John Simpkins
Stage Director
Master Teacher
email: john.simpkins@nyu.edu
John Simpkins is a director working in New York City and across the country. His most recent work includes the Off-Broadway production of The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks (Theatreworks, USA- Lucille Lortel Theatre) and The Black Suits at SPF at the Public Theatre. Both shows were written by Joe Iconis - with whom his other credits include New York productions of Things to Ruin (Ars Nova, Joe’s Pub, New York Musical Theatre Festival) and A Mini-Musical Triple Feature (Ars Nova) as well as numerous other concerts.
Other directing credits include Annie (Sacramento Music Circus- starring Mark Zimmerman, Jim Walton, Adinah Alexander), Cabaret (Sacramento Music Circus- starring Teri Ralston, Jacquelyn Piro, Max von Essen) and Evita (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma- starring Kate Chapman, Eric Michael Gillet, Dan Cooney) - as well as regional productions of tick tick…BOOM!, Godspell, I Do I Do, Chicago and The Spitfire Grill.
A strong supporter of the development of new work, he has directed workshops/ readings/ productions of Go-Go Beach (NYMF – 37 Arts); Next Thing You Know: New Songs from Salzman and Cunningham (Provincetown Playhouse); Queen Esther (Merkin Hall); Half Married (Cunningham/ Antin); Plastic! (Maddock/ Iconis/ Jacobs - York Theatre), You Don’t Know Jack (York Theatre), Bad Kid School (Barrington Stage), 29 (Alter/ Newman), Lyrical Langston Hughes (New Triad- Lincoln Center), Blood Drive (Rachel Sheinkin), Beasts and Saints (Mindi Dickstein) and Like You Like It.
John is also a member of the music theatre faculty at New York University - where he has directed Floyd Collins, Violet, Urinetown, Merrily We Roll Along, Parade, Fiorello! and A New Brain. His production of Parade was honored by being selected for Lincoln Center’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive.
John holds a Bachelor of Music from Miami University and a Master of Arts from NYU. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.