Susan H. Schulman
{{short description|American theatre director (born 1947)}}
{{infobox person
|name=Susan H. Schulman
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1947|7|6}}
|nationality=American
|alma_mater=Hofstra University
Yale University
|occupation=Theatre director
}}
Susan H. Schulman (born July 6, 1947) is an American theatre director.
Biography
Intent on a career as an actress, Schulman studied drama at Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island, New York in the 1960s. She attended Yale University on a playwrighting fellowship, graduating with a Master's Degree. While performing at the Buffalo Studio Arena Theatre, she was presented with her first opportunity to mount a production when the director of an adaptation of The Wind in the Willows abruptly left the project.[http://www.hofstra.edu/alumni/hofmagazine/hofmag_sp05_schulman.html "No Small Feat Bringing Life To Broadway's 'Little Women'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118014530/http://www.hofstra.edu/alumni/hofmagazine/hofmag_sp05_schulman.html |date=2016-01-18 }} hofstra.edu, Vol. 18 No. 2, Spring 2005
She was the resident director for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera from 1981 to 1989.Fliotsos, Anne L. and Vierow, Wendy. "Schulman, Susan H." American Women Stage Directors of the Twentieth Century, University of Illinois Press, 2008, {{ISBN|0252032268}}, p. 379[http://www.littlewomenonbroadway.com/schulman.html "Biography"] littlewomenonbroadway.com, accessed October 15, 2015[http://www.pittsburghclo.org/artistdatabase/artists/artist/7029 "Schulman Credits"] pittsburghclo.org, accessed October 15, 2015 She became involved with several productions at the off-off-Broadway Equity Library Theatre in New York City, including directing A Little Night Music in 1985.[https://books.google.com/books?id=dM0BAAAAMBAJ "Theater listing"] New York Magazine, May 6, 1985, p. 106
She directed the York Theatre Company production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in 1989, which Sondheim happened to see.[http://www.sondheimguide.com/sweeney.html#1989NYR "'Sweenry Todd', 1989"] sondheimguide.com, accessed October 14, 2015 Impressed by her work, he recommended her for the upcoming Broadway revival. She directed the 1989 Broadway revival, earning a Tony Award nomination as Best Director of a Musical.[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/3250/Sweeney-Todd "'Sweeney Todd' 1989 Broadway"] playbillvault.com, accessed October 14, 2015 She then directed the 1991 musical version of The Secret Garden on Broadway, which garnered her a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Director of a Musical.[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/4178/The-Secret-Garden "'The Secret Garden' 1991 Broadway"] playbillvault.com, accessed October 14, 2015
In 1994, she returned to the York Theatre Company to direct a revised version of Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, which won her an Obie Award.
For the New York City Center Encores! staged concerts, she directed Allegro in 1994,Holden, Stephen. [https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/theater/review-theater-allegro-revival-of-a-famous-pair-s-first-flop.html?pagewanted= "Review/Theater. 'Allegro'"] New York Times, March 5, 1994The Boys From Syracuse in 1997Kissel, Howard. [http://www.nydailynews.com/encore-encores-syracuse-rich-revival-falling-love-rodgers-hart-article-1.758183 "Encore For Encores! 'Syracuse' Rich Revival Will Have You 'Falling In Love' With Rodgers & Hart"] New York Daily News, May 3, 1997 and A Connecticut Yankee in 2001.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/a-connecticut-yankee-holds-court-at-encores-feb.-8-11-94847# "'A Connecticut Yankee' Holds Court at Encores!, Feb. 8-11"] Playbill, February 2001
At Playwrights Horizons she directed Jack's Holiday in 1995 and Violet in 1997.[http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&first=Susan&middle=H%2E&last=Schulman "Schulman Off-Broadway"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002055505/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&first=Susan&middle=H%2E&last=Schulman |date=2012-10-02 }} lortel.org, accessed October 14, 2015 She was nominated for the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical for Violet.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/drama-desk-picks-performers-presenters-venue-may-18-70328# "Drama Desk Picks Performers, Presenters & Venue, May 18"] Playbill, May 13, 1997
In 1998, Schulman had directed a Broadway revival of The Sound of MusicBrantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/13/movies/theater-review-sweetness-light-and-lederhosen.html?pagewanted=all&pagewanted= "Theater Review; Sweetness, Light and Lederhosen"] New York Times March 13, 1998 when she was contacted by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who asked her to adapt a scaled-down production of Sunset Boulevard for a US tour starring Petula Clark. (A first attempt had been aborted due to exorbitant costs involved in transporting and time spent erecting the massive set.) The critically acclaimed run started in November 1998 in Pittsburgh and lasted seventeen months.Shirley, Don. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-22-ca-58397-story.html Cruising Along 'Sunset'"] Los Angeles Times, July 22, 1999Simonson, Robert. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/new-sunset-boulevard-tour-sets-dates-through-may-75114# "New 'Sunset Boulevard Tour Sets Dates Through May"] Playbill, May 4, 1998
