Stephen Sachs

Sachs was born in San Francisco and grew up in Los Angeles. He graduated from Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy in 1980 and worked as an actor in film, TV, and theater. He made his debut as a professional stage director in 1987 with an adaptation of The Baron in the Trees at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, to positive reviews.[http://www.ensemblestudiotheatrela.org/pdfs08/baronreview.pdf]{{dead link|date=February 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Los Angeles Times July 15, 1987 Sachs co-founded the Fountain Theatre in 1990 with Deborah Lawlor. He has led the venue as artistic director since its founding and has directed and written numerous productions. He is married to actress Jacqueline Schultz; they have two children.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

The Fountain Theatre has won hundreds of awards for all areas of production, performance, and design.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} In 2020, it was honored with the Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, presented by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} In a 2021 end-of-year retrospective, Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty called the Fountain "L.A.'s most enterprising intimate theater [that] continues to punch far above its weight… No L.A. theater has done a better job of asking us to reexamine our lives through the lens of acute contemporary drama this year than the Fountain."{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-12-17/year-in-reviewtheatre-2021 | title=Ten reasons to be grateful in another sputtering theatrical year | website=Los Angeles Times | date=December 18, 2021 }}

Sachs was chosen by South African playwright Athol Fugard as one of the few directors in the United States to premiere his new plays. The collaboration goes back to when Sachs directed the Los Angeles premiere of Fugard's The Road to Mecca, in 2000.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

In 2004, Sachs was selected to direct the world premiere of a new Fugard play,[http://www.laweekly.com/2004-05-20/news/peeking-through-the-stage-door/ "Sachs and Fugard: Peeking Through the Stage Door"] LA Weekly May 20, 2004{{Dead link|date=February 2023}} titled Exits and Entrances, which won a number of awards.[https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/25/theater/a-new-athol-fugard-play-strides-on-hollywood-s-meaner-streets.html?scp=9&sq=%22stephen%20sachs%22&st=cse "A New Athol Fugard Play Strides on Hollywood's Meaner Streets"] New York Times May 25, 2004 Sachs went on to direct regional productions of the play around the country and overseas.[http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&keyword=name&first=Stephen&last=Sachs&middle= "Stephen Sachs"] Lortel Archives – Internet Off-Broadway Database{{Dead link|date=February 2023}}

In 2008, Sachs directed the Fugard play Victory.[http://www.laweekly.com/2004-05-20/news/peeking-through-the-stage-door/] LA Weekly January 28, 2008{{Dead link|date=February 2023}} The production was named "Critic's Choice" and "Best of 2008" in the Los Angeles Times.[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2008/12/best-and-wors-2.html "Best of Theatre 2008"] Los Angeles Times

Sachs was instrumental in launching and supporting the Deaf West Theatre Company at the Fountain Theatre in 1991.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} The company won a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre award for its acclaimed ASL version of Big River on Broadway in 2003.{{cite web |title=Big River Tony Awards Stats |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/tonyawardsshowinfo.php?showname=Big%20River |website=Broadway World |access-date=28 December 2023}} His play about deafness and cochlear implants, Sweet Nothing in My Ear, was made into a television movie starring Jeff Daniels and Marlee Matlin and presented on the Hallmark Hall of Fame on April 20, 2008.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} The teleplay was written by Sachs, and the film was directed by Joseph Sargent.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1158793/ "Sweet Nothing in my Ear"] Internet Movie Database

Sachs' play about deafness and language, Open Window, had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2005, winning the California Governor's Media Access Award for Theater Excellence.[http://www.deafwest.org/productions/openwindow.html "Open Window"] Pasadena Playhouse{{Dead link|date=February 2023}}

His deaf spin on Cyrano debuted at the Fountain Theatre in 2012, starring Troy Kotsur.{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2012-may-03-la-et-cm-theater-review-cyrano-at-the-fountain-theatre-20120501-story.html |title=Review: A refreshing take on 'Cyrano' at Fountain Theatre | website=Los Angeles Times | date=May 3, 2012 }} His 2018 deaf-themed play Arrival & Departure starred Kotsur and his wife, actress Deanne Bray.{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-arrival-and-departure-fountain-theater-review-20180720-story.html | title=Review: Love makes a dizzying 'Arrival & Departure' in a play inspired by the film 'Brief Encounter' | website=Los Angeles Times | date=July 20, 2018 }}

