Rachel Chavkin

Rachel Chavkin is a Tony Award-winning director, writer, and artistic director known for her innovative and boundary-pushing work in theater. She is the founding artistic director of the Brooklyn-based experimental theater collective, the TEAM, which has earned international acclaim for its unique, collaborative approach to creating new works about the experience of modern America. The TEAM’s productions have been showcased across New York, the U.S., and internationally, including prestigious festivals in Europe, Australia, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Chavkin’s career has been marked by her distinctive blend of avant-garde experimentation and traditional Broadway aesthetics, establishing her as one of the most innovative directors on the contemporary theater scene. She is best known for her Tony Award-winning work on Hadestown, a folk-inspired reimagining of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The production, which debuted in 2019, was met with widespread critical acclaim, with The New York Times calling it "sumptuous" and "hypnotic." Hadestown received 14 Tony nominations and won eight, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Director of a Musical for Chavkin.

Before Hadestown, Chavkin directed Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, a musical based on a segment of Tolstoy's War and Peace. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning two, and earned Chavkin several accolades, including an Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, and a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical at the Tony Awards.

In addition to her Broadway successes, Chavkin has been a key figure in the off-Broadway theater scene, where she has received three Obie Awards and nominations for both Tony and Lortel Awards. Her work spans a diverse range of genres and styles, including The Royale by Marco Ramirez, Preludes by Dave Malloy, Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl, and Lempicka by Carson Kreitzer and Matt Gould, with productions at renowned theaters like the Public Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, and the Old Vic in London.

A passionate advocate for diversity in theater, Chavkin has spoken extensively about the importance of incorporating diverse voices and perspectives to foster creativity and innovation. Her speaking engagements reflect her commitment to shaping a more inclusive future for the arts.

Chavkin's other notable projects include How to Defend Yourself, which she is co-directing with playwright Liliana Padilla, and The Thanksgiving Play on Broadway. She also directed her first short film, Remind Me, which was selected for the Venice and Beverly Hills Film Festivals.

A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and Columbia University, Chavkin serves on the directing faculty at Playwrights Horizons Theater School at NYU. She has received numerous honors throughout her career, including the 2017 Smithsonian Award for Ingenuity, and is a proud member of the SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society) and a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop.

Currently, Chavkin is working with composer Dave Malloy on an adaptation of Moby Dick, continuing her legacy as one of the most distinctive and visionary directors of her generation.