Charlotte Moore (theater director)

Charlotte Moore
Born (1939-07-07) July 7, 1939
Herrin, Illinois, United States
Education

Charlotte Moore (born July 7, 1939) is an American actress and theater director, known for her work as the co-founder and artistic director of the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City.[1] [2] [3]

Early life and education

Moore was born in Herrin, Illinois, to a family with Irish heritage; her grandparents emigrated from County Wexford in the 1840s.[1] She earned her undergraduate degree at Smith College and later obtained a master's degree in comparative literature from Washington University in St. Louis, where she began pursuing acting.[1]

Career

Acting

Moore began her theatre career on Broadway, with notable performances including a role in Private Lives alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton,[4] and roles inMeet Me in St. Louis, and Morning's at Seven.[5] She also worked with directors including Harold Prince and Ellis Rabb.[6]

Irish Repertory Theatre

In 1988, Moore co-founded the Irish Repertory Theatre with Ciarán O'Reilly. The company's inaugural production was Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars.[3] Moore has directed several productions at the Irish Repertory Theatre, including Finian's Rainbow, The Streets of New York, and A Child's Christmas in Wales.[7]

Awards and recognition

Moore has been nominated for a Tony Award and has received an Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award.[8]

In 2011, Moore received the Eugene O'Neill Lifetime Achievement Award alongside Ciaran O'Reilly from the Irish American Writers & Artists organization.[9] In 2019, Moore and O'Reilly were presented with the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad by President Michael D. Higgins.[2] Moore has also been inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame and was recognized among Irish America's Top 50 Power Women.[10]

Personal life

Moore lives in New York City. Her partner, actor John McMartin, died of cancer in 2016, aged 86.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Backstage profile of Charlotte Moore". Backstage. November 5, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O'Reilly". Ireland. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "How Irish Rep Became One of Off-Broadway's Most Successful Companies". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  4. ^ "Burton and Taylor: 'Private Lives' review from The Times archives". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "Charlotte Moore (Director) – Playbill Vault". Playbill Vaul. Playbill Inc. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "Meet The Makers: Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O'Reilly". Irish Repertory Theatre. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  7. ^ "Production History". Irish Repertory Theatre. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "Q&A With Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O'Reilly". Culture Vulture. November 16, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  9. ^ "Moore & O'Reilly to Receive Eugene O'Neill Lifetime Achievement Award". Irish American Writers & Artists. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  10. ^ "Hall of Fame 2019 - Charlotte Moore". Irish America. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  11. ^ Harold Prince (July 11, 2016). "Chien Domestique, Elephant Sauvage: Remembering the Cagey, Epic John McMartin". American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group. Retrieved August 18, 2025.