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• The Road to Mecca (2000) Los Angeles premiere
• After the Fall (2002) Los Angeles
• Exits and Entrances (2004) world premiere, Los Angeles
• Hippolytos (2006) Getty Villa, Malibu, world premiere translation
• String of Pearls (2006) Los Angeles premiere
• Exits and Entrances (2007) off-Broadway, NYC
• Miss Julie: Freedom Summer (2007) world premiere, Los Angeles
• Gilgamesh (2007) world premiere adaptation
• Victory (2008) United States premiere
• Shining City (2009) Los Angeles premiere
• Coming Home (2009) West Coast premiere
• Side Man (2010) starring Christine Lahti, LA Theatre Works

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• The Baron in the Trees (1987), adaptation
• The Golden Gate (1991)
• Sweet Nothing in My Ear (1997)
• Mother's Day (1999)
• Central Avenue (2001)
• Open Window (2005), Pasadena Playhouse
• Gilgamesh (2007), adaptation
• Miss Julie: Freedom Summer (2007), new version of August Strindberg's Miss Julie
• Bakersfield Mist (2012)

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As playwright and director, Sachs has won every theater award in Los Angeles. He has been nominated for the SDC Zelda Fichandler Award three times, recognizing an outstanding director who makes a unique and exceptional contribution to theater in their region. He was honored by the Los Angeles City Council for "his visionary contributions to the cultural life of Los Angeles".

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• Best Director – Golden Gate – Drama-Logue Award (1990)
• Best Director – Fanon's People – Drama-Logue Award (1991)
• Best Director – Cuckoo's Nest – Drama-Logue Award (1992)
• Best Director – The Seagull – Drama-Logue Award (1993)
• Best Director – Night Mother – Drama-Logue Award (1994)
• Best Director – Ashes – Drama-Logue Award (1994)
• Best Director – Lonely Planet – Robby Award nomination (1996)
• Best Director – The Road to Mecca – Maddy Award (2000)
• Best Director – The Road to Mecca – Robby Award nomination (2000)
• Best Director – After the Fall – Maddy Award (2002)
• Best Director – After the Fall – Ovation Award (2002)
• Best Director – Sweet Nothing in my Ear – Minneapolis (2003)
• Best Director – Exits and Entrances – Ovation Award, Los Angeles (2004)
• Best Director – Exits and Entrances – Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award (2004)
• Best Director – Exits and Entrances – L.A. Weekly Award nomination (2004)
• Best Director – Exits and Entrances – Maddy Award, Los Angeles (2004)
• Best Director – Exits and Entrances – Carbonell Award nomination (2005)
• Best Director – Victory – NAACP Theatre Award (2008)
• 2009 Zelda Fichandler Award nomination (2009)
• Best Director – Coming Home – LA Weekly Award (2009)

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• Best Playwright – Golden Gate – Drama-Logue Award (1990)
• Citation of Appreciation, Los Angeles City Council, for "enhancing the cultural life of the City of Los Angeles" (1996)
• California Governor's Media Access Award for Theatre – Sweet Nothing in my Ear (1997)
• Finalist – Sweet Nothing in my Ear – PEN West Literary Award for Drama (1998)
• Best Play – Mother's Day – Garland Award Honorable Mention (1999)
• Finalist – Central Avenue – PEN West Literary Award for Drama (2001)
• Best Play – Central Avenue – Back Stage Garland Award (2001)
• Best Play – Central Avenue – Beverly Press Maddy Award (2001)
• Best Adaptation – Miss Julie – Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle nomination (2007)
• Best Adaptation – Miss Julie – L.A. Weekly Theatre Award nomination (2007)

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Category:American theatre directors

Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from San Francisco

Category:American dramatists and playwrights