Jan Eliasberg facts for kids

Jan Pringle Eliasberg (born January 6, 1954) is an American director and writer. She directs for film, TV, and theatre. She also writes for TV and is a novelist. Her first novel, Hannah's War, came out in 2020. It has sold many copies and is a gripping story. The book is about love, war, secrets, and spies. Critics have praised it for its emotional depth. Hannah's War was a finalist for a big book award. It is now being made into a movie, with Jan Eliasberg writing the script and directing it herself.

Jan Eliasberg's Story

Jan Eliasberg grew up in New York City. She went to The Brearley School. Her mother, Ann Pringle Harris, was a writer for The New York Times. Her father, Jay Eliasberg, worked as a vice president for research.

Jan graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in 1974. She was only 20 years old. Later, she earned a Master's degree in directing from Yale School of Drama in 1981. She also has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Fiction. She received this from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson.

Starting "Second Stage"

In 1973, while at Wesleyan, Jan helped create Second Stage. This was a group of students who wanted to put on plays and performances. It might have been the first student-run theater group in the country. Second Stage has helped many famous actors and directors get their start. For example, Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical "In the Heights" was first developed there.

Directing for Television

Jan Eliasberg was chosen for the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women. This helped her start her TV directing career. In 1986, she directed an episode of Cagney & Lacey. Later that year, famous director Michael Mann picked her. She directed an episode of Miami Vice. This made her one of only three women to direct for that show. She directed two more Miami Vice episodes in 1986 and 1987. These included "Forgive Us Our Debts" and "Contempt of Court," which starred Stanley Tucci.

She was also the first woman to direct Michael Mann's Crime Story and Wiseguy. Jan has directed many other popular TV shows. These include Blue Bloods, NCIS: Los Angeles, Parenthood, Criminal Minds, 21 Jump Street, Dawson's Creek, and Party of Five. She also produced and wrote for the show Sisters.

Directing Films and Plays

In 1988, Jan was hired to direct the teen comedy How I Got into College. She was replaced early in filming. Reports said her style was more serious than the studio wanted. In 1991, she directed another film called Past Midnight. This was an independent film. It starred famous actors like Rutger Hauer, Natasha Richardson, and Paul Giamatti.

Jan has also directed many plays. Some of her theatre work includes Spring Awakening, Hedda Gabler, and The Importance of Being Earnest.

Writing and Producing

After getting her MFA in Fiction in 1996, Jan worked on the NBC series Sisters. She wrote, produced, and directed for the show. She stayed with Sisters for all six seasons it was on TV.

She has also written screenplays for major studios like Warner Brothers and Universal. Her screenplays often feature strong female characters. Many are about women who have been forgotten by history. For example, she wrote "W.A.S.P." about the Women Air Service Pilots in WWII. She also wrote "Mi Corazon," which Jennifer Lopez is set to produce and star in.

Inspiration for Hannah's War

While researching for her W.A.S.P. screenplay, Jan found an interesting article. It was in The New York Times on the day the atomic bomb was dropped. The article mentioned that a "female, non-Aryan physicist" helped create the atomic bomb. Jan wondered why this important woman was not famous. She was determined to find out her name.

She discovered the physicist was Dr. Lise Meitner. Dr. Meitner, with her colleague Otto Hahn, discovered and named nuclear fission. This discovery was key to the atomic bomb. Jan's research into Dr. Meitner's story became the idea for her novel, Hannah's War.

Personal Life

In 1991, Jan Eliasberg married Neil Alan Friedman. He was a studio executive. They divorced in 2008. They have a daughter named Sariel Hana Friedman. Jan Eliasberg lives in New York City. She is currently working on turning her novel, Hannah's War, into a movie. She is also researching her next book.

Directorial Work

Television

• Cagney & Lacey
• Jack and Mike
• L.A. Law
• Miami Vice
• Crime Story
• Wiseguy
• Dirty Dancing
• TV 101
• Booker (also writer)
• The Outsiders
• Brewster Place
• WIOU
• Sisters (also writer)
• Early Edition
• Party of Five
• Any Day Now
• Dawson's Creek
• Nash Bridges
• Strong Medicine
• Ghost Whisperer
• Parenthood
• Supernatural
• Criminal Minds
• NCIS: Los Angeles
• Blue Bloods
• In Plain Sight
• Unforgettable
• Reckless
• Nashville
• The Magicians

Films

• Lovers, Partners & Spies (Independent film, 1988)
• Past Midnight (Feature film, 1991) starring Natasha Richardson, Rutger Hauer, Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti

Theatre

• Autumn Ladies and Their Lover's Lovers
• Spring Awakening
• St. Joan of the Stockyards
• Sore Throats
• Hedda Gabler
• Peer Gynt
• A Christmas Tapestry
• Brecht on Brecht
• A Lesson from Aloes
• A History of the American Film
• Macbeth
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• The Threepenny Opera
• Reckless
• The Cote D'Azur Triangle
• The Brides
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Through the Leaves
• Request for "L"