CURRICULUM VITAE
PETER LICHTENFELS
ADDRESS: 623 E Street, Davis, California 95616
TELEPHONE: 530-759-9580
EMAIL: plichtenfels@gmail.com
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL THEATRE CAREER:
Peter Lichtenfels is an international director of theatre, opera, musicals, and devised dance. His most recent productions were A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre set in a nightclub in Shanghai, Beckett’s Endgame at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, The Island by John Kani, Winston Ntshona and Athol Fugard, and Sartre’s The Flies at the Stratford Festival of Canada, set in a contemporary archaeological site in Greece. His directing ranges from refreshing classics such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, to introducing non-English language playwrights to UK and North American audiences with shows such a Shogo Ohta’s Plastic Rose, to working with major playwrights such as Edward Bond on Human Cannon. He has a special focus on directing modern and experimental scripts from Tom Stoppard’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour with Scottish National Orchestra, to Alison McAlpine’s Still Moon on Fire, which won a Dora Award in Canada, and The Laramie Project produced as a social discussion interface in the Sacramento area. Many of his productions have focused on new writing by contemporary playwrights, such as Michael Ondaatje’s The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, Michael Wilcox’s Accounts, and Howard Barker’s Wax.
As the Artistic Director and Theatre Director (Executive and Artistic) of theatre in the UK in the 80s and 90s, he produced plays such as Yuri Lyubimov’s Hamlet, modern dance Ballet Rambert, contemporary dance with Merce Cunningham’s Rainforest (designed by Andy Warhol), Ohio Impromptu, Catastrophe and Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett, and among many world and British premieres such as David Henry Hwang’s Madame Butterfly with Anthony Hopkins.
He has directed and worked with, among others:
Frances Barber, Howard Barker, Edward Bond, Mark Bramble, Gavin Bryars, Yvonne Bryceland, John Byrne, Simon Callow, Anna Carteret, Joseph Chaikin, Robbie Coltrane, Kandis Cook, John Dexter, Paul Freeman, Chris Hannan, Jocelyn Herbert, Anthony Hopkins, Eiko Ishioka, Henry Krieger, Liz Lochhead, Yuri Lyubimov, Stephen McGann, Joe Marcell, Gemma Regrave, Annie Smart, Kate Saunders, Barney Simon, Ken Stott, Mike Stott, Tilda Swinton, Eduard Tchikvadze, David Threlfall, Andre Wadja, Michael Wilcox, Richard Wilson, Nick Ward, David Warrilow, Kevin Whateley, Susannah York.
Internationally known for his directing, producing and writing on contemporary and classical Shakespeare, he has been invited to lecture and conduct master classes throughout Europe, North America and Asia. Publications include directing commentary on The Merchant of Venice, essays on contemporary British theatre and on voice and movement in Shakespeare, a co-written book Negotiating Shakespeare’s Language, and an edited book with contributors such as Ann Bogart (SITI Company), Calixto Bieito (National Theatre of Spain), Nick Hytner (The Royal National Theatre), Greg Doran (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Annabel Arden (Theatre Complicite).
Lichtenfels’ work has been recognized as both a Director and Producer: Midsummer Night’s Dream
Best Production Asian Contemporary Theatre Festival, Still Moon on Fire by Alison
MacAlpine and Wende Bartley, Solun Theatre Company. DuMaurier Theatre. Toronto, Canada.
Dora award for Outstanding Performer in a Musical, M Butterfly by David Henry Hwang with
SirAnthony Hopkins, nominated for Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, a special Fringe
First Award for the entire programme by the Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh Festival, and the George Devine Award for Michael Wilcox’ Accounts.
Mr.Lichtenfels theatre career has been archived and in ‘The Special Collections ‘Alternative Theatre in Britain’, University of Leeds.
