Andrei Belgrader

Biography

Andrei Belgrader (March 31, 1946 - February 22, 2022) was a Professor of Theatre Practice at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. He was a theatre and television director who had also been a master teacher at the Yale School of Drama, a professor at UC San Diego, and Head of the Directing Department at Juilliard. On television, he directed numerous episodes of Monk as well as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and the sitcom Coach. He directed extensively at major regional theatres such as the American Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory, the Goodman and Seattle Repertory, as well as in New York City.

Projects in New York included Beckett’s Endgame at BAM, with John Turturro and Elaine Stritch, and The Cherry Orchard at CSC, with Dianne Wiest, John Turturro and Michael Urie. Both productions were named among the 10 best productions of the year in major publications such as The New York Times and New York magazine. The Cherry Orchard was awarded the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival in 2012.

Among his former students were Frances McDormand, Angela Bassett, Tony Shalhoub, Liev Shrieber, John Turturro, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Noth, Ricardo Chavira, Michael Urie and Jessica Chastain.