Tony Curiel

Biography

Tony Curiel (September 2, 1954 – March 3, 2013) was an accomplished Chicano theatre director who had a 9-year association with El Teatro Campesino (1983–1992) as Associate Artistic Director. He was Associate Professor UC San Diego Theatre 7 Dance (1989–2005) and directed more than 50 professional productions over the course of his career. During his years with El Teatro Campesino, Tony directed both new and older works by Luis Valdez, including La Virgen del Tepeyac, La Pastorela, and I Don’t Have to Show You No Stinking Badges, and he also served as dramaturg. Later, Tony directed some of the earliest professional productions of plays by Culture Clash and Octavio Solis. A member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, he directed productions at The San Jose Repertory Theatre, The Japan America Theatre, The La Jolla Playhouse, the GeVa Theatre, the Public Theatre, and Opera Pacific, among others. He was a site visitor and panelist for the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tony received his B.A. in Drama from UC San Diego and earned an M.A. in Drama at Stanford University. He was awarded a Princess Grace Theatre Fellowship in 1985. His productions received awards from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle and Outstanding Achievement Awards in 1985 and 1987 from the San Francisco Chronicle.