JULIE TAYMOR

BACKGROUND- JULIE BEGAN HER PRODUCING AND DIRECTING VERY EARLY IN LIFE AND TOOK HER TALENT ALL THE WAY TO A CAREER AT AGE 7, SHE BEGAN PRODUCING NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYS AT AGE 9, SHE WAS STUDYING WITH BOSTON’S CHILDREN’S THEATER AFTER COLLEGE, SHE HELD A FELLOWSHIP IN INDONESIA AND JAPAN IN INDONESIA, SHE CREATED THE TEATR LOH, A INTERNATIONAL MASK/DANCE COMPANY

JULIE TAYMOR ROGER COPELAND, A THEATER SCHOLAR, DESCRIBED JULIE TAYMOR WITH THESE WORDS, “GENIUS IS A WORD THAT I USE VERY SPARINGLY AND ADVISEDLY, BUT I DO THINK SHE IS A GENIUS, AND ONE OF THE FEW WORKING IN THE THEATER TODAY”

AWARDS MACARTHUR “GENIUS” GRANT FOR THE PLAY, “JUAN DARIEN” GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP EARNED THE FIRST ANNUAL DORTHY B. CHANDLER PERFORMANCE ARTS AWARD

PLAYS THAT JULIE TAYMOR HAS WORKED ON INCLUDE: KING STAG- COSTUMES, MASKS, PUPPETRY THE GREEN BIRD- PLAY ABOUT TWO TEENAGE ORPHANS THE TEMPEST- A WILLLIAM SHAKESPEARE PLAY THE TRANSPOSED HEADS- A GROWN UP PINNOCCHIO STORY SALOME- OPERA IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA THE FLYING DUTCHMAN- LOS ANGELES OPERA

JUAN DARIEN: A CARNIVAL MASS- LATIN AMERICAN STORY OF A JAGUAR TURNED BOY; RECEIVED 5 TONY NOMINATIONS THE LION KING ON BROADWAY

JULIE TAYMOR’S, THE LION KING

THE LION KING WON 2 TONY AWARDS- BEST DIRECTION AND BEST COSTUME 15 MILLION DOLLAR PRODUCTION NEW YORK TIMES QUOTES THE LION KING AS, “THE MOST MEMORABLE, MOVING AND ORGINAL THEATERICAL EXTRAVAGANZA IN YEARS” JULIE MADE A CHILDREN’S CARTOON DISNEY MOVIE INTO A BRILLANT BROADWAY PLAY THAT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES COULD ENJOY

JULIE TAYMOR’S INFLUENCE ON THEATER IN THE LION KING, JULIE TAYMOR DIRECTED, CREATED COSTUMES, MASKS AND OVER A 100 LIFESIZE PUPPETS INCLUDING A 18 FOOT GIRAFFE AND A 5 INCH MOUSE

JULIE TAYMOR STATES THAT WITH MASKS, PUPPETS, AND COSTUMES, “WE BECOME ENGAGED IN BOTH THE METHOD OF STORYTELLING AS WELL AS THE STORY ITSELF”

JULIE TAYMOR’S COSTUMES WERE INFLUENCED BY MANY CULTURES INCLUDING ASIAN, EUROPEAN, AND AFRICAN CULTURES WITH JULIE TAYMOR’S GREAT SENSE OF IMAGINATION WITH BRIGHT COSTUMES, MASKS, AND PUPPETS, SHE BRINGS THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE IN THE LION KING

JULIE TAYMOR’S CAREER HAS BRANCHED INTO FILMS TITUS ANDRONICUS- DIRECTED BY JULIE TAYMOR, STARRING ANTHONY HOPKINS ADAPTED SHAKESPEAREAN PLAY MOST CURRENT FILM SHE WORKED ON WAS FRIDA, STARRING SALMA HAYEK

CONCLUSION “JULIE TAYMOR COMBINED THE WIT AND GRACE OF AN ACCOMPLISHED PERFORMER WITH THE CREATIVE INSIGHT OF A PASSIONATELY COMMITTED VISUAL ARTIST TO GALVANIZE HER PACKED AUDIENCE. SHE INSPIRED STUDENTS AND FACULTY ALIKE IN A THRILLING DISPLAY OF THE BEST OF THE LECTURER’S ART” EMERSON COLLEGE