Summary of PROFESSIONAL PRODUCING CAREER:
Plays produced in theatre: 94
Visiting plays: 53
World Premieres: 56
British Premieres only: 8
The above figures do not include dance, music or performance art
Transfers: 7
Tours: 15
Television. Film. Radio: 7
Invitations to Festivals: 10
Establishing of Festivals: 4
Nominations and Awards: 7
Summary of PROFESSIONAL DIRECTING CAREER
Plays directed (classical, contemporary, musicals, opera): 32
Plays directed (new): 28
Director of Classical Plays / Revivals and Musicals include:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre: Winner Best Production at the Asian Contemporary Theatre Festival
Travesties by Tom Stoppard. Liverpool Playhouse.
Bodies by James Saunders. Liverpool Playhouse.
Filumena by Eduardo De Fillipo. Liverpool Playhouse.
Laurel & Hardy by Tom McGrath. Liverpool Playhouse.
Revenger’s Tragedy by Cyril Tourneur. Liverpool Playhouse.
The Fantasticks by Jones. Liverpool Playhouse.
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour by Tom Stoppard and Andre Previn. Scottish National Orchestra. Toured Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling.
My Fair Lady by Lerner and Loewe. Scottish Opera.
Bread & Butter by C.P. Taylor. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Sea by Edward Bond. Leeds Playhouse.
Summer & Smoke by Tennessee Williams. Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser. Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
Human Cannon by Edward Bond. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Tartuffe by Moliere. University of California Davis.
Women of Troy by Euripides. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Richard III by Shakespeare. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Peer Gynt. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, University of California Davis. Two full productions.
The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Anthony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Grimm’s Tales by Carol Ann Duffy, Manchester Metropolitan University
Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn, Manchester Metropolitan University
Hamlet, Manchester Metropolitan University
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Main Theatre, Davis, CA
The Flies by Jean-Paul Sartre, Stratford Festival of Canada
The Laramie Project, The Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Davis, CA
Cymbeline, Main Theatre, Davis, CA
The Island, by Athol Fugard, Wyatt Theatre Davis, CA AND Nelson Theater Irvine
Endgame by Samuel Beckett, Shakespeare Santa Cruz Theatre Festival
Gallathea by John Lyly, Wright Theatre, UC Davis: with Keith Hennessy, Dylan Bolles, Liz Galindo, John Zibell
Bluebeard’s Castle by Bartok, with Bella Merlin, Mondavi Center for the Arts
Director of New Plays include:
Wax by Howard Barker. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and Bush Theatre, London.
Me by C.P. Taylor. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid by Michael Ondaatje. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
And They Used to Star in Movies by Campbell Black. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Next Time...by Paul Vincent. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Hardman by Tom McGrath & Jimmy Boyle. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. AND an extensive tour of Britain which included Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, I.C.A. London; and the Kammerspiele, Munich.
A & R by Pete Atkin. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Peter Pan Man by C.P. Taylor. Scottish Youth Theatre.
Livingstone and Sechele by David Pownall. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. AND Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.
Magic by William Grant. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Black Stuffer by Elizabeth Bond. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Royal Flush by William Grant. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Accounts by Michael Wilcox. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. AND Riverside Studio, London. Filmed by Channel Four Television. Recipient of George Devine Award.
The Hot Hello by David Pownall. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Sailmaker by Alan Spence. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Not Waving by Catherine Hayes. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Boys in the Backroom by Andrew Dallmeyer. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Space Invaders by Alan Spence. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Clean Sweeps by Stuart Patterson. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
78 Revolutions by Michael Wilcox. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, AND Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.
An Historie of the Machine by Martyn Hobbs. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Dead Men by Mike Stott. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. AND Perth Festival, Australia.
The Price of Experience by Ken Ross. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Aus der Fremde by Ernst Jandl. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
Bosom Buddies by Jack Klaff. Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh AND Riverside Studios, London.
Plastic Rose by Shogo Ohta. University of California, Davis AND Kinki University, Osaka, Japan. Also Edinburgh Festival Fringe Assembly Rooms production.
Still Moon on Fire by Alison MacAlpine and Wende Bartley. Solun Theatre Company. DuMaurier Theatre. Toronto, Canada. Recipient of a Dora Award
Elements by Shogo Ota, Granada production Arena Theatre, UC Davis; Bogota, Colombia.