Brian Swibel

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Brian Swibel
Born
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Education
  • The Goodman School of Drama (BFA)
  • Saratoga International Theater Institute
Awards
  • Tony Award for Best Musical
  • Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event
  • Outer Critics Circle Award
  • Kodak Emerging Filmmaker

Brian Swibel, often credited as B. Swibel, is an American writer, producer, director and activist.[1][2][3][4] Straddling the independent, avant-garde and commercial worlds of theater, film, and television, he has garnered five Tony Award nominations, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Kodak Emerging Filmmaker honor at the Cannes Film Festival.[5][6][7]

His written work includes the award-winning short films, Fault, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received worldwide distribution from Shorts International, the world's leading short movie entertainment company, Sunset Town, which premiered at Lake Placid Film Festival and screened around the world, as well as the dramatic television series Big Dead Place, which he created for James Gandolfini and HBO based on the acclaimed memoir of the same name, and Forbidden Fruit, which he created for Stevie Wonder and NBC, based on the celebrated non-fiction book by Pulitzer Finalist, Betty DeRamus.[8][9]

Swibel's Broadway theatrical productions include Moulin Rouge! The Musical, An American in Paris, Oh, Hello on Broadway, You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush, Beetlejuice, The New One, King Kong, The Performers, The Seagull, Amelie, and Xanadu.[10]

His Off-Broadway productions include My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, a New York Times and Time Out NY Critics Pick, and Family Secrets, directed by Bob Balaban.  His Regional, National Tour and worldwide productions are numerous and include Xanadu, The New One, Dangerous Beauty, Amelie, An American in Paris, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.[11]

For TV, Swibel's productions of Oh, Hello on Broadway premiered on Netflix, You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush, on HBO, An American in Paris, on PBS, and The New One, on Netflix.  He most recently produced the Woody Harrelson-narrated Netflix documentary, Kiss The Ground, which premiered in 2020.

Swibel has created, directed, and produced multiple hit web series, including Cubby Bernstein, written by Douglas Carter Beane and starring Cynthia Nixon, Nathan Lane and Patti Lupone, and The Trumpty Dumpty Cycle, written by John Lithgow and starring Meryl Streep, Samuel L. Jackson and Joseph Gordon Levitt, among many others.[12][13]

Background[]

Swibel grew up outside Chicago, studying at The Piven Theater Workshop, before moving to a remote mountaintop in Running Springs, California at 15.  While in California, he wrote his first play, Children of the Moon, based on Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts. He returned to Chicago where he apprenticed under Robert Falls and the artistic department at The Goodman Theater.  He went on to graduate from The Goodman School of Drama.  While attending The Goodman, Swibel was approached by actress Maggie Fine to direct Sam Shepard's Cowboy Mouth.  The production, starring Fine and actor Steve Haggard, led Swibel to establish the production company that would one day become the award-winning Triptyk Studios.[14]

Swibel spent years cutting his teeth in the Chicago theater world, collaborating with a tight group of theater artists, including Fine, Haggard, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Dexter Bullard, Ric Murphy, and Anne Bogart, who became a mentor and major influence on his artistic process.  During this period he wrote original plays at Bogart's Saratoga International Theater Institute, assistant directed Lisa Portes’ production of Polaroid Stories starring McCraney, and Henry Godinez’ production of Julius Caesar, both at The Merle Reskin Theater, and produced and directed numerous productions for his own company, including Daniel McIvor's House, starring Bradley Grant Smith.

Screenwriting[]

Upon graduating from The Goodman, Swibel wrote and produced his first short film, Sunset Town, with his brother and early creative partner, Justin David Swibel. The film, shot in Chicago, featured many actors from his company and starred famed Chicago stage actor, Larry Yando. Sunset Town premiered at the Lake Placid Film Festival as a “Spotlight Short” and screened internationally. Canada's trend-setting Anti-Matter Film Festival called the film “a dark and brilliant farce.”[15]

Swibel then wrote his second short film with his brother, Fault, which screened at over 60 festivals internationally, taking several top prizes; ultimately showing in Kodak's Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Festival De Cannes. Fault was distributed by Shorts International, home to the short film catalogs of Alfred Hitchcock and Peter Greenaway, among others, and is available via Shorts HD and iTunes in 23 territories.[16]

