UCSD - University of California - San Diego

09/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/22/2025 13:42

Broadway Visionary Des McAnuff Joins UC San Diego in Fall 2025

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Published Date

September 22, 2025

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Topics covered:

  • School of Arts and Humanities
  • La Jolla Playhouse
  • Department of Theatre and Dance
  • Theatre
  • Broadway

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Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff will join the University of California San Diego as the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Professor of Practice in Theatre and Dance during the 2025-26 academic year. The position was established with philanthropic support from Irwin Jacobs.

The new professorship was created to attract outstanding faculty to the Department of Theatre and Dance, further enhancing the university's internationally acclaimed program and providing training for students. The department was recently recognized by the Hollywood Reporter as the best graduate theatre program on the West Coast, 5th overall in the U.S. and 10th globally among graduate studies.

Des McAnuff McAnuff is celebrated for his innovative productions that blend storytelling, music and spectacle. Image courtesy of Des McAnuff.

"UC San Diego is a renowned destination for the arts, and we are pleased to welcome Des McAnuff to the campus," said Pradeep K. Khosla. "Irwin Jacobs' generous gift strengthens UC San Diego's ability to recruit the most talented and innovative minds in the performing arts. We are grateful to Irwin and his late wife, Joan, who together have provided long-standing support for the arts at UC San Diego."

McAnuff is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and former artistic director of Canada's Stratford Festival. He is also director emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, located on the UC San Diego campus, where he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals as artistic director. This fall he will teach two graduate courses, one focusing on the collaborative process between directors and designers, and the other an advanced acting class. McAnuff will also lead a lecture series in the spring, open to all.

"Our theatre and dance scholars experiment with storytelling in ways that reimagine our world," said Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Cristina Della Coletta. "These experiments are inspired by mentorship from distinguished professionals who are redefining what's possible in the arts, like esteemed director Des McAnuff. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of Irwin Jacobs, whose ongoing support provides these rewarding opportunities for our students."

Imparting wisdom to the next generation of artists

McAnuff has a longtime connection to UC San Diego. In 1983, he was hired as artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse and charged with reopening the shuttered cultural hub. Originally launched in 1947 by Gregory Peck as a summer retreat for Hollywood luminaries, the theatre went on indefinite hiatus in 1959. With newfound vision, McAnuff partnered with Department of Theatre and Dance founder Arthur Wagner to create a standout theatre training program.

"We're thrilled to welcome Des McAnuff, who will share the skills, knowledge and wisdom developed over his illustrious career with both graduate and undergraduate students and the department community as a whole," said Lisa Portes, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. "His history with La Jolla Playhouse will strengthen our already vital partnership, and he will serve as a powerful champion for our high-octane theatre and dance training program."

Each year the Wagner New Play Festival gives audiences a first look at cutting-edge work by MFA playwrights. Productions, like "The Rogues Trial," pictured here, are highly collaborative, with Ph.D. and undergraduate directors, actors, designers, stage managers and dramaturgs partnering with the MFA playwrights to create a series of unforgettable shows. Photo by Rich Soublet.

To this day, the Department of Theatre and Dance and La Jolla Playhouse remain closely linked, with shared theatres, production staff and artistic directors (McAnuff served as an adjunct faculty member for 15 years). The Playhouse also provides residencies for up to 25 graduate students in acting, directing, design and stage management, as well as internships for undergraduate students. McAnuff himself has mentored some of the university's most acclaimed theatre and dance alumni, from directors Michael Greif and Lisa Portes to actors Danny Burstein and Jefferson Mays, as well as scenic designer Robert Brill (currently head of the program's scenic design area).

Under McAnuff's leadership, La Jolla Playhouse became one of the most successful regional theatres in the nation, incubating numerous Broadway-bound plays and musicals. Now as professor of practice, he will share the expertise and wisdom garnered over his nearly five-decade career.

"I'm honored to join the UC San Diego community," said McAnuff. "This program has long been respected for its theatre training, and I'm looking forward to collaborating with students and faculty as we explore new ways of telling stories and pushing the boundaries of the stage."

A celebrated career

A visionary theatre director and artistic leader, McAnuff is celebrated for his innovative productions that blend storytelling, music and spectacle. He has significantly shaped modern musical theater, with Broadway credits including "The Who's Tommy," which garnered five Tony Awards, including Best Director; "Jersey Boys," which originated at La Jolla Playhouse, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and ran for over a decade on Broadway; "Big River," winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Director; and "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations," nominated for multiple Tonys and praised for dynamic choreography and staging.

From 2008 to 2012, McAnuff served as artistic director of the internationally acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. He oversaw an annual operating budget of over 50 million dollars, producing an 11-show season across four permanent spaces. He also continued to build on his work as a director of canonical texts including "A Word or Two," "Caesar and Cleopatra," "The Tempest" (all with Christopher Plummer) and "Twelfth Night" (with Brian Dennehy). Additionally, his production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" transferred from Stratford to Broadway.

Beyond Broadway, McAnuff has directed opera, including "Faust" at the Metropolitan Opera and English National Opera, showcasing his range in classical and large-scale productions. His work also extends into television and film; he directed HBO's "700 Sundays," helmed the film "Cousin Bette" starring Jessica Lange, and contributed as producer or executive producer to acclaimed projects such as the animated feature film "The Iron Giant" (BAFTA Award-winning) and the film adaptation of "Quills."

McAnuff, who studied theater at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2011. The following year, he received Canada's Governor General's National Arts Center Award as well as the Order of Canada.

"I'm honored to join the UC San Diego community. This program has long been respected for its theatre training, and I'm looking forward to collaborating with students and faculty as we explore new ways of telling stories and pushing the boundaries of the stage." Des McAnuff

Topics covered:

  • School of Arts and Humanities
  • La Jolla Playhouse
  • Department of Theatre and Dance
  • Theatre
  • Broadway

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