Andrew Tsao
| Andrew Huei Tsao | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Television, Film and Theatre producer and director |
| Years active | 1992-present |
Andrew Tsao is an American theatre, film and television producer and director.
After receiving his Master of Fine Arts in directing from California Institute of the Arts in 1990, Andrew went on to work in regional theatres and off-Broadway. He became resident director of the Indiana Repertory Theatre from 1992-1995, where he directed numerous productions, served as the theatre’s literary manager, and taught acting in the summer training program. He was then invited to become the first artistic director of the New Harmony Project, a renowned writer’s lab in New Harmony, Indiana. There he oversaw development of new work, which ranged from plays and musicals, to screenplays and TV pilots.
In 1995, Andrew moved to Los Angeles to begin his career in television. He became a series director on ABC’s HOME IMPROVEMENT, starring Tim Allen, produced and directed NBC’S WORKING starring Fred Savage, SOUL MAN starring Dan Aykroyd, among others, and numerous other prime time comedies, including episodes of FRIENDS, CAROLINE IN THE CITY, SUDDENLY SUSAN, JESSE, THE SINGLE GUY, IN THE HOUSE, THE JEFF FOXWORTHY SHOW, DAG, MADIGAN MEN, SABRINA, THE TICK, GEORGE LOPEZ, PHIL OF THE FUTURE, WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE.
In Los Angeles, Andrew was invited to direct two productions for Shakespeare Festival L.A. (THE TEMPEST, and JULIUS CAESAR) a world premiere opera for L.A. Opera (ON GOLD MOUNTAIN), and a short feature starring Eric Idle entitled BRIGHTNESS, which was awarded the Gold Special Jury Prize for 2001 at the WorldFest in Houston. Selected directing projects include the world premiere of Theodore Drieser’s SISTER CARRIE for Indiana Rep, and THE TEMPEST at East West Players in Los Angeles, THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Nilo Cruz’s adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS for Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. Internationally, he has produced and directed noted theatre works at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and continues to create new devised work with artists from Tadeusz Kantor's CRICOT 2 company and other noted European artists.
In addition to his directing career, Andrew is an associate professor of dramatic arts at the University of Washington School of Drama where he heads the undergraduate drama program, teaches acting and directing, leads summer drama programs at the Edinburgh Festival and is the artistic director of The Drama Collective, a European theatre studies creative lab in Europe.
He was awarded the Center for Leadership Development’s Arts Award by the City of Indianapolis, has served as a grants panelist and on-site reviewer for the NEA, and volunteers as a media advisor for public advocacy groups, Asian voter registration initiatives and local political campaigns.
In 2000 Andrew Tsao won the Special Jury Award from the Worldfest Film Festival in Houston for his film BRIGHTNESS.[1]
He also appeared as himself in the 2009 documentary film My Big Break. In 2012 He was awarded the Donald E. Peterson Endowed Fellowship for creative work at the University of Washington.