Jo Bonney
Australian-born American theatre director

Jo Bonney

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Australian-born American theatre director
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Female
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Introduction Early life and education Career Awards and nominations Work
The details
Biography

Introduction

Jo Bonney is an American theater director who has worked Off-Broadway, regionally and internationally, primarily focused on the development of new plays.

Early life and education

Bonney was born in Australia. She attended Sydney University before transferring to Sydney College of the Arts (Grad. Fine Arts) and worked at The Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Career

Bonney moved to New York City in 1979. In the early 1980s, she co-directed two short films with Ruth Peyser, 'Another Great Day' (shown nationally on PBS) and 'Random Positions'. Bonney began her work in theater directing the solo work of her husband, Eric Bogosian. She has directed the premiere productions of over thirty plays – notably work by Bogosian, Lynn Nottage, Danny Hoch, Suzan-Lori Parks, Martina Majok, Neil LaBute, Naomi Wallace and José Rivera. Bonney edited Extreme Exposure: An Anthology of Solo Performance Texts from the Twentieth Century (published in 2000 by TCG).

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations Bonney has received include:

  • 2019 Obie Award, Sustained Excellence of Direction
  • 2018 Lucille Lortel, Outstanding Director Nomination, Mlima's Tale
  • 2018 Outer Critics Circle, Outstanding Director Nomination, Cost of Living
  • 2018 Legends of Off-Broadway
  • 2014 Joseph Callaway Award (SDC)
  • 2013 Audelco Award, Father Comes Home from the Wars: Parts 1, 2 & 3
  • 2011 Drama Desk, Best Director nomination, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
  • 2011 Lucille Lortel, Best Director nomination, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
  • 2011 Lilly Award (Directing)
  • 2003 Lucille Lortel, Outstanding Director Best Revival, Fifth of July
  • 1998 Obie Award,Sustained Excellence of Direction

Work

Year Play Playwright Theater
1983 funHouse Eric Bogosian Actor's Playhouse
1991 Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll Eric Bogosian Orpheum Theatre
1994 Some People Danny Hoch The Public Theater
1994 Pounding Nails in the Floor Eric Bogosian Minetta Lane Theatre
1995 subUrbia Eric Bogosian Studio Theater (DC)
1997 The Flatted Fifth Seth Zvi Rosenfeld INTAR Theatre
1998 Stray Cats Warren Leight Naked Angels
1998 Stop Kiss Diana Son The Public Theater
1998 Jails, Hospitals & Hip Hop Danny Hoch PS 122, US & International Tour
1999 Look Back in Anger John Osborne CSC Theatre
2000 Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Eric Bogosian Jane Street Theatre
2000 House Arrest* Directorial Consultant Anna Deavere Smith The Public Theater
2001 Good Thing Jessica Goldberg The New Group
2001 Slanguage Universes NY Theatre Workshop
2001 References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot José Rivera The Public Theater
2002 Adoration of the Old Woman José Rivera La Jolla Playhouse
2002 Humpty Dumpty Eric Bogosian McCarter Theatre Center
2003 Living Out Lisa Loomer Second Stage Theater
2003 Fifth of July Lanford Wilson Signature Theater
2004 Fat Pig Neil LaBute MCC
2004 Anna in the Tropics Nilo Cruz Arena Stage
2005 A Soldier's Play Charles Fuller Second Stage Theater
2005 On the Mountain Christopher Shimm Playwrights Horizons
2005 Top Girls Caryl Churchill Williamstown Theatre Festival
2006 subUrbia Eric Bogosian Second Stage Theater
2006 Some Girl(s) Neil LaBute MCC
2006 The Seven Will Power NY Theatre Workshop
2007 All That I Will Ever Be Alan Ball NY Theatre Workshop
2008 Beast Michael Weller NY Theatre Workshop
2010–2011 The Break of Noon Neil LaBute MCC, Geffen Playhouse
2012 Emotional Creature Eve Ensler Market Theater (Johannesburg), Cine 13 (Paris), Berkeley Rep, Signature Theatre
2012 An Early History of Fire David Rabe The New Group
2013 Small Engine Repair John Pollono MCC
2013 The Mound Builders Lanford Wilson Signature Theatre
2014–2016 Father Comes Home from the War (Parts 1, 2, and 3) Suzan-Lori Parks The Public Theater, London Royal Court, ART, CTG
2015 Lost Girls John Pollono MCC
2015 Kinship Carey Perloff Williamstown Theatre Festival
2016 The Body of an American Dan O'Brien Primary Stages
2017 The Red Letter Plays: F-ing A Suzan-Lori Parks Signature Theatre
2017 Cost of Living Martyna Majok Manhattan Theater Club
2018 Eve's Song Ione Patricia Lloyd The Public Theater
2018 Mlima's Tale Lynn Nottage The Public Theater
2018 An Ordinary Muslim Hammaad Chaudry NY Theatre Workshop
2018 The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona José Rivera Geffen Playhouse
2019 The Way She Spoke Isaac Gomez Audible Theater
2020 72 Miles to Go Hilary Bettis Roundabout Theatre Company