Where, then, are the women? Very much present, it turns out. The word auteur,
of course, is French for “author,” and the six women profiled below possess a
creative vision so unique it often takes primacy over that of the playwrights of
their productions. True, some may see this as a transgression—especially in
the UK and in America, where the dramatist usually dominates. But while some
Sisters Are Doing
It For Themselves:
Six of the World’s
Great Women
Auteurs
audiences may fear radical interpretations of the Shakespeare or Chekhov
plays they know and love, or fear a “director’s theater” over-manipulating
classics into self-indulgent, over-intellectualized work, the truly innovative
auteurs are, in fact, extraordinary artists. The six women leave an imprint
because they take creative risks that provide fresh takes on classics that
illuminates, not distorts, the vision of the playwright.
BY ANNIE HÄGG
Photo by Joella Marano.
When we think of great theater auteurs, we often think of
Belgium’s Ivo Van Hove, Germany’s Thomas Ostermeier, or
the legendary Peter Brook, who transplanted years ago from
London to Paris.
Julie Taymor became the first woman to win Broadway’s Tony Award for Best Direction of a
Musical—for The Lion King—in 1998. She is known for her adventurous approach to directing for
both stage and screen; her films Titus (1999), Frida (2002), Across the Universe (2007) and The
Tempest (2010) were nominated for, and won, Oscars. At 13, Taymor studied in Sri Lanka and India
with the Experiment in International Living; at 16 she studied mime in Paris at L’École Internationale
de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. Later, she spent five years in Indonesia, founding Teatr Loh. Taymor,
65, is widely acclaimed for her imaginative use of puppetry and masks, hallmarks of her work.
She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Obie awards, the
Dorothy B. Chandler Award and the Brandeis Creative Arts Award.
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