Queer Places:
Yale University (Ivy League), 38 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06520
A.
J. Antoon (December 7, 1944 – January 22, 1992) was an
American
theatre director. He attended the
Yale School of Drama. Beginning in 1971, Antoon directed numerous plays at
the
New York Shakespeare Festival over a period of nearly 20 years. In 1973,
Antoon became one of the few directors to have been nominated for two
Tony
Awards in the same category in the same year. In addition to winning the
Tony Award with one of his nominations, Antoon was also the winner of a
Drama Desk Award, a
New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and an
Obie
Award. His career lasted until 1991; he died less than a year later from
AIDS-related lymphoma.
Alfred Joseph Antoon was born in
Methuen, Massachusetts, on December 7, 1944.[1]
His parents were Alfred J. Antoon, Sr. and Josephine Antoon (née Saba).[2]
Antoon attended
Lawrence Central Catholic High School in nearby
Lawrence, Massachusetts. After high school he studied for priesthood at
the
Shadowbrook Jesuit seminary in
Lenox, Massachusetts, while also attending
Boston College. He later dropped out from the seminary and earned his
Bachelor's Degree from Boston College in 1968. He went on to attend the
Yale School of Drama for a year and a half before leaving to begin his
work in professional theatre. Antoon died at the age of 47 from
AIDS-related lymphoma on January 22, 1992, at the
NYU Medical Center.[1]
After his death, a collection of Antoon's papers and correspondence was
donated to
Billy Rose Theatre Collection.[3]
Antoon directed his first professional production,
Story Theatre, at
St. Clement's Church Theatre in 1971. In that same year, Antoon presented
Subject to Fits, a play written by his Yale friend Robert Montgomery,
to
Joseph Papp, founder of the
New York Shakespeare Festival. Papp gave Antoon the directing job, and the
play opened on February 14, 1971, at the
Public Theater.[3]
This was the first of many productions he would direct for the
New York Shakespeare Festival over a career lasting 20 years.[1]
Subject to Fits was successful, and it moved to
London where
it was staged by the
Royal Shakespeare Company at
The Place.[2]
Antoon continued his success with the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1971
with his direction of
Tale of Cymbeline.[3]
In 1972, Antoon directed both the
off-Broadway and
Broadway debut productions of
That Championship Season as well as a Broadway production of
Shakespeare's
Much Ado About Nothing.[2]
Antoon was nominated for a
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for both productions and won with
That Championship Season.[1][4]
Since then, no director was nominated for two Tony awards in the same category
until
Matthew Warchus in 2009.[5]
That Championship Season also won the 1972
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director and the 1972
New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play.[6][7]
Antoon's production of Much Ado About Nothing was also successful; he
directed a television adaptation of it in 1973.[8]
Following his success with these two productions, Antoon was awarded an
honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Boston College.[3]
Antoon went on to direct numerous original Broadway productions, including
The Good Doctor,
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, and
Sherlock's Last Case.[9]
In 1975, Antoon directed a production of
Trelawny of the 'Wells' featuring the Broadway debuts of
Meryl Streep and
Mandy Patinkin.[3]
In 1979, Antoon directed a production of
The Art of Dining for which he won an
Obie
Award for Best Direction.[10]
In 1984, Antoon directed a production of
The Rink with
Liza Minnelli for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.[3]
Antoon's last production with the New York Shakespeare Festival was a 1990
Wild West-themed production of
The Taming of the Shrew in
Central Park.[1]
His final production came shortly thereafter with
Song of Singapore in 1991.[3]
My published books:
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