Tony Winner Julie Taymor to Direct A Midsummer Night's Dream for Theater for a New Audience

Two-time Tony-winning director Julie Taymor is set return to the New York stage in the fall with a production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Taymor's partner, Oscar winner Elliot Goldenthal, will compose original music for the production, which will open the new permanent Brooklyn residence of the off-Broadway company Theater for a New Audience. Previews will begin on October 19, with an opening night set for November 2.

Taymor and Goldenthal have previously collaborated on Theatre for a New Audience’s productions of The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus and The Green Bird, which transferred to Broadway in 2000.

Goldenthal scored Taymor’s film versions of The Tempest and Titus. He won the Academy Award for his score to Taymor’s film Frida. His original two-act opera Grendel, directed by Taymor, premiered at the Los Angeles Opera.

In 1998 Taymor became the first woman in history to win the award for Best Direction of a Musical for Lion King, and also earned the Tony for Best Costume Design for the musical. Her other Broadway credits include Juan Darien and Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark. In addition to Titus, The Tempest and Frida, Taymor directed the movie musical Across the Universe.