BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE APPOINTS LES WATERS AS ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR THE 2003/04 SEASON BERKELEY CA, MARCH 31, 2003 Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Tony Taccone today announced the appointment of Les Waters as the company’s Associate Artistic Director for the 2003/04 Season. Waters, who most recently directed Berkeley Rep’s critically acclaimed production of Suddenly Last Summer, will be in residence in Berkeley for the season, directing two productions (see season announcement), as well as fulfilling other artistic responsibilities with the Theatre, including overseeing new play development. “I am thrilled to have Les Waters, an artist I’ve admired for many years, joining us in this new position next season,” commented Taccone. “He is an artist of immense talent, sensitivity, maturity and intelligence. A long-time champion of new work who is equally adept at directing classics, Les will make a welcome addition to our staff.” “It is a delight and an honor for me to make Berkeley Rep my artistic home,” added Waters. “Having spent the majority of my career working alongside playwrights such as Wallace Shawn, Caryl Churchill and Charles Mee on the development of new plays, it is incredibly gratifying to be able to collaborate with a theatre that shares my passion for and commitment to the advancement of new work.” In addition to Suddenly Last Summer, Les Waters directed Big Love at Berkeley Rep, as well as at the Humana Festival, Long Wharf Theatre, Goodman Theatre and the Next Wave Festival at BAM. Additional local credits include Buried Child and Glengarry Glen Ross at A.C.T. Other directing credits include Wintertime, Nebraska, Life During Wartime, The Importance of Being Earnest and Nora for La Jolla Playhouse; Ghost on Fire and Spinning Into Butter for The Goodman; The Designated Mourner and The Memory of Water for Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Life During Wartime at Manhattan Theatre Club; Fen, Ice Cream with Hot Fudge, Rum and Coke and Romeo and Juliet for the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater. He has also directed at theatres across the UK. Waters is head of the M.F.A. Directing Program at UC San Diego, where he has lived since 1995. Berkeley Repertory Theatre recently received a three-year, $800,000.00 grant under the Leading National Theater Program (LNTP), a collaboration of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew F. Mellon Foundation. This grant will help fund Berkeley Rep’s artistic initiatives, including building its artistic endowment for play development to support commissions, staffing, workshops and production of new work. BACK TO TOP