Danya Taymor
Danya Taymor | |
|---|---|
 Taymor at 77th Tony Awards 2024 | |
| Born | October 20, 1988 New York City |
| Occupation | Stage director |
| Partner | Gabriel Ebert |
| Relatives | Julie Taymor |
Danya Taymor is an American theatre director. She became the youngest woman to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for The Outsiders. Taymor received a second nomination the following year in the Best Direction of a Play category for John Proctor Is the Villain.
Early life
[edit]Taymor grew up in Palo Alto, California. Her mother works as a psychiatrist and her father is a pediatrician.[1] Her aunt is Julie Taymor, who became the first woman to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, for The Lion King.[2] She first began acting in the theater at the age of 6.[1]
Taymor attended Palo Alto High School. She also studied at Duke University,[1] graduating in 2010 from the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.[3]
Career
[edit]After graduating from college, Taymor relocated to New York and worked as an assistant for her aunt, who was then directing Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark. She also worked with other directors and studied in programs at The Flea Theater and Lincoln Center Theater.[2] Taymor was assistant director on the 2015 Broadway production of Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Thérèse Raquin at Studio 54.[4] She later had her solo directorial debut on Broadway with Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over, which premiered in 2021 at the August Wilson Theatre.[5][6]
Taymor directed the premiere of the musical The Outsiders at La Jolla Playhouse in 2023. The production transferred to Broadway the following year, opening at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on April 11, 2024.[7] For her work, Taymor received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, becoming the youngest woman to do so.[8] In her speech, Taymor recognized the other five female nominees in play and musical direction, which marked a record at the time.[9]
On April 14, 2025, Kimberly Belflower's play John Proctor is the Villain opened at the Booth Theatre directed by Taymor.[10] The production, starring Sadie Sink, was nominated for 7 Tony Awards at the 78th Tony Awards—including Taymor herself for her direction—ultimately winning none.[11] The play also received generally positive reviews from critics.[12] Performances ran until September 7.[10][13] In January 2026, Taymor was announced as the director of the upcoming film adaptation of the play.[14] She also went on to direct the play's West End production, which opened in March 2026.[15]
In summer 2025, Taymor directed the American premiere of Emmanuelle Mattana's Trophy Boys starring Louisa Jacobson at MCC Theater. The play ran from June to August 2025.[16][17]
On June 10, 2026, it was announced that Taymor would direct an Off-Broadway revival of the 2006 coming-of-age rock musical Spring Awakening at Studio Seaview.[18] Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall and music supervisor Or Matias are also attached to the project. Around 2,500 people attended the July open-call auditions.[19]
In June 2026, Taymor was also announced as the director of Belflower's new play Born in the Dirt for the Lincoln Center Theater's 2026-2027 season. The production is scheduled for a 10-week run commencing April 14, 2027.[20]
Personal life
[edit]She is married to actor Gabriel Ebert.[21] Ebert featured in Taymor's production of John Proctor is the Villain, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[2]
Theatre credits
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | I Hate Fucking Mexicans | Director | Off-Broadway, Flea Theatre | [22] |
| Wrench | Off-Broadway, The Tank @ 46th Street | |||
| 2014 | My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer | Off-Broadway, Flea Theatre | ||
| The Mysteries | Associate Director | |||
| 2015 | Wyoming | Director | Off-Broadway, Lesser America | |
| Thérèse Raquin | Assistant Director | Broadway, Studio 54 | ||
| 2016 | In Quietness | Director | Off-Broadway, Dutch Kills Theater Company | |
| The Place We Built | Off-Broadway, Flea Theatre | |||
| The Sensuality Party | Off-Broadway, The New Group | |||
| Asking for Trouble | Off-Broadway, Ensemble Studio Theatre | |||
| 2017 | Pass Over | Regional, Steppenwolf Theatre | ||
| 2018 | Queens | Off-Broadway, Lincoln Center Theatre | ||
| Pass Over | ||||
| Familiar | Regional, Steppenwolf Theatre | |||
| 2019 | "Daddy" | Off-Broadway, The Pershing Square Signature Center | ||
| Heroes of the Fourth Turning | Off-Broadway, Playwrights Horizons | |||
