Rinde Eckert is a writer, composer, librettist, musician, performer and director who “moves beyond the boundaries of what a ‘play,’ a ‘dance piece,’ an ‘opera’ or ‘musical’ might be, in the service of grappling with complex issues.” His Opera / New Music Theatre productions have toured throughout America and to major theater festivals in Europe and Asia. Eckert’s work has also been produced in New York City by The Foundry Theatre, Culture Project, Theater for a New Audience and the New York Theatre Workshop. Outside of New York, American Repertory Theatre, Center Stage in Baltimore, Dobama Theatre Company, REDCAT at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater in Los Angeles, and Berkeley Repertory Theater have produced his work, which has been directed by Robert Woodruff, David Schweizer, Richard ET White, Tony Taccone and Ellen McLaughlin. Eckert has directed his own and others’ plays and operas for The Asia Society, Juggernaut Theater, Opera Piccola and the Paul Dresher Ensemble. In April 2012 The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation named Rinde Eckert as one of 21 inaugural Doris Duke Artists. Rinde was the 2009 recipient of The Alpert Award in the Arts for his contributions to Theatre and was the finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
