Bio
Tyler Marchant came to UWSP in 2007 from New York City where he was working as a freelance director. While in NYC, Tyler also served as the Associate Artistic Director at the multiple award-winning Off-Broadway Theatre Primary Stages in NYC from 2000-2006. His work on new plays led him to Primary Stages where he worked with playwrights such as Terrence McNally, Horton and Daisy Foote, Stephen Belber, John Henry Redwood, A.R. Gurney, Lee Blessing, Michele Lowe, Christopher Durang and many others. Other New York directing work includes several productions, workshops, and readings of new plays by Neil LaBute, Edwin Sanchez, Stephen Belber, Steven Dietz, Victor Ladato, Julia Jordan, Dan O’Brien, Anthony Clarvoe, and Lucy Thurber among others.Tyler directed the World Premiere of Freud’s Last Session at Barrington Stage Company (where it became the longest running show in the theatre’s history) before it made its commercial Off-Broadway transfer. The production received rave reviews making many year-end Top Ten Lists as well as garnering Tyler a Joe A. Callaway Outstanding Directing Nomination from the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. The production transferred to New York where it ran for nearly 800 performances and won “Best Play” by the Off-Broadway Theatre Alliance. The had a commercial run at the Mercury Theatre in Chicago (Jeff Award nomination for “Best Play Production”) and in Los Angeles (starring Judd Hirsch and Tom Cavanaugh). Tyler directed the Reykjavik by Pulitzer Winner Richard Rhodes for the Ministers of the United Nations. The production starred Richard Easton and Jay O. Sanders and included a video address by Mikhail Gorbachev. Tyler has also been working with Tony and Oscar Award winning playwright Sir Peter Shaffer on his play Gift of the Gorgon to develop the script for a future North American premiere.
During his tenure at Primary Stages, Tyler was the Director of the New American Writer’s Group where he worked with writers to develop and create new plays for the American Theatre. Tyler has worked at theatres such as Primary Stages, Alley Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Guthrie Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, Trustus, with British playwright Gary Owen’s The Drowned World and Michael Wynne’s The People are Friendly as part of the Old Vic/New Voices international playwright exchange in conjunction with the Old Vic in London, and served as the Associate Director of the Broadway production of On Golden Pond starring James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams as well as the national tour starring Tom Bosley and Michael Learned. He directed the World Premiere of India Awaiting at the Samuel Beckett theatre in NYC and the World Premiere Prudence, at Connecticut Repertory Theatre. While at Primary Stages, Tyler has worked with some of the premiere actors working in NYC including Isabella Rossellini, Richard Thomas, Nathan Lane, Marian Seldes, Charles Kimbrough, Charles Grodin, Sandy Duncan, Mary Testa, Ellen MCClaughlin, George Grizzard, among others.
Tyler has received a commission from Williamstown Theatre Festival to co-conceive and direct a new play with playwright Dan O’Brien. Other productions include Cloud 9 at Pennsylvania Center Stage, the World Premiere of the musical Anne of Green Gables (by Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer) at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in NYC, Jeffrey Hatcher’s A Picasso and Lee Bleesing’s Going to St. Ives at Barrington Stage Company. From 2001-2006, Tyler served as the Vice-President of the Association of Non-Profit Theatres Companies (ANTC) in New York City. Tyler received the prestigious Doris Duke/Andrew W. Mellon/TCG “New Generations Grant” to aid and assist his work in the non-profit theatre sector. Tyler received his M.F.A. in directing at the University of South Carolina, and is a member of SDC.
Research Interests
- Directing
- Acting/Scene Study
- Playwriting
- New Play Development/Dramaturgy
- Audition Technique
Accomplishments
Joe A. Callaway Nominated Director, Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germain. New York City
Professional Memberships
- Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC Union Member)
- Ad-Hoc Member Academic Initiatives Committee (SDC)
I love to see a student understand a new concept and implement that into their work. I strive to have students embrace their individual path towards happiness and self-actualization.
Tyler Marchant