| 2020 | Graveyard Shift | Regional, Goodman Theatre | ||
| 2021 | Pass Over | Broadway, August Wilson Theatre | ||
| 2022 | "Endgame" Samuel Beckett | Gate Theatre Dublin | ||
| "Daddy" A Melodrama | West End, Almeida Theatre | |||
| Evanston Salt Costs Climbing | Off-Broadway, The Pershing Square Signature Center | |||
| 2023 | The Outsiders | Regional, La Jolla Playhouse | ||
| 2024 | Jonah | Off-Broadway, Roundabout Theatre Company | ||
| The Outsiders | Broadway, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | |||
| 2025 | John Proctor is the Villain | Broadway, Booth Theatre | ||
| Trophy Boys | Off-Broadway, MCC Theater | |||
| 2026 | The Outsiders | U.S. National Tour | ||
| John Proctor is the Villain | West End, Royal Court Theatre | |||
| Spring Awakening | Off-Broadway, Studio Seaview | [23] |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Director | Heroes of the Fourth Turning | Nominated | [24] |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Musical | The Outsiders | Won | |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Nominated | |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Director of a Play | Won | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Won | |||
| Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Nominated |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Gangal, Ashwini (2024-09-19). "Tony Award-winning director Danya Taymor looks back on growing up in Palo Alto". The Almanac. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
- 1 2 3 Soloski, Alexis (2025-06-10). "Meet Broadway's Teen Whisperer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "Duke Alumna Danya Taymor Wins Tony Award for Direction | Trinity College of Arts & Sciences". trinity.duke.edu. 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "Thérèse Raquin (Broadway, Studio 54, 2015)". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "Danya Taymor (Director)". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Green, Jesse (2021-08-22). "Review: 'Pass Over' Comes to Broadway, in Horror and Hope". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (21 August 2023). "The Outsiders Musical Will Arrive on Broadway in Spring 2024". Playbill. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (2026-09-02). "Greta Lee To Star In Feature Adaptation Of 'Jonah' Play For Black Bear". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Gardner, Elysa (2025-03-28). "The Women Shaping Broadway: A Look at This Spring's Directors". Broadway Direct. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
- 1 2 "Broadway's John Proctor Is the Villain Announces 2-Week Extension". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
- ↑ Sherman, Rachel (2025-06-08). "Tony Award Winners 2025: The Full List". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "John Proctor is the Villain". Did They Like It?. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Hall, Margaret (7 September 2025). "John Proctor Is the Villain Closes on Broadway September 7". Playbill. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (29 January 2026). "'John Proctor Is The Villain' Movie At Universal Taps Danya Taymor To Direct". Deadline. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ Lukowski, Andrej (26 March 2026). "Review: 'John Proctor is the Villain' at the Royal Court Theatre in London". Time Out London. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ Tran, Diep (December 9, 2024). "Outsiders Director Danya Taymor to Direct U.S. Premiere of Trophy Boys". Playbill.
- ↑ Tran, Diep (8 July 2025). "Trophy Boys, Starring The Gilded Age's Louisa Jacobson, Extends Again". Playbill. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ↑ "Spring Awakening Returns Fall 2026 | Studio Seaview". studioseaview.com. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Soloski, Alexis; Etheredge, George (2026-07-29). "The Young Hopefuls of 'Spring Awakening' Take Their Musical Shot". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Evans, Greg (2026-06-23). "'The Sound Of Music', 'A Few Good Men' Revivals Heading To Broadway". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ Moore, John (2025-05-01). "Denver's Gabe Ebert nominated for second Tony Award". Denver Gazette. Retrieved 2026-09-05.
- ↑ "Danya Taymor – AboutTheArtists". AboutTheArtists. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (10 June 2026). "Spring Awakening Sets Off-Broadway Revival for This Fall". Playbill. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Danya Taymor – AboutTheArtists". AboutTheArtists. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
External links
[edit]- Danya Taymor at IMDb