Simonson, Eric 1960–

PERSONAL

Born June 27, 1960, in Milwaukee, WI; married Susan Raab, 2004; children: one. Education: Attended Lawrence University. Avocational Interests: Baseball.

Addresses: Agent—Jay Gassner, United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90212; Carl Mulert, Gersh Agency, 232 North Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Career: Director, actor, writer, and producer. Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, member of company, beginning c. 1993; also performed at Remains Theatre and with Pegasus Players, both Chicago.

Awards, Honors: Antoinette Perry Award nomination, 1993, for The Song of Jacob Zulu; Viewer's Choice Award, best short film, Temecula Valley International Film Festival, 2000, for Ladies Room L.A.; Academy Award nomination (with Leelai Demoz), best short documentary film, and International Documentary Association Award (with Demoz), short documentary category, both 2001, for On Tiptoe: The Music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Academy Award (with Corinne Marrinan), best short documentary film, 2006, for A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin; also received Princess Grace Award and award from National Conference of Christians and Jews (now National Conference for Community and Justice).

CREDITS

Film Director:

Ladies Room L.A., 1999.

(And producer) On Tiptoe: The Music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (documentary; also known as On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom), 2000.

(And producer) Topa Topa Bluffs, 2002.

(And producer) A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin (short documentary film), Apollo Cinema Short Film Distribution, 2006.

Film Appearances:

Topa Topa Bluffs, 2002.

Stage Director:

The Normal Heart, Next Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1987.

The Secret Rapture, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1991.

The Song of Jacob Zulu, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, 1992, then Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1993, and elsewhere.

Evelyn and the Polka King, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1993.

Bang the Drum Slowly, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA 1994.

Slavs!, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1994.

Bok Choy Variations, Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis, MN, 1995.

Nomathemba, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1995, then John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, New York City, 1996.

Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, 2000.

The Southpaw, San Jose Repertory Theatre, San Jose, CA, 2002.

The Wind Cries Mary, San Jose Repertory Theatre, 2002.

Moby Dick, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, 2002.

String of Pearls, Primary Stages, New York City, 2004.

Eve-olution, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, 2004.

Carter's Way, Performing Arts Center, Kansas City, KS, 2005.

Also directed Abingdon Square, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Othello, Court Theatre, Chicago, IL; Inspecting Carol and Mother Courage and Her Children, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL; Anna Christie, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee, WI; Coriolanus and Knuckle, Next Theatre, Chicago, IL; Hamlet, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA; and La Boheme and The Magic Flute, Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis, MN.

Stage Appearances:

Connie Rivers, Hooper Ranch bookkeeper, and car salesman, Grapes of Wrath, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, 1988, then Cort Theatre, New York City, 1990.

Major Tours:

Grapes of Wrath, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, U.S. cities, 1988–89.

Television Director; Miniseries:

Hamlet, Odyssey, 2000.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Second gravedigger, Hamlet, Odyssey, 2000.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The 78th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2006.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Some sources cite appearance in "The Skin Trade," an episode of The Untouchables, syndicated, 1994; and as a friend in an episode of Seinfeld, NBC, 1997.

WRITINGS

Film Scripts:

On Tiptoe: The Music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (documentary; also known as On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom), 2000.

Stage Plays:

Bang the Drum Slowly (adaptation of novel by Mark Harris), Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA, 1994, published by Dramatists play Service, 1995.

(With Ntozake Shange and Joseph Shabalala) Nomathemba (musical), Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, 1995.

Slaughterhouse-Five; or, The Children's Crusade (based on novel by Kurt Vonnegut), Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1996.

The Last Hurrah (based on novel by Edwin O'Connor), Huntington Theatre Company, 1999.

(With Jeffrey Hatcher) Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, 2000.

Moby Dick (based on novel by Herman Melville), Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, 2002.

Carter's Way, Performing Arts Center, Kansas City, KS, 2005.

Hot Type 2005 (staged reading), Poncho Forum, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, 2005.

Television Miniseries:

Hamlet, Odyssey, 2000.

Radio Plays:

Bang the Drum Slowly (based on novel by Mark Harris), L.A. Theatre Works, 1992.

The Southpaw (based on novel by Harris), L.A. Theatre Works, 1994.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

American Theatre, April, 1994, p. 10; April, 1995, p. 29.