Nancy Meckler facts for kids

Nancy Meckler is an American director. She is famous for her unique way of directing plays, especially in the United Kingdom. She worked with a theatre company called Shared Experience as a joint artistic director alongside Polly Teale.

Nancy Meckler studied in both the USA and England. She has directed plays for many well-known theatres. These include the Globe Theatre, the Royal National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has also directed movies like Sister My Sister and Alive and Kicking (also known as Indian Summer).

Early Life and Education

Nancy Meckler grew up on Long Island, New York. This is where she first became interested in the arts. At first, she wanted to be an actor, not a director. She loved theatre because it could show people new ways of looking at the world.

Nancy went to several schools in the US. She started at Antioch College for her first degree. Then, she studied acting at HB Studios. Finally, she earned a master's degree from NYU. This degree was about how performances are made and understood. Nancy also spent a year in London, training at the London Academy for the Dramatic Arts.

After her training, Nancy slowly started to focus on directing. She realized she didn't want to be in the spotlight. But she still loved theatre very much. Her future directing style was greatly shaped by the experimental theatre scene in New York during the 1960s. One of her big influences was Jerzy Grotowski, a famous experimental theatre artist. In 1968, she moved to London. Many American artists were moving to the UK at that time, which changed the theatre scene there.

A Career in Theatre

Once in the UK, Nancy Meckler started the Freehold Theatre Company (1968–1972). This company didn't last long, but it had a very successful play called Antigone. In 1970, Antigone was chosen to represent the UK at big theatre festivals. These included the BITEF and the Venice Biennale. The Freehold Theatre Company also won the John Whiting Award in 1970 for new writing.

The Freehold Theatre Company closed after Nancy started her family. But she soon returned to theatre. She became an associate director at Hampstead Theatre. During this time, Nancy found it hard to direct traditional plays. She was used to more creative and experimental work.

In 1984, Nancy and her husband, David Aukin, moved to Leicester Theatre in London. There, Nancy directed plays by famous writers like Shakespeare. But she also continued her experimental work as a freelance director.

Nancy Meckler made history in 1981. She was the first woman to direct a play at the Royal National Theatre. The play was Edward Albee's Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

From 1988 to 2011, she was the artistic director of Shared Experience Theatre. This is a theatre company in London known for its new ways of staging plays. They often present well-known stories in a fresh and different way.

Nancy Meckler has directed 5 plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company. She also directed King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe.

Notable Directing Work

Nancy Meckler has directed many plays throughout her career. Here are some examples:

• Several plays by Sam Shepard, including new ones like Killers Head and Action.
• Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov at Hampstead Theatre in 1979.
• Rose by Martin Sherman at the National Theatre and on Broadway in 2000.
• The Bacchae for Shared Experience Theatre in 1988.
• Anna Karenina adapted by Helen Edmundson for Shared Experience Theatre in 1992. This play toured the UK and the world.
• Mill on the Floss adapted by Helen Edmundson for Shared Experience Theatre in 2001.
• King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe in 2017.

Film Directing

Nancy Meckler has directed two films. These are Sister My Sister (1994) and Indian Summer (also called Alive & Kicking) (1996).

Reviewers often said that Nancy's directing style in her films was very theatrical. This showed her strong background as a stage director. Some people felt this style made the films better, while others thought it took away from them.

Sister My Sister is Nancy Meckler's most well-known film. It tells the story of two sisters working as maids. They plan to harm their employer. This type of story is often told, but it was unusual for a woman to direct it.

Ballet Work

Nancy Meckler also directed a ballet. She directed A Streetcar Named Desire for the Scottish Ballet.

Awards and Recognition

Nancy Meckler's work has won many awards:

• The Mill on the Floss
  • Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Visiting Production in 2001.
• Anna Karenina
  • Best Touring Show TMA/Martini in 1993.
  • Outstanding Theatrical Event, Time Out awards in 1992.
• Sister My Sister
  • Best Feature, Turin Film Festival in 1995.
  • Public Prize, Best New Director, and Youth Prize at Valladolid Film Festival in 1994.
• Alive and Kicking
  • Opening Film, Locarno Film Festival in 1996.
  • Most Popular Film, Hamptons Film Festival in 1996.
  • Audience Award Best Film, London Film Festival in 1997.
• A Streetcar Named Desire (Ballet)
  • Best Dance Production, Southbank Awards in 2012.
  • Nominee for Best Dance Production, Olivier Awards in 2012.

See also

• List of female film and television directors