About Leah...
Leah C. Gardiner is an Obie Award-winning director known for the “incisive clarity” (The New York Times) of her work with physicality and text. She is currently developing two television series, including one with BAFTA-winning British writer Roy Williams, OBE.
Stage work includes the U.S. premiere of debbie tucker green’s born bad (Soho Rep - Obie Award, direction), the critically acclaimed off-Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls… (The Public Theater - Lortel Award; Outer Critics honoree; five Antonyo Award wins; Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award noms; Times Critics Pick), If Pretty Hurts… by Tori Sampson (Playwrights Horizons - NY Times Critics Pick), the national tour of Wit starring Judith Light; and Romeo & Juliet (The Acting Company - NYC run + national tour). She has directed two Pulitzer Prize finalists, and countless other new plays by writers including Tanya Barfield, Dan Deitz, Anna Deveare Smith, Penelope Skinner, Roy Williams and Eduardo Machado. Other credits include Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Houston Shakespeare Festival; Manhattan Theatre Club; Atlantic Theater Company; Soho Rep; NYSAF; Arena Stage; ACT; Berkeley Rep; Alliance; Baltimore Center Stage; Studio Theatre; CATF; Barrington Stage; and Philadelphia Theatre Company.
As writer/director: Cultures Collide, a play with music created exclusively for the U.S. Congress, produced by Sony Entertainment. As short film director: The Belle of New Orleans (Alliance Theatre) and WHY (Arena Stage/Flash Acts Festival). As a film producer: Mother of George starring Danai Gurira (Best Cinematography, Sundance). As an actor: playing herself in Ira Sachs’ Little Men opposite Greg Kinnear.
Leah holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.F.A. in directing from the Geffen School of Drama at Yale.