Michael Greif (born ca. 1959 in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New YorkWelsh, Anne Marie, "New York and family call Michael Greif home", ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', October 10, 1999, p.E-1) is an American stage director. He has won three

Obie Awards 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 ...

and received four

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 c ...

nominations, for ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

'', ''

Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...

'', ''

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing ...

'', and ''

Dear Evan Hansen ''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a t ...

''.

Career

Greif attended

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

and graduated from the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is ...

graduate directing program. He was the Artistic Director of the

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 ...

, LaJolla, California from 1994 to 1999. He was an Artistic Associate 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 East 4th Street between Second Avenue and Bowery in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, it hou ...

where he directed, among others, ''Bright Lights, Big City'' (1998–99) and the original production of ''

'' for which he received the

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 ...

for direction of a musical and later directed on Broadway. Greif has directed six original

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 ...

musicals and been nominated for the

Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: ''Dramatic'' and ''Musical''. Win ...

four times. In addition to ''Rent'', his Broadway credits include ''

If/Then ''If/Then'' is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. ''If/Then'' ...

'' (also at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.), ''

'' (also at

Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

and

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

), ''

'' (also 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 ...

), ''

'' (also at Arena Stage and Second Stage), and '' War Paint'' (also at 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 la ...

, Chicago). Among his many directing credits

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 th ...

are Katori Hall's ''Our Lady of Kibeho'',

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 ...

's ''Landscape of the Body'' and ''A Few Stout Individuals'' at Signature Theatre, ''Beauty of the Father'' for the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has ...

, the 2009

production of ''Mrs. Sharp'' (with music and lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver and starring

Jane Krakowski Jane Krakowski (; ; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress, comedienne, and singer. She is best known for her starring role as Jenna Maroney in the NBC satirical comedy series ''30 Rock'' (2006–2013, 2020), for which she received four ...

), and ''Romeo and Juliet, Winter's Tale,'' and ''The Tempest'' at the

New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions ar ...

at the Delacorte Theater (2007, 2010, 2015).

Work (selected)

;La Jolla Playhouse *''The Three Cuckolds'' (1986) *'' What the Butler Saw (play)'' (1992) *''

Thérèse Raquin ''Thérèse Raquin'' is an 1868 novel by French writer Émile Zola, first published in serial form in the literary magazine ''L'Artiste'' in 1867. It was Zola's third novel, though the first to earn wide fame. The novel's adultery and murder ...

'' (Neal Bell adaption of Zola) (1994) *''Slavs!'' (Tony Kushner) 1995) *''Faust'' (Randy Newman) (1995) * ''Boy'' (Diana Son) (1996) * ''

Sweet Bird of Youth ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' is a 1959 play by Tennessee Williams which tells the story of a gigolo and drifter, Chance Wayne, who returns to his home town as the companion of a faded movie star, Alexandra del Lago (travelling incognito as Princess ...

'' (1999) * ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thr ...

'' (2001) Williamstown Theater Festival * ''Therese Racquin'' (1994) * ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises ...

'' (1995) * ''Tonight at 8:30'' (2001) * ''Strew Scene'' (2002) * ''Once in a Lifetime'' (2003) * ''Landscape of the Body'' (2004) * ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' (2005) * '' Three Sisters'' (2008) * ''Far From Heaven'' (2011) ; ;Broadway *''

'' (1996) *''

Never Gonna Dance ''Never Gonna Dance'' is a Broadway musical featuring the music of Jerome Kern. The musical was based on the 1936 Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film '' Swing Time''. Lyricists include Oscar Hammerstein, Ira Gershwin, P. G. Wodehouse, Bernard Dougal ...

'' (2003) *''

'' (2006) *''

'' (2009) *''

'' (2014) *''

'' (2016) *'' War Paint'' (2017) ;

Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gut ...

*'' The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures'' (Tony Kushner) (2009)Gans, Andre
"Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide Begins Guthrie Run May 15"
playbill.com, May 15, 2009; NY Premiere: March 23-June 12, 2011 at NY Public Theater ; ;Off-Broadway New York Theater Workshop * ''70 scenes of Halloween'' (1986) * ''RENT'' (1996) * ''Bright Lights, Big City'' (1998) * ''Cave-Dweller'' (2002) The Public Theater * '' Machinal'' (1990) * ''A Bright Room Called Day'' (1991) * ''Casanova'' (1991) * ''Pericles'' (1992) * '' Marisol'' (1994) * ''Dogeaters'' (2001) * ''Satellites'' (2006) * ''The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide...'' (2010) * ''

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

'' (2012) * ''The Low Road'' (2018) Signature Theatre * ''A Few Stout Individuals'' (2002) * ''Landscape of the Body'' (2006) * ''

Angels in America ''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award f ...

'' (2010) Playwrights Horizons * ''Spatter Pattern'' (2004) * ''Grey Gardens'' (2006) * ''Far From Heaven'' (2013) Second Stage * ''Spike Heels'' (1993) * ''Next to Normal'' (2008) * ''Boy's Life'' (2011) * ''Dear Evan Hansen'' (2016)

References

External links

* *
Biography, PlaybillCredits at Broadway.comBiography as of November, 2006 at the American Theatre Wing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greif, Michael American theatre directors Northwestern University School of Communication alumni University of California, San Diego alumni Living people 1959 births Year of birth uncertain