John Simpkins
Stage Director
Professor & Head of Musical Theatre – Penn State University
(917) 838-0509
Agent: Jonathan Mills, Paradigm: jmills@paradigmagency.com or (212) 897-6400
New York
The Jonathan Larson Project
Orpheum Theatre
BloodSong of Love (Joe Iconis – book/ music/ lyrics)
Ars Nova (Three Drama Desk Nominations)
The Annual Joe Iconis Christmas Extravaganza
54 Below (all fourteen years)
Things to Ruin: The Songs of Joe Iconis (co-conceiver)
Second Stage, NYMF
Beatsville (Glenn Slater – book, Wendy Leigh Wilf – music/ lyrics)
Provincetown Playhouse
The Bus (James Lantz)
59E59 Theatres
Party Come Here (Daniel Goldfarb- book, David Kirshenbaum- music/ lyrics)
The Players Theatre
Next Thing You Know (Ryan Cunningham – book/ lyrics; Josh Salzman – music)
Ars Nova
ReWrite: a musical comedy triple feature (Joe Iconis- book/ music/ lyrics)
Urban Stages
The Legend of New York (Ryan Cunningham – book/ lyrics; Josh Salzman – music)
Provincetown Playhouse
The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks (Joe Iconis- book/ music/ lyrics)
Theatreworks, USA – Lucille Lortel Theatre
The Black Suits (Joe Iconis- music/ lyrics, Joe Iconis & Robert Maddock- book)
SPF at the Public Theater (Shiva)
Queen Esther (Ryan Cunningham- book, Joshua Salzman- music/lyrics)
Merkin Hall
Go-Go Beach (John Wimbs - book/ lyrics; Mike Shaieb, Brent Lord - music)
New York Musical Theatre Festival - 37 Arts Theatre
Blood Drive (Rachel Sheinkin- book/ lyrics; Joel Derfner- music)
29 (Gaby Alter- music/lyrics; Tommy Newman- book/ additional lyrics)
Like You Like It: The 1980’s Musical (Sammy Buck- book/ lyrics; Dan Acquisto- music)
International
Legendale - World Premiere (Andrea Daly – music; Jeff Bienstock – words)
Fredericia Teater, Denmark
Regional
Two River Theater – Red Bank, NJ
Love in Hate Nation (World Premiere) – Joe Iconis – book/music/ lyrics
National Archives – Washington, D.C.
Tyrants – by Alexander Sage Oyen, Nora Brigid Monahan
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Center Theatre Group (Kirk Douglas Theatre) – Los Angeles, CA
The Black Suits - World Premiere (starring Annie Golden, Will Roland, Veronica Dunne)
Theaterworks Hartford – Hartford, CT
Raging Skillet – World Premiere (starring Marilyn Sokol, George Salazar)
Weston Playhouse – Weston, VT
Jersey Boys
A Very Vermonty Christmas
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North Carolina Theatre – Raleigh, NC
Hairspray (starring Dale Hensley, Dirk Lumbard)
Human Race Theatre Company – Dayton, OH
Legendale - American Premiere (starring Max Crumm)
Goodspeed Opera House – East Haddam, CT
ReWrite (Festival of New Artists)
Adam Lives (Festival of New Artists)
Barrington Stage Company – Pittsfield, MA
Hellraisers
The Black Suits (starring Ben Platt)
John W. Engeman Theatre – Northport, NY
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Damn Yankees (starring André De Shields, Felicia Finley, Austin Miller)
A Wonderful Life (starring Will Reynolds)
Sacramento Music Circus – Sacramento, CA
Cabaret (starring Jacquelyn Piro, Max Von Essen, Teri Ralston)
Annie (starring Mark Zimmerman, Adinah Alexander, Jim Walton)
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma – Oklahoma City, OK
Evita (starring Kate Chapman, Eric Michael Gillett, Dan Cooney)
Berkshire Theatre Festival
Next Thing You Know (Ryan Cunningham – book/ lyrics; Josh Salzman – music)
Sharon Playhouse (Artistic Director) – Sharon, CT
Quartet – starring Elizabeth Franz
Merrily We Roll Along – starring Jason Tam, A.J. Shively
Big River
Judge Jackie: Disorder in the Court – starring Klea Blackhurst
Nine Wives
True Love
Georgie – written by and starring Ed Dixon
Falsettos
Les Miserables
They’re Playing Our Song – starring Lauren Marcus, Eric William Morris
Damn Yankees
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The Wedding Singer
Rent
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Altar Boyz
New York Workshops/ Readings
OHenry Productions: For Better, For Worse (Reed Arnold)
Ars Nova: When the World Ends (Nick Blaemire)
NAMT (National Alliance for Musical Theatre – New World Stages):
Ripper (Duane Nelsen)
Bloodsong Of Love (Joe Iconis)
Legendale (Andrea Daly, Jeff Bienstock)
Sage Theatre: Half Married (a new play by Ryan Cunningham and Charles Antin)
Barrington Stage Company: Bad Kid School (John Gregor- book/ music/ lyrics)
York Theatre: Plastic! (Robert Maddock- book/ lyrics; Joe Iconis, Reza Jacobs - music)
You Don’t Know Jack (Jay Falzone- book/ lyrics; Jason Loffredo – music)
New Triad for Collaborative Arts/ Lincoln Center: Lyrical Langston: His Muse for Music
Loewe Theatre: Beasts and Saints (Mindi Dickstein- book/ lyrics; Dan Messe- music)
Penn State University
Be More Chill (Joe Iconis/ Joe Tracz)
Love in Hate Nation (Joe Iconis)
The Last Day (Mike Reid/ Sarah Schlesinger)
The Lucky Boy (Kirsten Childs)
A Chorus Line
Nostalgia Night (Matthew McCollum/ Sofya Levitsky-Weitz)
Family Album (Joe Iconis)
New York University
The Fix, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Floyd Collins, Sweet Smell of Success, Violet, City of Angels, Urinetown, Merrily We Roll Along, Parade, A New Brain, Godspell, Fiorello!
Concerts
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
Alan Menken: A Musical Tribute (featuring Alan Menken)
New World Stages: NAMT Songwriters Showcase
Teaching/ Education
New York University- M.A.
Miami University (Ohio)- B.M.