In 2005, Schulman returned to Broadway to direct a musical adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott story Little Women, starring Sutton Foster as Jo and pop singer Maureen McGovern as Marmee. Although the production drew many mothers and daughters, mostly lackluster reviews prevented it from becoming a hit, and it closed after a five-month run. Following the Broadway closing, the production toured the US for a year.Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/94024.html "Ready to Astonish, Little Women Tour Has Its Jo and Laurie"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122081922/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/94024.html |date=2008-11-22 }}, playbill.com, July 14, 2005Cain, Scott.[http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/cincy/cincy144.html Review of tour, Cincinnati] talkinbroadway.com, June 15, 2006[http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEvent&event=TGTSH "'Little Women, the Broadway Musical' Listing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613120001/http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEvent&event=TGTSH |date=2011-06-13 }} kennedy-center.org, accessed November 29, 2010
Schulman directed a musical adaptation of Peter Pan, set in contemporary times, with Kurt Browning in the title role, at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, beginning in November 2007.[http://www.rosspetty.com/curtainup-peter.html Peter Pan at RossPetty.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819195258/http://www.rosspetty.com/curtainup-peter.html |date=August 19, 2008 }}Ouzounian, Richard. [https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/11/30/peter_pan_panto_panned.html "'Peter Pan' panto panned"] The Star, November 30, 2007
Schulman's work for the Stratford Festival of Canada includes Fiddler on the Roof, Man of La Mancha, The King and I (2003),Tannenbaum, Perry. [http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/07-2003/stratford-and-shaw-festivals_3695.html "Stratford and Shaw Festivals"] theatremania.com, July 4, 2003 The Music Man (2008),Lessard, Cassie. [http://grandbendstrip.com/2008/06/28/the-music-man-is-a-sweet-swindler-stratford-festival/ "'The Music Man' is a Sweet Swindler – Stratford Festival"] grandbendstrip.com, June 28, 2008 Hello, Dolly!, and a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird (2007).[http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/whatson/index.cfm?Jump=company&CType=sschulmanDown Susan H. Schulman at StratordFestival.ca] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804073107/http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/whatson/index.cfm?Jump=company&CType=sschulmanDown |date=August 4, 2008 }}[http://www.ctvnews.ca/stratford-season-offers-musical-feast-1.246224 "Stratford season offers musical feast"] ctvnews.ca, June 24, 2007 In summer 2008, under the auspices of the Festival, she conducted a two-week workshop of Clara's Piano, a blend of classical music and dance with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill, based on Schulman's original concept.[http://web.mac.com/neilbartram/iWeb/Bartram%20&%20Hill%20Blog/Bartram%20&%20Hill%20what's%20new%20.../A6AFD6D5-12B7-4FA4-9619-A7C3E2BE19D7.html Clara's Piano at Web.Mac.com]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}
She directed the musical I Do! I Do! at the Westport Country Playhouse, starring Kate Baldwin and Lewis Cleale in August 2010.[http://www.westportplayhouse.org/shows/media_room/19 Listing] westportplayhouse.org, accessed July 24, 2010Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/kate-baldwin-and-lewis-cleale-say-i-do-i-do-at-westport-beginning-aug.-10-170746# "Kate Baldwin and Lewis Cleale Say 'I Do! I Do!' at Westport Beginning Aug. 10"] Playbill, August 10, 2010
Schulman had been set to direct the new musical Stardust Road, based on the songs of Hoagy Carmichael at the St. James Theatre in London beginning in October 2015. However, that production has been postponed.Shenton, Mark. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/susan-h.-schulman-to-direct-the-world-premiere-of-hoagy-carmichaels-stardust-road-at-londons-st.-james-theatre-in-october-348491# "Susan H. Schulman To Direct the World Premiere of Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust Road at London's St. James Theatre in October"] Playbill, May 7, 2015Shenton, Mark. [http://www.playbill.com/article/world-premiere-of-hoagy-carmichaels-stardust-road-postponed-com-357252# "World Premiere of Hoagy Carmichael's 'Stardust Road' Postponed"] Playbill, August 12, 2015
=Teaching=
Ms. Schulman is currently a professor at Penn State University where she heads the graduate directing program.[http://www.theatre.psu.edu/content/susan-schulman "Susan Schulman"] Penn State, accessed June 27, 2016 She directed a production of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in the Fall of 2009 at Penn State's University Park campus. In the fall of 2012 she directed the university's production of 'Sweeney Toddy', drawing on her reinvention of the 1989 Broadway revival.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IBDB name|16097}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120926134252/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&keyword=name&first=Susan&last=Schulman&middle=H. Lortel off-Broadway archives]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080829231034/http://www.americantheatrewing.org/biography/detail/susan_h_schulman American Theatre Wing bio]
- [http://www.littlewomenonbroadway.com/ Little Women website]
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Category:American musical theatre directors
Category:American theatre directors
Category:Hofstra University alumni
Category:Yale University alumni