 1912 – April 30, 2004) was an American businessman, CEO of Philip Morris Company from 1957 to 1978 and tennis aficionado. Biography Cullman was born to a Jewish family on April 9, 1912 in New York City, ...

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''. She was nominated for the 2015

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

, Outstanding Director of a Play for ''You Got Older'' by Clare Barron. She was nominated for the 2011

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatre ...

, Outstanding Director for ''This Wide Night'' by Chloe Moss. She was nominated for the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Director for ''Belleville''. She was nominated for the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Director for ''Marjorie Prime''. She was nominated for the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Director, for Adam Bock's ''A Life''. She received both the 2018 Lortel Award for Outstanding Direction of a play, and the 2018

for Directing for ''Mary Jane''. ''Mary Jane''
lortel.org, accessed August 14, 2018

References

External links

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