Lila Neugebauer Explained

Lila Neugebauer
Birth Place:New York City, New York, U.S.
Education:Yale University (BA)
Occupation:Director
writer
artistic director
Years Active:2012–present

Lila Neugebauer (;[1] born 1985) is an American theatre director, writer and artistic director. After studying at Yale University she started directing numerous theatrical productions. She came to prominence directing the Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan's memory play The Waverly Gallery (2018) which was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. She has since directed the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins family drama Appropriate (2023), for which she received a Tony Award nomination, Itamar Moses political satire The Ally (2024), and the Anton Chekhov revival Uncle Vanya (2024).

She had directed multiple episodes of the Mindy Kaling created HBO Max comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021–2022) and she made her directorial film debut with the A24 drama Causeway (2022) starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry.

Early life and education

Neugebauer was born and raised in New York City.[2] [3] A native Upper West Sider, she grew up seeing plays and was exposed to theatre, and credits her mother for a lot of that.[4] She attended the Hunter College High School,[5] where she performed in Seven Minutes in Heaven by fellow student Lin-Manuel Miranda.[6] Neugebauer played a partygoer.[5] Neugebauer was an English major at Yale University.[5] There she befriended actress and playwright Zoe Kazan.[5] She has said that "one of the best classes I took was a constitutional law class".[2] While in Louisville, she received the 2013 Princess Grace Theater Fellowship Award in partnership with Actors Theatre of Louisville.[7]

Career

One of the standout young stage directors, Neugebauer's stage productions include Tracy Letts' Mary Page Marlowe (2018), Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo (2018), and the world premieres of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves (2017), The Mad Ones' Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie (2019) and Miles For Mary (2017), Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate (2016) and Everybody (2017) as well as Annie Baker's The Antipodes (2017).[8] Neugebauer has continued to direct various plays off-Broadway.

She made her Broadway debut as a director for Kenneth Lonergan's revival of The Waverly Gallery which debuted at the John Golden Theatre on September 25, 2018 in previews, and officially opened on October 25. The play, produced by Scott Rudin, is considered a "memory play", and starred Elaine May, Lucas Hedges, Michael Cera, Joan Allen, and David Cromer. The play received widespread critical acclaim, including from Ben Brantley, theatre critic for The New York Times, who described her direction as "fine-tuned."[9] The revival received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play, and a win for Best Actress in a Play (Elaine May).[10] That same year she made her television directing debut for episode of the Duplass brothers' HBO series Room 104.

In April 2019, it was announced that Neugebauer would be teaming up with A24 and Scott Rudin to make her directorial film debut with Red, White and Water, later retitled Causeway. It was announced Jennifer Lawrence was attached as a star in the project, and was written by first-time screenwriter Elizabeth Sanders. The project's principal photography started in mid-June 2019 in New Orleans.[11] From 2021 to 2022 she directed multiple episodes of the Mindy Kaling created comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max.[12]

In 2023 she directed the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play Appropriate on Broadway. The production starred Sarah Paulson, Corey Stoll, Natalie Gold, and Elle Fanning. The play, a family drama, revolves around a family trying to sell the house after the patriarch's death only to discover a dark secret.[13] The following year she directed the Itamar Moses political play The Ally at The Public Theater. Josh Radnor stars as a Jewish college professor who is conflicted when asked to sign a political manifesto by a student.[14] That same year she directed Lincoln Center's revival of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. The cast includes Steve Carell, Alison Pill, William Jackson Harper, Jayne Houdyshell, and Alfred Molina.[15]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleNotes
2018 Room 104 Episode: "Josie & Me" [16]
2021 Maid Episode: "Thief"
2021–22 The Sex Lives of College Girls 3 episodes
2023 The Last Thing He Told Me Episode: "When We Were Young"

