Eric Simonson
| Eric Simonson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Occupation | American playwright and stage director |
| Notable work |
Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin |
Eric Simonson (born June 27, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American writer and director in theatre, film and opera. He is a member of Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and the author of plays Lombardi, Fake, Honest, Magic/Bird and Bronx Bombers. He won the 2005 Academy Award for his short documentary A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 1993 for The Song of Jacob Zulu.
Simonson was born in Milwaukee but grew up on a farm in the small town of Eagle. After graduating with a B.A. in Theatre from Lawrence University, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin for a short period, where he worked with the then fledgling Ark Repertory Theatre. He moved to Chicago in 1983, where he helped found Lifeline Theatre, and eventually worked with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He became a member of the theatre's ensemble in 1993.
He holds the distinction of being one of only a handful of directors who has received Tony, Emmy and Oscar nominations.
Simonson now lives in Los Angeles, but often works throughout the United States. In 2004 he married theatre producer Susan Raab; she died of breast cancer in 2006, aged 37. They had one child. In 2013, Simonson married actress Sue Cremin.
Simonson is the writer (with Jeffrey Hatcher) of Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright, which was commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and was subsequently was produced across the United States. His film A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin won the 2005 Academy Award for Short Subject Documentary. That film also received a nomination from the International Documentary Association (IDA) for Distinguished Achievement. Other recent films include the documentary Studs Terkel: Listening to America (Emmy nomination) and On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom (Oscar nomination, IDA Award, Emmy nomination). All three films subsequently aired on HBO/CINEMAX. Other films include Hamlet (co-directed with Campbell Scott) for Hallmark Entertainment, and the independent feature, Topa Topa Bluffs. Simonson has also written and developed multiple television series for HBO, FX, USA, TNT and STARZ networks.
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