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Les Waters

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Les Waters BIO

Les Waters is an Obie Award winner, was Artistic Director of Actors Theatre of Louisville from 2012–2018, where he directed The Thin Place, Evocation To Visible Appearance, Little Bunny Foo Foo, Recent Alien Abductions, MacBeth, For Peter Pan On Her 70th Birthday, The Glory Of The World, Luna Gale, At The Vanishing Point, The Christians, Our Town, Gnit, Girlfriends, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Big Love. From 2003–2011, he served as Associate Artistic Director at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. His productions have been seen in New York at Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre Company, The Public Theater, Second Stage Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Connelly Theater, Clubbed Thumb, Soho Rep, and Brooklyn Academy of Music, and regionally at theatres such as Arena Stage, Huntington Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, and American Repertory Theater. In 2009, he made his Broadway debut with In The Next Room, or The Vibrator Play. He led the MFA directing program at University of California, San Diego from 1995–2003.

Les Waters Photos

Les Waters Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2025]
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[Off-Broadway, 2020]
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[Off-Broadway, 2019]
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[Off-Broadway, 2017]
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[Off-Broadway, 2015]
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[Broadway, 2009]
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[Off-Broadway, 2007]
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[Off-Broadway, 2007]
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[Off-Broadway, 2005]
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[Off-Broadway, 2005]
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[Off-Broadway, 2003]
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[Off-Broadway, 1993]
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[Off-Broadway, 1991]
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[Off-Broadway, 1990]
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[Off-Broadway, 1988]
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[Off-Broadway, 1986]
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[Off-Broadway, 1984]
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[Off-Broadway, 1983]
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Les Waters Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 2022 - Best Direction of a Play

Les Waters, Dana H.


winner
Obie Awards - 2020 - Directing Award

Les WatersSustained Excellence in Direction

Les Waters Videos

Les Waters News


Two World Premieres & More Set for Center REP 24-25 Season


Center Repertory Company has unveiled its 57th season—an extraordinary lineup of six works to be presented September 2024 through June 2025. See full programming and learn how to purchase tickets.

Center REP Announces ARSENIC AND OLD LACE And More for 2024-25 Season Including World Premieres & More


Discover the upcoming 2024-25 season at CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY, featuring two World Premieres, a queer interpretation of a classic, and an EGOT winner's fireside chat. Also, learn about their new audience initiatives.

World Premiere Plays & More Set for Signature Theatre 2024-25 Season


Signature Theatre has unveiled its 2024/2025 Season. See full programming and learn how to purchase tickets!

Meet the Cast of MARY JANE, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway


The Broadway premiere of Mary Jane, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog, starring Academy Award nominee & Critics Choice Award Winner Rachel McAdams, begins previews on Broadway tonight, Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Meet the cast of Mary Jane here!

Review: DANA H. at Factory Theatre


When actress Jordan Baker opens her mouth, the voice we hear isn’t hers; it’s the voice of Dana H. playwright Lucas Hnath’s mother, Dana Higginbotham, recorded in a series of interviews and cut together to form a lip sync track. Dana herself speaks her truth as she remembers it, which in this case is definitely stranger than fiction.

Photos: THE ALLY Celebrates Opening Night at the Public Theater


It was a big day at the Public Theater yesterday, where Itamar Moses' The Ally celebrated its opening night off-Broadway. Check out photos from inside the special night!

The Cell Theatre Unveils 2024-2025 Season Featuring Over 20 Resident Artists


Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre has revealed its 2024-25 season featuring over 20 resident artists, as well as the official Off-Broadway premiere of Matthew LaBanca's Communion.

Two World Premiere Musicals & More Set for La Jolla Playhouse 2024/2025 Season


La Jolla Playhouse has unveiled its 2024/2025 season, featuring two world-premiere musicals. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets!

Video: First Look at Jeff Perry and Mark Ulrich in NO MAN'S LAND at Steppenwolf Theatre


Get a first look at Jeff Perry and Mark Ulrich in NO MAN'S LAND at Steppenwolf Theatre. Don't miss this highly anticipated play running now for a limited time. Watch the video for a sneak peek of this acclaimed production.