In 2008, Swibel created his first dramatic television series, Big Dead Place, based on the Antarctic-set memoir by Nicholas Johnson. TV icon and Emmy-winner James Gandolfini signed on to star in the series as his follow-up to The Sopranos, and the series was sold to HBO.  Emmy-winner Tim Van Patten signed on to direct.  After Gandolfini passed away, the project was put into turnaround, then re-sold to independent studio, Entertainment One.[17]

Swibel created the anthology series, Forbidden Fruit, referred to at times as Freedom Run, with collaborator, executive producer, and composer, Stevie Wonder, for NBC.  Based on the celebrated non-fiction book by Betty DeRamus, the series tells untold true stories of love and revolution throughout the Civil Rights Movement.[18]

Theater[]

While Swibel continued to focus on screenwriting during the 00's, his writing, directing, and producing work in the theater, and by extension his production company, began to gain notoriety.  In 2006, Swibel directed a successful Los Angeles production of Good Thing, by playwright Jessica Goldberg.  Variety called Good Thing “great theater,” while the Encino Sun praised Swibel's “inspired direction.” [19] That same year, Swibel co-wrote a stage version of the acclaimed novel, To Die For, with novelist Joyce Maynard.  The work was featured in Hartford Stage's BRAND: NEW Play Festival, directed by Swibel's early collaborator Dexter Bullard, and starring Mamie Gummer and Michael Stahl-David.  Following To Die For, Swibel produced his first play in New York.[20]

Off-Broadway[]

In 2006, Swibel produced his first Off-Broadway play, Family Secrets, directed by Bob Balaban, at 37 Arts. It wouldn't be until 2014 that Swibel returned to Off-Broadway to produce, My Daughter Keeps Her Hammer, by Brian Watkins, directed by Danya Taymor, at The Flea Theater.[21][22]

Broadway & Worldwide Productions[]

In 2007, at 26, Swibel produced his first Broadway show, Xanadu, a musical satire by Douglas Carter Beane, featuring a score by Electric Light Orchestra.  At first thought to be an industry joke, the production became a critical and audience hit.  The New Yorker called Xanadu, “Brilliant.”  The New York Times hailed it as, “Ingenious…criminally funny.” The show went on to earn four Tony-nominations, including Best Musical and Best Actress for star Kerry Butler, as well as the Outer Circle Critics Award for Best Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Best Book for Beane's script. Whoopi Goldberg joined the cast in 2008.  The Broadway production of Xanadu spawned productions worldwide that continue to this day.[23][24][25]

In a 2007 New York Times interview, Swibel discussed his team’s unique method for turning Xanadu from a much-doubted venture into a critic’s darling:

“If you look at every show in town, you’re seeing the product of someone from the establishment. Our show feels indie, because this is an entirely fresh team on the producing side."[26]

Swibel’s methods included hiring then little-known, now renowned graffiti artists Retna and Mac to create the cast album’s cover art, a painting of the show’s star, Kerry Butler, as well as making Xanadu the first show to market itself with review from online influencers such as Perez Hilton. The New York Times article’s author, Cara Joy David, recounted a story from Xanadu’s rehearsal period, illustrating the unwavering commitment that Swibel is known to bring to his work:

Swibel was at John’s Pizzeria near Times Square when he overheard a waitress questioning the idea of “Xanadu.” He asked the waitress to “spread the love at least until” she saw it, to which she replied, “Well, if you give me tickets. ...” So he got two tickets and brought them to her. “I’ll give her a 99 percent chance she is going to have a good time,” Mr. Swibel said. “That’s our approach to marketing: We’re going to love you until you realize you love us back.” [26]

In 2008, Swibel's company co-produced the Broadway production of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, starring Kristen Scott Thomas, Carey Mulligan, and Peter Sarsgaard.  Triptyk's co-founder and Executive Director, Tara Smith, ran point for the company.

Swibel next brought Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s You’re Welcome, America: A Final Night with George W. Bush to Broadway.  Directed by McKay and starring Will Ferrell, the production opened on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration and became a smash hit.  The production earned Swibel his second Tony Nomination and was filmed for broadcast on HBO.

