About Mel Shapiro
Lived 1937 – 2024 (aged 87). Mel Shapiro was an American writer, theatre director and television director.
Melvin Irwin Shapiro (December 16, 1935 – December 23, 2024) was an American theatre director, writer and academic.
Life and career Shapiro was born in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1935.
Directing credits
Among the actors worked with are: Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., Raul Julia, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Walken, Stockard Channing, Jeff Goldblum, Linda Lavin, Joel Grey, Len Cariou, George Hearn, Billie Porter, Blair Underwood, James Woods, Patricia Routledge, Charles Ludlam, Allison Janney, Cloris Leachman, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller and Rob Marshall Among other writers worked with: Isaac Bashevis Singer, Enemies, a Love Story; Dario Fo, Accidental Death of an Anarchist; Derek Walcott, The Charlatan
Awards and nominations 1972 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (Two Gentlemen, winner) 1972 Tony Award for Best Musical, (Two Gentlemen, winner) 1972 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Two Gentlemen, nominee) 1972 Obie Award for Directing, (Two Gentlemen, winner) 1972 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (Two Gentlemen, winner) 1972 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (Older People, winner) 1972 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (Two Gentlemen, winner) 1994 Drama-logue award, playwriting, The Price of Admission 1999 Drama-logue award, direction, The Misanthrope 1998 Joseph Kesselring award, playwriting, The Lay of the Land
Books An Actor Performs, 2017 A Director's Companion, 2018
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Important facts
People in Mel Shapiro's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Mel Shapiro's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mel Shapiro?
American theatre director (1935–2024)
When was Mel Shapiro born?
Mel Shapiro was born on 16 December 1937 in Brooklyn.
When did Mel Shapiro die?
Mel Shapiro died on 23 December 2024 in Los Angeles.
What was Mel Shapiro's occupation?
Mel Shapiro was a writer, theatre director and television director.
What nationality was Mel Shapiro?
Mel Shapiro was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mel Shapiro. https://biography.guide/mel-shapiro/
MLA: "Mel Shapiro." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mel-shapiro/.
Chicago: "Mel Shapiro." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mel-shapiro/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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