Director
Liesl Tommy is a South African-American director whose groundbreaking work in contemporary theatre has established her as one of the most vital voices in American drama, earning her a historic Tony nomination as the first woman of color nominated for Best Direction of a Play.
Known For
Defining moments and milestones
Liesl Tommy's trajectory from township childhood in apartheid South Africa to Broadway's most celebrated director represents a singular arc of artistic emergence and moral urgency. After training in acting and earning her MFA from the Brown/Trinity Rep consortium, she pivoted to directing, building a reputation through incisive work at regional theatres and The Public Theater before her 2015 Broadway production of *Eclipsed* made her the first woman of color nominated for a Tony for Best Direction. Her subsequent work in theatre, film, and television has established her as a director of uncommon depth—one whose formal sophistication and political intelligence have reshaped contemporary American drama.
Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play for *Eclipsed* (2016), becoming the first woman of color nominated in this category
Newton North High School (Newton, Massachusetts); Trinity Repertory Conservatory/Brown University (MFA)
Recordings featuring Liesl Tommy in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.