Directors Jack O’Brien and George C. Wolfe to Receive Lifetime Achievement Tony Awards

Directors Jack O’Brien and George C. Wolfe will each receive a 2024 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Wolfe is a five-time Tony-Award winning director, helming shows including Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, and has worked as a writer, a producer and artistic director of The Public Theater from 1993 to 2005. O’Brien is a three-time Tony Award-winning director for Hairspray, Henry IV and The Coast of Utopia, among many other credits on Broadway, including last season’s Shucked, All My Sons, Carousel, The Front Page, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Porgy and Bess. He led the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego from 1981 to 2007 and has also directed projects in London and Off-Broadway.

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In addition to his work in the theater, which includes writing the score to and directing the musical Jelly’s Last Jam and directing Tony Kushner’s Caroline or Change, Wolfe directed and co-wrote the HBO film The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and directed Netflix’s adaptation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and as well as Rustin. He is also the chief creative officer of the Center for Civil and Human Rights.

“Honoring these two gentlemen for their outstanding achievements and contributions to theatre is not only a recognition of their innate talent and dedication, but to a lifetime of brilliant work. With credits such as ‘Hairspray’ and ‘The Invention of Love,’ Jack O’Brien has showcased astounding diversity, skill and passion throughout his esteemed career,” said Jason Laks, interim president of The Broadway League. “In his role as Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre for 25 years, he also leaves a lasting legacy of strengthening the relationship between the commercial and nonprofit worlds.”

“Both of our honorees have shown a true commitment to the craft that has led to remarkable success across their deeply applauded breadth of work. George C. Wolfe’s stellar contributions as a playwright, director, producer and artistic director, including his unforgettable direction in productions like ‘Angels in America: Millennium Approaches’ and  ‘Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk,’ have left a lasting impression on audiences,” said Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing. “Beyond his tremendous dedication to storytelling, he has shown an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout his illustrious career that has shifted culture and elevated the theatre community.”

The Tony Awards are scheduled to take place June 16 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York.

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