Lee Sunday Evans

Lee Sunday Evans
Born
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
OccupationsDirector, choreographer
Years active2015-present
AwardsObie Award
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director

Lee Sunday Evans is a two-time Obie Award-winning and Lucille Lortel Award-winning director and choreographer, known for directing productions of A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest Lakes and Oratorio for Living Things Off-Broadway. She is Artistic Director of Waterwell.[1]

Early life

Evans grew up in Denver, Colorado and, later, Port Washington, New York.[2] She attended college in Boston, and worked as a House Manager part-time at American Repertory Theatre, where she saw a production of Oedipus Rex directed by Robert Woodruff that she cited as an artistic inspiration.[3][4]

Career

Evans has worked for theatres such as The Public Theater, Lincoln Center, Steppenwolf Theatre Company,[5] and Playwrights Horizons[6] and for festivals such as the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, BAM Next Wave Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, and the Humana Festival.[7][8] She has a background in modern and contemporary dance, and has also choreographed productions.[9]

In 2015, Evans received her first Obie Award for her direction of the New York City Center Off-Broadway production of A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest Lakes by Kate Benson. The production was notable for its experimentation, featuring two commentators calling the play's actions while in a suspended glass booth above the story of a family's Thanksgiving dinner.[10]

That same year, she also directed D Deb Debbie Deborah by Jerry Lieblich at Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks Festival, and the next year, Caught at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. She followed this in 2017 with directing Bull in a China Shop by Christopher Chen at Lincoln Center Theatre Off-Broadway. For the latter three, she was honored with the Susan Stroman Directing Award from Vineyard Theatre.[11]

Other notable credits are the Off-Broadway premieres of [PORTO] at WP Theater, The Winter's Tale at The Public Theater, and Dance Nation, which she also choreographer. For the latter, Evans received a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director, along with nomination for Outstanding Choreographer and her second Obie Award win.

In 2018, Evan was named Artistic Director of Waterwell.[6][12][13] In 2019, through her new role, she directed The Courtoom by Arian Moayed at Waterwell, which depicts a deportation hearing in real-time, based on real-life legal transcripts. The play was presented in an active courtroom on the 17th floor of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse. It was later adapted by Moayed into a feature film, directed by Evans, featuring Kristin Villanueva, Kathleen Chalfant, Michael Chernus and B.D. Wong, which premiered in 2022.[14]

Other notable credits include Grace McLean's chamber musical, In the Green at Lincoln Center Theatre Off-Broadway, as well as two productions of Heather Christian's Oratorio for Living Things. For her direction of the latter, she won her third Obie Award, and was nominated for two Drama League Awards and an Outer Critics Circle Award for direction.[15][16][17][18][19][20]

In 2025, it was announced that Evans would be directing a Broadway-bound musical version of A Wrinkle in Time at Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage.[21][22]

Theatre work

Year Work Role Venue Ref
2015 D Deb Debbie Deborah Director Off-Broadway, Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks Festival [23]
A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest Lakes Director Off-Broadway, New York City Center [24]
2016 Caught Director Off-Broadway, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club [25]
2017 Bull in a China Shop Director Off-Broadway, Lincoln Center Theatre
The Winter's Tale Director Off-Broadway, The Public Theater
2018 [PORTO] Director Off-Broadway, WP Theater
Dance Nation Director, Choreographer Off-Broadway, Playwrights Horizons
2019 The Courtroom Director Off-Broadway, Judson Memorial Church
In the Green Director Off-Broadway, Lincoln Center Theatre
Sunday Director, Choreographer Off-Broadway, Atlantic Theatre Company
2020 Riddle of the Trilobites Director Off-Broadway, New Victory Theatre [26]
Oratorio for Living Things Director Off-Broadway, Greenwich House Theatre [27][28]
2023 Food Co-director Off-Broadway, Brooklyn Academy of Music [29]
A Good Day to Me Not to You Director Off-Broadway, Connelly Theater [30]
2024 Munich Medea Director Off-Broadway, WP Theater [31]
2024 The Poisoner Director Off-Broadway, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club [32]
2024 Safety Not Guaranteed Director Off-Broadway, Brooklyn Academy of Music [33]
2025 Oratorio for Living Things Director Off-Broadway, Signature Theatre Company [34]
2025 A Wrinkle in Time Director Washington, D.C., Arena Stage [35]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2015 Obie Award Distinguished Direction A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest Lakes Won [9]
2016 Susan Stroman Directing Award Vineyard Theatre Won [36]
2017 Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Award Breakout Award Won [37])[38]
2019 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Director Dance Nation Won [39]
Outstanding Choreographer Nominated
Obie Award Special Citation Won [40]
2022 Drama League Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical Oratorio for Living Things Nominated [41]
2023 Obie Award Special Citation Won [42]
2026 Drama League Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical Nominated [43][44]
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Direction of a Musical Nominated [45][46][47]

