Darko Tresnjak (Serbian Cyrillic: Дарко Трешњак, romanized: Darko Trešnjak) is a director of plays, musicals, and opera, and winner of several awards, including the Tony Award. He was the artistic director of the Hartford Stage in Connecticut, United States.
Darko Tresnjak | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation(s) | Theatre director, theatrical producer |
| Awards | 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder |
Early life and education
editTresnjak is of Serbian heritage.[1] Tresnjak and his mother moved from Zemun, Yugoslavia (modern-day Serbia) to Maryland in 1976. He graduated from Swarthmore College, became a US citizen, and received a master of fine arts degree from Columbia University.[2]
Career
editAround 2000 he wrote Princess Turandot, inspired by Carlo Gozzi's play written in 1762 (upon which Puccini's opera Turandot was based). Tresnjak's play was performed by the Blue Light Theater Company in New York City in December 2000.[3]
He served as resident artistic director at Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, in 2009,[4] and directed for eight summers at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.[2]
He was the artistic director at Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut[5] from the 2011–2012 season through the 2018–2019 season,[6] where he commissioned The Man in the Case with Mikhail Baryshnikov[7] and directed Kevin Bacon in Rear Window.[8] He left the Hartford Stage for freelance work in June 2019,[9] and was succeeded by Melia Bensussen.[10]
He directed two productions on Broadway: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder in 2013 and Anastasia in 2017.[11][12]
He directed the Theatre for a New Audience production of Eugène Ionesco's The Killer in 2014 at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, New York City.[13]
Awards
edit- 2014: Tony Award for Direction of a Musical; and the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Director of a Musical, for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.[11][14][15]
- 2015: Obie Award for direction of The Killer.[16][17]
Productions
editHartford Stage productions
editTresnjak's productions at Hartford Stage have included:
- Heartbreak House[18]
- The Comedy of Errors[19]
- Anastasia (which transferred to the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway)
- Romeo and Juliet[20]
- Rear Window[21]
- Kiss Me, Kate[22]
- Private Lives[23]
- Hamlet[24]
- Macbeth[25]
- La Dispute[26]
- Twelfth Night[27]
- Breath and Imagination[28]
- A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (which transferred to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway)[29]
- The Tempest[30]
- Bell, Book and Candle[31]
Other theater and opera
edit- Samson et Dalila for The Metropolitan Opera (2018)[32]
- Macbeth for Los Angeles Opera (2016)[33]
- The Ghosts of Versailles for Los Angeles Opera (2015)[34]
- The Killer for Theatre for a New Audience, New York City (2014)[35]
- Der Zwerg for Los Angeles Opera (2011)[36]
- Der Zerbrochene Krug for Los Angeles Opera (2008)[37]
- City of Angels for Goodspeed Musicals (2011)[38]
- Titus Andronicus for Stratford Shakespeare Festival (2011)[39]
- The Merchant of Venice for Theatre for a New Audience and Complete Works (RSC festival)[40]
References
edit- ^ Mejia, Carlos (8 February 2019). "Darko Tresnjak Readies His Final Performance At Hartford Stage". www.wnpr.org. Retrieved 2019-06-30.
- ^ a b Shirley, Don. "He prefers it rare" Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2004
- ^ Portantiere, Michael (December 13, 2000). "Princess Turandot". TheaterMania. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "Old Globe’s 2009 Summer Festival" BroadwayWorld.com
- ^ "Darko Tresnjak" Playbill
- ^ Gates, Anita. "Darko Tresnjak Takes Over at Hartford Stage" The New York Times, September 18, 2011
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Misha, 'Man In A Case,' At Hartford Stage" Archived 2018-11-20 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Kevin Bacon to Star in ‘Rear Window’ at Hartford Stage" Archived 2018-11-20 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant
- ^ Arnott, Christopher. "Darko Tresnjak says goodbye to Hartford Stage with the new musical 'Flamingo Kid'" Hartford Courant, May 9, 2019
- ^ Arnott, Christopher (2019-01-10). "Meet Melia Bensussen, the new artistic leader of Hartford Stage". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
- ^ a b "Reviews" The New York Times, 2013
- ^ "Awards" ibdb.com, retrieved May 19, 2019
- ^ "Theatre for a New Audience's THE KILLER, Starring Michael Shannon, Begins Tonight" broadwayworld.com, May 16, 2014
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Tony Wins for Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak And 'A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder'" Hartford Courant, June 9, 2014
- ^ Cox, Gordon."Drama Desk Toasts Broadway’s ‘Gentleman’s Guide’ at 2014 Awards" Variety.com
- ^ Winners in 2015 obieawrds.com, 2015
- ^ HAMILTON, Darko Tresnjak, Ayad Akhtar & More Win 2015 Obie Awards - Full List!" BroadwayWorld.com
- ^ Arnott, Christopher. The Heartbreak House Archived 2018-12-05 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant, 2017
- ^ Harrison, Joseph. "Review. The Comedy of Errors" Broadway World, 2017
- ^ Fillo, Maryellen. "'Romeo and Juliet'" Connecticut Mag
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Kevin Bacon to Star in ‘Rear Window’ at Hartford Stage" Archived 2018-11-20 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant
- ^ McNulty, Charles. " 'Kiss Me Kate' Review" Los Angeles Times
- ^ Gates, Anita. "Review. 'Private Lives'" The New York Times, 2015
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Review. Hamlet'" Archived 2018-12-05 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant, 2014
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Review. Macbeth" Archived 2018-12-05 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant, 2013
- ^ Gold, Sylviane. "Review. La Dispute" The New York Times, 2013
- ^ Gold, Sylviane. "Review. Twelfth Night" The New York Times
- ^ Gold, Sylviane. "Review. Breath and Imagination" The New York Times, 2013
- ^ Isherwood, Charles. "Reviews" The New York Times, 2012
- ^ Gold, Sylviane. [1] The New York Times
- ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Behind the Curtain" Archived 2018-12-05 at the Wayback Machine Hartford Courant, 2012
- ^ Davidson, Justin. "Opera Review: The Met Brings Back 'Samson et Dalila', With Just Enough Fromage" Vulture, September 25, 2018
- ^ Swed, Mark. "Plácido Domingo's sound and fury in L.A. Opera's 'Macbeth' Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2016
- ^ Martinez, Matthew. " 'The Ghosts of Versailles' a triumph at LA Opera" Bachtrack, February 9, 2015
- ^ Green, Jesse. "Review" Vulture, 2014
- ^ Der zerbrochene Krug / Der Zwerg Opera Today, February 21, 2011
- ^ Mermelstein, David. "New Life for Works Hitler Tried to Kill" The New York Times, February 10, 2008
- ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Goodspeed's 'City of Angels' Will Star D.B. Bonds, Burke Moses, Laurie Wells, Nancy Anderson" Playbill, August 17, 2011
- ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly. "Stratford’s 'Titus Andronicus' is electrical" The Globe and Mail, July 15, 2011
- ^ Billington, Michael. The Guardian