Theatre

YearPlayAuthorVenue
2012The AliensAnnie BakerSan Francisco Playhouse, California [17]
Studio Theatre, Washington, DC[18]
2013O Guru Guru GuruMallery AvidonActors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky [19]
Red SpeedoLucas HnathStudio Theatre, Washington, DC[20]
2014Trudy and Max in LoveZoe KazanSouth Coast Repertory, California [21]
The Wayside Motor InnA.R. GurneyThe Pershing Square Signature Center, Off-Broadway[22]
2015Kill FloorAbe KooglerClaire Tow Theater, New York [23]
ArcadiaTom StoppardStephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater, New York[24]
2016The Sandbox
Drowning
Funnyhouse of a Negro
Edward Albee
Maria Irene Fornes
Adrienne Kennedy
The Pershing Square Signature Center, Off-Broadway[25]
The WolvesSarah DeLappeDuke on 42nd Street, Off-Broadway[26]
AppropriateBranden Jacobs-JenkinsStephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater, New York [27]
2017EverybodyThe Pershing Square Signature Center, Off-Broadway[28]
The AntipodesAnnie Baker[29]
After the BlastZoe KazanClaire Tow Theater, New York[30]
The WolvesSarah DeLappeMitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway
2018Miles for MaryThe Mad OnesPlaywrights Horizons, Off-Broadway[31]
Edward Albee's At Home at the ZooEdward AlbeeThe Pershing Square Signature Center, Off-Broadway[32]
Peace for Mary FrancesLily Thorne[33]
Mary Page MarloweTracy LettsSecond Stage Theater, Off-Broadway[34]
The Waverly GalleryKenneth LonerganJohn Golden Theatre, Broadway Debut[35]
2019Mrs. Murray's MenagerieThe Mad Ones Ars Nova at Greenwich House Theatre, Off-Broadway[36]
2021Morning Sun Simon StephensManhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway[37]
2022Oh God, A Show About AbortionAlison LeibyCherry Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway[38]
2023AppropriateBranden Jacobs-JenkinsHayes Theater, Broadway[39]
2024The AllyItamar MosesThe Public Theater, Off-Broadway[40]
Uncle VanyaAnton ChekhovVivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway[41]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
2015 The Wayside Motor Inn [42]
2017 Sam Norkin Award
2017 Ensemble Performance The Wolves
2017 Outstanding Director of a Play
2017 Outstanding Director
2018 Outstanding Revival of a Play Edward Albee's The Zoo Story
2018 Miles for Mary
2018 Outstanding Play
2018 Outstanding Director
2020 Outstanding Play Mrs. Murray's Menagerie
2022 Best First Feature Award Causeway [43]
2024 Appropriate
2024
2024 Outstanding Director of a Play
2024 Outstanding Direction of a Play
2024 Uncle Vanya