References

  1. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans – Bio". Waterwell. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  2. ↑ "6 Theatre Workers You Should Know". American Theatre. 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  3. ↑ "Seven Questions With Sunday Director Lee Sunday Evans". BroadwayBox. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  4. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans Takes on Seven Questions About Directing Sunday at Atlantic Theater Company, Her Formative 20s, & Her Casting Process | the Daily Scoop".
  5. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans". Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  6. 1 2 Aukland, Cleo (2018-11-15). "Lee Sunday Evans Named New Artistic Director at Waterwell". Playbill.
  7. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans". Lincoln Center Theater. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  8. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans". Singapore International Festival of Arts. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  9. 1 2 Victoria Myers (2016-11-16). "An Interview with Lee Sunday Evans". The Interval. Retrieved 2026-05-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ "Theater Review: A Beautiful Day in November". Vulture. 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  11. ↑ "Winner of Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation's Breakout Award Named". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  12. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans - Bio". WATERWELL. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  13. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans Named New Artistic Director at Waterwell". Playbill. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  14. ↑ "The Courtroom – The Team". The Courtroom Film. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  15. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Announcing the 2026 Outer Critics Circle winners: Full list". Broadway News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  18. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 20, 2026). "2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  19. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  20. ↑ "Network's Bryan Cranston, *Hadestown* Among 2019 Drama League Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  21. ↑ "see-whos-starring-in-world-premiere-of-a-wrinkle-in-time-musical". Playbill.
  22. ↑ "See Who's Starring in World Premiere of A Wrinkle in Time Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  23. ↑ "Review: 'D Deb Debbie Deborah,' a Dizzying Subversion of Identity". The New York Times. 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  24. ↑ "A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes". TheaterMania. 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  25. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  26. ↑ Graeber, Laurel (2020-02-10). "Can Puppets Save the World From Extinction? (Published 2020)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  27. ↑ Solís, Jose (2022-03-16). "Heather Christian's Choral Work Is a Study of Time. Patience, Too". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  28. ↑ Green, Jesse (2022-03-30). "Review: In 'Oratorio for Living Things,' the Song Is You (Published 2022)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  29. ↑ Bahr, Sarah (2023-11-06). "In 'Food,' Geoff Sobelle Explores the Extremes of Eating". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  30. ↑ Kumar, Naveen (2023-11-21). "Full Exposure? Four Solo Shows Ponder the Art of True Nature". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  31. ↑ Feng, Rhoda (2024-02-14). "'Munich Medea: Happy Family' Review: A Friendship Crushed by the Past". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  32. ↑ Golat, McKenna (2024-03-25). "Port Huron Northern alum's play inspired by Flint water crisis now performing in New York". Times Herald. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  33. ↑ Collins-Hughes, Laura (2024-10-04). "Time-Traveling Film 'Safety Not Guaranteed' Hits Some Bumps Onstage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  34. ↑ "Oratorio for Living Things". Signature Theatre. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  35. ↑ "Review: A New 'Wrinkle in Time' Needs to Iron Out Some Problems". The New York Times. 2025-06-30. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  36. ↑ "2016 Emerging Artists Spring Luncheon". Vineyard Theatre. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  37. ↑ "Winner of Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation's Breakout Award Named". Playbill. 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  38. ↑ "Lee Sunday Evans". PlayMakers Repertory Company. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  39. ↑ Peikert, Mark (5 May 2019). "Carmen Jones Leads 2019 Lortel Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "2015 Obie Award Winners Announced". Obie Awards. 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  41. ↑ "2022 Drama League Award Winners Announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  42. ↑ "66th Obies Winners Announced". Obie Awards. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  43. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 20, 2026). "2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  44. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  45. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 21, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Announcing the 2026 Outer Critics Circle winners: Full list". Broadway News. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.