Tony Simotes
tsimotes@shakespeare.org
Lecturer: Performance
B.A., at University of Illinois Chicago
M.F.A., New York University
Fight certification, Society of British Fight Directors

Tony Simotes, a founding member of Shakespeare & Co., is a Master Teacher of Fight and Movement and has been one of Shakespeare & Company's Artistic Associates since 1995. S&Co Director: Othello, Hound of the Baskervilles, The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, and Two Gentlemen of Verona. He's been an Associate Director and Fight Director on many of Tina Packer's shows over the years and together they have created some of the Company's most inspired productions.

His work as a fight choreographer and director has been featured from coast to coast from the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles to the New York Shakespeare Festival's Public Theater. Recent directing credits include: Director of War of the Worlds which was broadcast live on Wisconsin Public Radio for the 75th anniversary of the Orson Wells presentation that panicked a nation; The Nerd for Madison Repertory Theatre and Fight Direction for Macbeth at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre.

Internationally, his work has been featured at The Stage X Festival in Brisbane Australia, The Canadian Stage Company in Toronto and in Vancouver at Theater 48 New Play Festival, just to name a few. He also created a relationship with Raven Soft Ware of Madison, Wisconsin for the training of actors in Motion Capture Acting and voice overs for Raven's game technology division.

Simotes also works as an actor and is a proud member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. Film roles include: Terminator II, Hot Shots, Alien Nation, The Waterdance, Pacific Heights, Maid to Order, A Class Act, Whose Life is It Anyway, and a starring role in the Academy Award nominated Bronx Cheers. TV credits include "Buddy Rich" for CBS' Sinatra mini-series and fight choreography for ABC News "What would you do?" with John Quinones, and many other prime-time shows.

Simotes spent seven wonderful years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was a full professor and Director of University Theatre. Tony received his BA at University of Illinois Chicago and his MFA from New York University and his fight certification from the Society of British Fight Directors.