Anna Davida Shapiro (born March 10, 1966) is an American theater director, was the artistic director of the Steppenwolf Theater Company, and a professor at Northwestern University. Throughout her career, she has directed both the Steppenwolf Theater Company production of August: Osage County (2007) along with its Broadway debut (2008-2009), the Broadway debuts of The Motherfucker with the Hat (2011) and Fish in the Dark (2014), The Minutes (2022), Eureka Day (2024) and Broadway revivals of This Is Our Youth and Of Mice and Men, both in 2014. She won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for her direction of August: Osage County.
Early years Shapiro was born in Evanston, Illinois, the youngest of four children. She attended Evanston Township High School and graduated in 1983. She later went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in theater direction from Columbia College Chicago in 1990. She then attended graduate school and received a Master of Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama, and was the recipient of a 1996 Princess Grace Award.
Career Her credits include the premieres of Until We Find Each Other, The Pain and the Itch, Purple Heart, Three Days of Rain, Drawer Boy, I Never Sang for my Father, A Fair Country, Iron and Man from Nebraska.Sommer, Elyse. "A CurtainUp Review. 'Iron'". CurtainUp, October 24, 2003 She also directed Edwin Sanchez's Trafficking in Broken Hearts for the Atlantic Theater Company.McBride, Murdoch. "Baitz's A Fair Country Opens at Boston's Huntington, Oct. 27-Nov. 26" Playbill, October 27, 2000 She directed the world premieres of The Ordinary Yearning of Miriam Buddwing by Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros at Steppenwolf in 2001,Simonson, Robert. "Miriam Buddwing Takes the Stage at Steppenwolf Studio, Jan. 11" Playbill, January 11, 2001 and Bruce Norris's The Infidel at both Steppenwolf and the Philadelphia Theatre Company.
After directing Tracy Letts' August: Osage County at Steppenwolf and winning the Jefferson Award for Best Director, she directed the play on Broadway, with all but two of the original cast, and won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play, as well as the Drama Desk AwardGans, Andrew.August and Passing Strange Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards" , Playbill, May 18, 2008 and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Play.Gans, Andrew."South Pacific Is Big Winner in Outer Critics Circle Awards", Playbill, May 12, 2008 August: Osage County was named by Time magazine as its number one theater production for 2007.Zoglin, Richard."Top 10 Theater Productions", Time, February 23, 2009
On Broadway, Shapiro also directed Of Mice and Men and This Is Our Youth (2014).Hetrick, Adam. " 'This Is Our Youth', With Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin and Tavi Gevinson, Opens on Broadway Tonight" Playbill, September 11, 2014 She directed the Larry David play, Fish in the Dark on Broadway at the Cort Theatre, which opened in February 2015.Lloyd Webber, Imogen. "Rosie Perez & More Will Join Larry David in His Self-Penned Play 'Fish in the Dark' on Broadway" broadway.com, September 2, 2014
Shapiro has been on the faculty of Northwestern University as head of the Graduate Directing Program in Theatre since 2002."Anna D. Shapiro" goodmantheatre.org, accessed September 20, 2014 She has been affiliated with Steppenwolf Theatre since 1995, serving as the original director of the New Plays Lab and later joining the artistic staff as resident director. Shapiro is an artistic associate and became a member of the ensemble in 2005.Jacobs, Leonard. "Steppenwolf Selects Anna Shapiro" backstage.com, March 17, 2005 She was named the artistic director of Steppenwolf in September 2015.Hetrick, Adam. "Steppenwolf Names Tony Winner Anna D. Shapiro as New Artistic Director" Playbill, October 2, 2014Borelli, Christopher. "Anna D. Shapiro at Steppenwolf Theatre: Work in progress" Chicago Tribune, August 21, 2015
In the Fall of 2024, Shapiro directed Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, as part of Manhattan Theatre Club's 2024–2025 season.Eureka Day Official Siteaccessed 06/30/2024
Personal life She is married to actor Ian Barford, and they have two children. She also has 6 nephews and nieces.
Stage credits YearTitleRoleVenueRef.1996The Viewing RoomDirectorRegional, Steppenwolf Theatre Company1998Wolf Lullaby1999Three Days Of RainSide Man2000The Infidel2007August: Osage CountyBroadway, Imperial Theatre2011The Motherfucker with the HatBroadway, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre2013DomesticatedOff-Broadway, Lincoln Center Theatre2014Of Mice and MenBroadway, Longacre TheatreThis Is Our YouthBroadway, Cort Theatre2015Fish in the Dark2018Straight White MenBroadway, Hayes Theatre2019Linda Vista2021Pass OverBroadway, August Wilson Theatre2022The MinutesBroadway, Studio 542024Eureka DayBroadway, Samuel J. Friedman Theatre2027Three Days of RainBroadway
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2008Outer Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Director of a PlayAugust: Osage CountyDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Director of a PlayTony AwardBest Direction of a Play2011The Motherfucker with the HatOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Director of a Play2014Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Director of a PlayDomesticated2022Tony AwardBest PlayThe MinutesOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Director of a Play2025Drama League AwardOutstanding Direction of a PlayEureka Day
References
External links
(archive)
Anna Shapiro at Northwestern University Anna D. Shapiro at Steppenwolf Theatre Company