'I Wrote That' With Jack O'Brien at Palace Theater

WATERBURY - It was certainly an enjoyable afternoon when the Palace Theater finally welcomed Tony Award-winning director Jack O'Brien to the Poli Club stage to share a lifetime of theatrical tales from his latest book, "Jack in the Box.”

In this intimate conversation, he shared memories of people, productions, and problems surmounted during his 50-year career that he chronicled in his latest book.

Jack O’Brien was born in 1939 and is an American director, writer, and lyricist, who served as the artistic director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego from 1982 to 2007. He has won three Tony Awards and been nominated for eight more including the hilarious 2023 production, "Shucked," and he has won five Drama Desk Awards.

In O'Brien's follow-up to his memoir, “Jack Be Nimble,” the director collects stories from the many productions he has worked on. He spoke of the great talents he encountered and collaborated with, including Tom Stoppard, Mike Nichols, Jerry Lewis, Marsha Mason, and many others. He dished on the choices that he made, on the stage and off, that have come to define his career.

"With humor, warmth, and contagious excitement, O'Brien takes his readers by the shoulder, pulls them in, and tells them how to become a director — or, at the very least, relates an unfailingly honest story of how he did."

Frank Rizzo, entertainment writer & theatre critic for Variety, among other publications, led the conversation with O’Brien, and was a wonderful interlocutor.

All attendees will be entered into a drawing to win two free tickets to see “Shucked” on Broadway and my companion and I were only one and two seats away from being the winner.

Sheree Marcucci (pictured above with Jack O' Brien,) Director of Special Projects & Curated Events at the Palace Theater, organized this edition of “I Wrote That.” Along with some great photos of the event, Marcucci posted: “What a treasure & raconteur, Jack O'Brien, Tony award winning director is! And he's kind to his actors!!”

Thank you to the Palace Theater for allowing me to attend the rescheduled event.