The two prestigious Tony Awards for best theatre direction both went to directors of new plays from the La Jolla Playhouse.
Christopher Ashley, artistic director of the playhouse, and Rebecca Taichman received the awards Sunday night in New York.
Ashley was recognized as best director of a musical for “Come From Away,” which chronicles the true story of a small Newfoundland town that sheltered thousands of airline passengers whose flights had been diverted on Sept. 11, 2001.
Taichman was named best director of a play for “Indecent,” a play about a play, 1906’s “The God of Vengeance.” The new play also received a Tony award for best lighting design.
“This award is truly a shared honor — with our extraordinary writers David Hein and Irene Sankoff, our amazing cast, crew and band, as well as La Jolla Playhouse, my artistic home for the last ten years,” said Ashley. “I am also overjoyed to celebrate Indecent’s Tony success.”
“This extraordinary moment sheds a light on San Diego’s vibrant arts and culture scene. From our immensely talented pool of local artists, to our award-winning arts organizations, to the audiences that support and drive the development of new plays and musicals, there is no city like San Diego to create world-class theatre,” he added.
Both productions debuted at the playhouse in 2015 and subsequently went to Broadway