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tatiana Maslany, Blair Brown, and More Introduce Us to Mary Page Marlowe. TheaterMania. June 19, 2018. July 1, 2022. July 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220702023737/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL-Nt4SzisY&gl=US&hl=en. live.
  2. Web site: An Interview with Lila Neugebauer. May 31, 2017. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525141824/http://www.theintervalny.com/interviews/2017/05/an-interview-with-lila-neugebauer/. live.
  3. Web site: Meet Lila Neugebauer, the Director Who Should Be on Your Radar. October 29, 2017 . May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525132557/https://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/news/interview-lila-neugebauer_82931.html. live.
  4. Web site: Meet The Director Behind All the Weird, Brilliant, Deeply Moving Plays You've Seen This Year. June 15, 2017. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525132624/https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/news/a46007/lila-neugebauer-director-off-broadway/. live.
  5. Web site: The Spring of Lila Neugebauer. January 25, 2017. May 25, 2018. May 26, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180526040945/https://www.americantheatre.org/2017/01/25/the-spring-of-lila-neugebauer/. live.
  6. News: Lila Neugebauer Directs 'Kill Floor,' but the Cows Are Safe in Her Hands. The New York Times. September 23, 2015. May 25, 2018. Shattuck. Kathryn. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525072910/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/theater/lila-neugebauer-directs-kill-floor-but-the-cows-are-safe-in-her-hands.html. live.
  7. Web site: Director Lila Neugebauer Receives a Prestigious 2013 Princess Grace Award in partnership with Actors Theatre of Louisville – Actors Theatre of Louisville. August 7, 2013. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133506/https://actorstheatre.org/2013/08/07/director-lila-neugebauer-receives-a-prestigious-2013-princess-grace-award-in-partnership-with-actors-theatre-of-louisville/. live.
  8. Web site: Jennifer Lawrence Sets Big-Screen Return Aligned With Theater Director Lila Neugebauer, A24 & IAC Films. Fleming. Mike Jr.. 2019-04-16. Deadline. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190416173915/https://deadline.com/2019/04/jennifer-lawrence-lila-neugebauer-a24-iac-films-next-film-1202596721/. April 16, 2019. 2020-02-24.
  9. News: Brantley. Ben. Review: Elaine May Might Break Your Heart in 'Waverly Gallery'. 2019-01-27. The New York Times. 2020-02-24. en-US. 0362-4331. September 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210917133705/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/theater/review-waverly-gallery-elaine-may-kenneth-lonergan.html. live.
  10. Web site: The Waverly Gallery. February 13, 2020. May 3, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190503020858/https://www.tonyawards.com/shows/waverly-gallery/. live.
  11. Web site: Jennifer Lawrence to Star in Untitled A24 Drama. The Hollywood Reporter. April 16, 2019. en. 2020-02-24. April 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411233314/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jennifer-lawrence-star-untitled-a24-drama-1201692. live.
  12. Web site: HBO Max's The Sex Lives Of College Girls almost aces its sophomore run. The A.V. Club. November 16, 2022. March 9, 2024.
  13. Web site: Appropriate (Broadway, 2018). Playbill. March 9, 2024.
  14. Web site: The Ally (Off-Broadway, 2024). Playbill. March 9, 2024.
  15. Web site: Uncle Vanya (Broadway, 2024). Playbill. March 9, 2024.
  16. Web site: Lila Neugebauer. IMDb. February 13, 2020. May 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220526114331/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10244127/. live.
  17. Web site: The Aliens – San Francisco Playhouse. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133338/https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/aliens/. live.
  18. Web site: Studio Theatre The Aliens . 2023-07-12 . www.studiotheatre.org.
  19. Web site: O Guru Guru Guru, or why I don't want to go to yoga class with you – Actors Theatre of Louisville. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133127/https://actorstheatre.org/shows/o-guru-guru-guru-2012-2013/. live.
  20. Web site: Studio Theatre Red Speedo . 2023-07-12 . www.studiotheatre.org.
  21. Web site: Excerpts from "Trudy and Max in Love" by Zoe Kazan. South Coast Repertory. January 9, 2014. May 25, 2018. YouTube. January 11, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140111002125/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkzCcbHObf4&gl=US&hl=en. live.
  22. Web site: The Wayside Motor Inn – 2014 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525204421/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/The-Wayside-Motor-Inn-331077.html. live.
  23. Web site: Kill Floor – 2015 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133418/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/Kill-Floor-331362.html. live.
  24. Web site: Juilliard Drama Group 45 (4th year) : Tom Stoppard's Arcadia ; December 15, 2015 :: Juilliard Performance Recordings – Dance, Drama, Music. jmedia.juilliard.edu. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525132812/http://jmedia.juilliard.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p16995coll3/id/5604. live.
  25. Web site: Signature Plays – 2016 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525132724/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/Signature-Plays-332001.html. live.
  26. Web site: The Wolves – 2016 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133509/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/The-Wolves-331740.html. live.
  27. Web site: Juilliard Drama Group 46 (4th year) : Jacobs-Jenkins's Appropriate ; December 13, 2016 :: Juilliard Performance Recordings – Dance, Drama, Music. jmedia.juilliard.edu. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525135058/http://jmedia.juilliard.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16995coll3/id/8576/rec/2. live.
  28. Web site: Everybody – 2017 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133530/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/Everybody-331790.html. live.
  29. Web site: The Antipodes – 2017 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133704/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/The-Antipodes-331893.html. live.
  30. Web site: After the Blast – 2017 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133211/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/After-the-Blast-332115.html. live.
  31. Web site: Miles for Mary – 2018 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133519/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/Miles-for-Mary-332307.html. live.
  32. Web site: At Home at the Zoo: Homelife & The Zoo Story – 2018 Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133355/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/At-Home-at-the-Zoo-Homelife-The-Zoo-Story-332454.html. live.
  33. Web site: Peace for Mary Frances Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133128/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/Peace-for-Mary-Frances-332685.html. live.
  34. Web site: Mary Page Marlowe Off-Broadway Tickets, Reviews, News, Info, Photos, Videos. www.broadwayworld.com. May 25, 2018. May 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133417/https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/Mary-Page-Marlowe-332248.html. live.
  35. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-waverly-gallery-518410 The Waverly Gallery
  36. Web site: Mrs. Murray's Menagerie Ars Nova. www.arsnovanyc.com. May 23, 2019. May 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190510083355/https://arsnovanyc.com/Mrs-Murrays-Menagerie. live.
  37. Web site: Morning Sun . 2023-07-12 . Manhattan Theatre Club . en-US.
  38. Web site: SCOTUS Draft Raises Stakes for OH GOD, A SHOW ABOUT ABORTION . 2023-12-19 . www.theatrely.com . en.
  39. Web site: Evans . Greg . 2023-12-19 . 'Appropriate' Broadway Review: Sarah Paulson Rattles The Rafters Of History In Powerhouse Production . 2023-12-19 . Deadline . en-US.
  40. Web site: The Ally . 2023-07-12 . publictheater.org . en-us.
  41. Web site: Huston . Caitlin . 2023-09-14 . 'Uncle Vanya' to Hit Broadway With New Translation By Heidi Schreck . 2023-12-19 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  42. Web site: Lila Neugebauer. Internet Off-Broadway Database. April 1, 2020. April 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230413122910/http://obdb.com//CreditableEntity/38880. live.
  43. Web site: Winners of the Rome Film Fest 2022. romacinemafest.it. October 22, 2022 . 2022-11-10. November 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221112045504/https://www.romacinemafest.it/en/winners-2022/. live.