Photos: First Look at NO MAN'S LAND at Steppenwolf Theatre


Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is concluding its 47th season with Harold Pinter’s celebrated masterwork No Man’s Land directed by Les Waters, playing July 13 – August 20, 2023 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater. Check out production photos here!

Review: NO MAN'S LAND at Steppenwolf Theatre Company


It’s easy to see why Harold Pinter’s NO MAN’S LAND has been categorized as Theater of the Absurd: The play focuses on four male characters in a nebulous space, debating nothing and everything all at the same time. Les Waters directs a game ensemble of actors who wholeheartedly embrace the true absurdity and existentialism of the text. The production design mirrors the liminal state of the play: Andrew Boyce’s set is a staid, elegant, and sparsely populated living room (chiefly featuring two armchairs and two decidedly less comfortable chairs on each side of the stage). All of the action takes place inside a literal room, with walls flanked by an open blue-gray space. Janice Pytel’s costume designs are likewise timeless: Well-tailored suits that seem oddly formal for just sitting around, talking about nothing. But they fit the production nicely. Mikhail Fiksel’s sound design lends an extra sense of eeriness to the production as well.

Mark Ulrich Joins the Cast of Steppenwolf's NO MAN'S LAND - Playing Through Late August


Get ready to be mesmerized by Mark Ulrich's captivating performance in Steppenwolf's NO MAN'S LAND. Discover the new talent that brings fresh energy to this acclaimed production. Don't miss your chance to experience the magic - limited time engagement!

David Cale, Les Waters, Ryan J. Haddad & More to Take Part in Berkeley Rep's 2023 Ground Floor Program


Get a glimpse into the future of theater as Berkeley Rep announces the talented participants joining The Ground Floor program for 2023. From emerging artists to rising stars, explore the innovative works and fresh voices shaping the industry.

Photos: In Rehearsal For NO MAN'S LAND At Steppenwolf Theatre Company


 Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, concludes its 47th season with Harold Pinter’s celebrated masterwork No Man’s Land directed by Les Waters (Dana H., In the Next Room..(or the vibrator play), Middletown), playing July 13 – August 20, 2023 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater. Go inside rehearsal in the photos below!

Austin Pendleton, Jeff Perry & More to Star in NO MAN'S LAND at Steppenwolf Theatre


Steppenwolf Theatre Company will conclude its 47th season with Harold Pinter’s celebrated masterwork No Man’s Land directed by Les Waters. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Austin Pendleton, Jeff Perry, and More to Star in Steppenwolf Theatre's NO MAN'S LAND


Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, will conclude its 47th season with Harold Pinter's celebrated masterwork No Man's Land directed by Les Waters (In the Next Room..(or the vibrator play), Dana H., Middletown), playing July 13 – August 20, 2023 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater.

Photos: See Stephanie Hsu, Sarah Ruhl & More at Signature Theater's Gala


See photos from Signature Theater's Gala featuring Stephanie Hsu and more.

Crow's Theatre Announces 40th Anniversary Season


Artistic Director Chris Abraham and Executive Director Sherrie Johnson unveiled Crow's Theatre's 12-show 40th anniversary season, the largest and most ambitious season in the company's history. Learn more about the lineup here!

Stephanie Hsu, Bill Irwin & More to Star in EURYDICE at Signature's 2023 Gala


Signature Theatre has announced the all-star cast of its reading of Signature Spotlight Resident Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice for the annual Signature Gala. See who is starring, and learn how to purchase tickets!

Complete Programming Set for Clubbed Thumb's 2023 SUMMERWORKS


Clubbed Thumb has announced the complete line-up for the 26th SUMMERWORKS festival of new plays. SUMMERWORKS will run May 18 – July 1, 2023 at The Wild Project.

Les Waters FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What awards has Les Waters been nominated for?

Les Waters has been nominated for the Best Direction of a Play at the Tony Awards for "Dana H." and the Directing Award for Sustained Excellence in Direction at the Obie Awards.

What awards has Les Waters won?

Les Waters has won the Directing Award for Sustained Excellence in Direction at the Obie Awards.

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