Stephen Sachs is an award-winning theatre director and playwright. He is the Co-Artistic Director of The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, which he co-founded in 1990 and is now celebrating its 17th year as one of Los Angeles’ most highly respected award-winning intimate theatres.
DIRECTOR
Mr. Sachs has the honor of being the first person, apart from the playwright, ever to direct the world premiere of a new play by Athol Fugard. Sachs directed the world premiere of Fugard’s EXITS AND ENTRANCES in Los Angeles (3 LA Ovation Awards including Best World Premiere of a New Play and Best Director, 5 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards including Best Production and Best Director). He directed acclaimed regional productions of the play around the country. And he directed the Off-Broadway production at Primary Stages in New York (New York Outer Critics’ Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, selected as "Ten Best" Productions of 2006/2007 by New York Theatre Writers). He also directed the UK premiere at the 2007 International Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.
Fugard has now given Sachs the exclusive United States rights to his newest play, VICTORY, which Sachs will direct in Los Angeles and at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven.
In February 2007 Sachs directed the world premiere of his own new adaptation of Strindberg’s MISS JULIE at the Fountain in Los Angeles. The production earned rave reviews, was named “Critics’ Choice” in the Los Angeles Times and ran for 4 sold-out months. Sachs will direct the play at Canadian Stage Company in Toronto.
He also directed the 2007 world premiere of his own stage adaptation of Stephen Mitchell’s version of GILGAMESH at Theatre@Boston Court in Pasadena.
In 2006, the J. Paul Getty Museum selected Sachs to direct the inaugural production to launch the opening of their new 450-seat outdoor classical theatre at the Getty Villa in Malibu. For The Getty, Sachs directed the critically acclaimed sold-out world premiere of a new translation of Euripides’ HIPPOLYTOS starring Linda Purl.
Arthur Miller personally gave Sachs exclusive permission to direct his rarely seen AFTER THE FALL in Los Angeles (3 L.A. Ovation Awards including Best Production and Best Director). Named “Critics’ Choice” (LA Times) and ran for 7 sold-out months.
Mr. Sachs has twice won the L.A. Ovation Award for Best Director of a Play. He has won many theater awards for directing such plays as the Los Angeles premiere of Fugard’s THE ROAD TO MECCA, AFTER THE FALL, the West Coast premiere of STRING OF PEARLS, SWEET NOTHING IN MY EAR (Fountain Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis), the LA premiere of Steven Dietz’s LONELY PLANET (starring Philip Anglim), THE SEAGULL (starring Salome Jens, Philip Baker Hall and Bud Cort), the celebrated 20th Anniversary production of THE BOYS IN THE BAND, the west coast premiere of Rommulus Linney’s UNCHANGING LOVE, and many others.
Regional theatre directing credits include: Primary Stages (New York), Zephyr Theatre (San Francisco), Santa Barbara Theatre, the Tony-winning Victory Gardens Theatre (Chicago), Mixed Blood Theatre (Minneapolis), New Jersey Repertory, Florida Stage, Assembly Rooms (Edinburgh, Scotland).
PLAYWRIGHT
Sachs is the author of seven produced plays and adaptations: MISS JULIE, GILGAMESH, OPEN WINDOW, CENTRAL AVENUE, SWEET NOTHING IN MY EAR, MOTHER’S DAY, RAZKAZY, THE BARON IN THE TREES.
His award-winning plays CENTRAL AVENUE and SWEET NOTHING IN MY EAR were both PEN USA Literary Award finalists. SWEET NOTHING has been published by Dramatic Publishing and is being produced around the country and has been optioned as a film.
In 2007, Sachs wrote the teleplay for SWEET NOTHING IN MY EAR for Hallmark Hall of Fame for CBS.
2007 also marked the acclaimed world premiere in Los Angeles of Sachs’ new re-imagined adaptation of MISS JULIE set in Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer civil rights era. The play drew rave reviews and was named “Critics’ Choice” in the Los Angeles Times. Plans for future productions are underway.
Sachs’ stage adaptation of GILGAMESH had its world premiere at the Theatre@Boston Court in Pasadena in 2007.
His 2006 play OPEN WINDOW, commissioned by Deaf West Theatre Company (Broadway's Tony-winning BIG RIVER), had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse directed by Academy Award-winner Eric Simonson, winning the California Governor’s Media Access Award for Theatre Excellence.
His play about the L.A. jazz scene in the 1940’s, CENTRAL AVENUE, was a huge hit in Los Angeles (“Critics’ Choice” in the LA Times) in 2001. It ran for eight sold-out months.
For his work as director and playwright, Sachs has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, American Theatre Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Back Stage, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, L.A. Stage Magazine, the London Times, and National Public Radio.
AWARDS - DIRECTOR
- 2007, New York Outer Critics’ Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play (Exits and Entrances)
- Best Director, 2005 (Exits and Entrances) – Carbonell Award nomination, Florida
- Best Director, 2004 (Exits and Entrances) - Ovation Award, Los Angeles
- Best Director, 2004 (Exits and Entrances) - Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
- Best Director, 2004 (Exits and Entrances) - L.A. Weekly Award nomination
- Best Director, 2004 (Exits and Entrances) - Maddy Award, Los Angeles
- Best Director, 2003 (Sweet Nothing in my Ear) - Minneapolis
- Best Director, 2002 (After the Fall) - Maddy Award
- Best Director, 2002 (After the Fall) - Ovation Award
- Best Director, 2000 (The Road to Mecca) - Maddy Award
- Best Director, 2000 (The Road to Mecca) - Robby Award nominee
- Best Director, 1996 (Lonely Planet) - Robby Award nominee
- Best Director, 1994 (‘Night Mother) Drama-Logue Award
- Best Director, 1994 (Ashes) Drama-Logue Award
- Best Director, 1993 (The Seagull) Drama-Logue Award
- Best Director, 1992 (Cuckoo’s Nest) Drama-Logue Award
- Best Director, 1991 (Fanon’s People) Drama-Logue Award
- Best Director, 1990 (Golden Gate) Drama-Logue Award
AWARDS - PLAYWRIGHT
- 2006 Media Access Award for Theatre Excellence (Open Window)
- Finalist, 2001 (Central Avenue) PEN West Literary Award for Drama
- Finalist, 1998 (Sweet Nothing in my Ear) PEN West Literary Award for Drama
- Best Play, 2001 (Central Avenue) Back Stage Garland Award
- Best Play, 2001 (Central Avenue) Beverly Press Maddy Award
- Best Play, 1999 (Mother's Day) Garland Award Honorable Mention
- Best Playwright, 1990 (Golden Gate) Drama-Logue Award
- California Governor’s Media Access Award for Theatre, 1997 (Sweet Nothing in my Ear)
- Citation of Appreciation, 1996, Los Angeles City Council for "enhancing the cultural life of the City of Los Angeles"
GRANTS
National Endowment for the Arts
Theatre Communications Group
The Annenberg Foundation
The Plum Foundation
The Ittleson Foundation
California Arts Council
Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
National/State/County Partnership