Raised in Cicero, Illinois, JoAnne Akalaitis (June 29, 1937 – ) went from pre-med studies at the University of Chicago and philosophy at Stanford, dropping out before graduation to pursue theater in the Bay Area. Her work with the San Francisco Mime Troupe signaled a life-long interest in political theater. While studying with Jerzy Grotowski in Paris, she grew close to Philip Glass, marrying in 1965. With Lee Breuer, Ruth Malaczech and David Warrilow, they founded the seminal performance collective Mabou Mines in 1970. Akalaitis’s career as a director has spanned many genres and theater companies, and she has been given five Obie Awards. JoAnne Akalaitis succeeded Joe Papp as the artistic director of the Public Theater (1991-1993).
About The Downtown Performance Series
NYU Skirball and Artifacts have teamed up to produce NYU Skirball Presents Downtown Performance, a series spotlighting the directors, performers, and artists who shaped the movements loosely defined as “Downtown.”
Inspired by the cultural history rooted in NYU Skirball’s neighboring blocks, the Downtown Performance series captures in-depth interviews with living legends of performance. The first instalment, available to stream January 9, 2025, features groundbreaking directors Richard Foreman and JoAnne Akalaitis, with John Vaccaro and Richard Schechner following later this year. For more on NYU Skirball, please visit their website.
