Danya Taymor is an American theatre director. She became the youngest woman to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for The Outsiders. Taymor received a second nomination the following year in the Best Direction of a Play category for John Proctor Is the Villain.
Early life Taymor grew up in Palo Alto, California. Her mother works as a psychiatrist and her father is a pediatrician. Her aunt is Julie Taymor, who became the first woman to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, for The Lion King. She first began acting in the theater at the age of 6.
Taymor attended Palo Alto High School. She also studied at Duke University, graduating in 2010 from the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.
Career After graduating from college, Taymor relocated to New York and worked as an assistant for her aunt, who was then directing Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark. She also worked with other directors and studied in programs at The Flea Theater and Lincoln Center Theater. Taymor was assistant director on the 2015 Broadway production of Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Thérèse Raquin at Studio 54. She later had her solo directorial debut on Broadway with Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over, which premiered in 2021 at the August Wilson Theatre.
Taymor directed the premiere of the musical The Outsiders at La Jolla Playhouse in 2023. The production transferred to Broadway the following year, opening at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on April 11, 2024. For her work, Taymor received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, becoming the youngest woman to do so. In her speech, Taymor recognized the other five female nominees in play and musical direction, which marked a record at the time.
On April 14, 2025, Kimberly Belflower's play John Proctor is the Villain opened at the Booth Theatre directed by Taymor. The production, starring Sadie Sink, was nominated for 7 Tony Awards at the 78th Tony Awards—including Taymor herself for her direction—ultimately winning none. The play also received generally positive reviews from critics. Performances ran until September 7. In January 2026, Taymor was announced as the director of the upcoming film adaptation of the play. She also went on to direct the play's West End production, which opened in March 2026.
In summer 2025, Taymor directed the American premiere of Emmanuelle Mattana's Trophy Boys starring Louisa Jacobson at MCC Theater. The play ran from June to August 2025.
On June 10, 2026, it was announced that Taymor would direct an Off-Broadway revival of the 2006 coming-of-age rock musical Spring Awakening at Studio Seaview. Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall and music supervisor Or Matias are also attached to the project. Around 2,500 people attended the July open-call auditions.
In June 2026, Taymor was also announced as the director of Belflower's new play Born in the Dirt for the Lincoln Center Theater's 2026-2027 season. The production is scheduled for a 10-week run commencing April 14, 2027.
Personal life She is married to actor Gabriel Ebert. Ebert featured in Taymor's production of John Proctor is the Villain, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Theatre credits YearTitleRoleVenueRef.2012I Hate Fucking MexicansDirectorOff-Broadway, Flea TheatreWrenchOff-Broadway, The Tank @ 46th Street2014My Daughter Keeps Our HammerOff-Broadway, Flea TheatreThe MysteriesAssociate Director2015WyomingDirectorOff-Broadway, Lesser AmericaThérèse RaquinAssistant DirectorBroadway, Studio 542016In QuietnessDirectorOff-Broadway, Dutch Kills Theater CompanyThe Place We BuiltOff-Broadway, Flea TheatreThe Sensuality PartyOff-Broadway, The New GroupAsking for TroubleOff-Broadway, Ensemble Studio Theatre2017Pass OverRegional, Steppenwolf Theatre2018QueensOff-Broadway, Lincoln Center TheatrePass OverFamiliarRegional, Steppenwolf Theatre2019"Daddy"Off-Broadway, The Pershing Square Signature CenterHeroes of the Fourth TurningOff-Broadway, Playwrights Horizons2020Graveyard ShiftRegional, Goodman Theatre2021Pass OverBroadway, August Wilson Theatre2022"Endgame" Samuel BeckettGate Theatre Dublin"Daddy" A MelodramaWest End, Almeida TheatreEvanston Salt Costs ClimbingOff-Broadway, The Pershing Square Signature Center2023The OutsidersRegional, La Jolla Playhouse2024JonahOff-Broadway, Roundabout Theatre CompanyThe OutsidersBroadway, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre2025John Proctor is the VillainBroadway, Booth TheatreTrophy BoysOff-Broadway, MCC Theater2026The OutsidersU.S. National TourJohn Proctor is the Villain West End, Royal Court Theatre Spring Awakening Off-Broadway, Studio Seaview
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2020Lucille Lortel AwardsOutstanding DirectorHeroes of the Fourth Turning2024Tony AwardBest Direction of a MusicalThe OutsidersDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Director of a Musical2025Tony AwardBest Direction of a PlayJohn Proctor is the VillainDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Director of a PlayOuter Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Direction of a PlayDrama League AwardsOutstanding Direction of a Play
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