Swibel's company co-produced the Broadway production of The Performers, starring Alicia Silverstone, Henry Winkler, and Ari Graynor.  Triptyk's co-founder and Executive Director, Tara Smith, ran point for the company.  The production's run was cut short by superstorm Hurricane Sandy.[27]

In 2014, Swibel mounted the Broadway musical, An American in Paris, under his company's new banner, Triptyk Studios, the newly renamed production company formed with longtime producing partner, Tara Smith, and Adam Westbrook.  Based on the classic film with Music and Lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, an original book by Craig Lucas and direction by Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris tried out at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, before opening on Broadway in 2015. The production earned 12 Tony-nominations, including Best Musical and a third nomination for Swibel, and won four.  The American in Paris US Tour launched in 2016, followed by the West End production in 2017.[28][29]

In 2015, Swibel's Triptyk Studios launched the pre-Broadway run of Amelie, A New Musical, at Berkeley Repertory Theater, with a book by Craig Lucas, Music by Daniel Messe, Lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messe, and direction by Pam McKinnon. The Berkeley Rep production starred Samantha Barks and received critical acclaim, moving to Los Angeles in 2016, and Broadway in 2017.  A UK tour followed in 2019 and a West End production is planned for 2021.[30] In 2017, Swibel's Triptyk Studios was back with Oh, Hello on Broadway, written by and starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, with direction by Swibel's friend and frequent collaborator, Alex Timbers. The sold-out run was a smash with critics and audiences and was subsequently filmed for Netflix, where it began streaming on June 13, 2017.[31]

In 2018, Swibel's Triptyk Studios opened King Kong on Broadway with music by Marius de Vries, lyrics by Eddie Perfect, and book by Jack Thorne.  Entertainment Weekly's review said, “You’ve never seen anything like it on stage. Ever.”  The New York Post said it was, “Incredibly Entertaining and astoundingly creative.” Newsday called it, “A heart-stopping spectacle.” The show earned a Special Tony Award.[32]

The same year, Swibel's Triptyk Studios opened the Broadway production of The New One, written by and starring Mike Birbiglia.  After a successful run, a filmed version of the production launched globally on Netflix on November 26, 2019.[33]

In 2019, Swibel's Triptyk Studio's opened the Broadway production of the new musical, Beetlejuice, based on the classic film, with Music and Lyrics by Eddie Perfect, Book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, and direction by Alex Timbers.  The show became a sensation through Tik-Tok and enjoyed a rabidly dedicated audience, garnering Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards for its Set Design, and eight Tony nominations, including Best Musical, earning Swibel his fourth nomination.[34][35][36]

That same year, Swibel's Triptyk Studio's produced the Broadway smash hit, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on Baz Luhrmann's iconic films, with a book by John Logan, Direction by Alex Timbers, Choreography by Sonya Tayeh, and Musical Direction by Justin Levine, who Swibel and Smith first introduced to Timbers back in 2010 for their staged reading of Levine's musical Bonfire Night at New York Stage and Film.  From its opening, Moulin Rouge! The Musical consistently performed as the second most popular show on Broadway behind Hamilton and was subsequently nominated for 14 Tony Awards, earning Swibel his fifth nomination.  The Broadway production was shut down due to the COVID-19 epidemic but plans to reopen.The Melbourne, Australia production opens in 2021. US National Tour, West End, and Tokyo productions are also in the works.[37][38][39]

Webseries[]

Swibel has experimented with multiple web series over the years, garnering over a million hits for each series. He co-directed and produced the 8-episode, hit comedy series, Cubby Bernstein, starring Cynthia Nixon, Nathan Lane, and Patti Lupone, about a supernatural Tony Awards campaign adviser trapped in the body of a 10-year-old boy from Long Island.  The series was written about extensively and featured in Salon and The New York Times, among others.[40][41]

Most recently he created the hit web series, The Trumpty Dumpty Cycle, produced by John Lithgow and Tim Van Patten, and based on Lithgow's NY Times Bestseller, Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown.  The 21-episode series premiered during the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and starred a multitude of stars, including Meryl Streep, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Annette Bening, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, and more.  The series was featured in Vanity Fair and on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and CNN, among many other outlets.[1][42]

Activism[]

Echoing many themes in his work, Swibel has long been a social and environmental activist, often using his projects and experience in the entertainment and arts world for social justice.  While attending The Goodman School of Drama, Swibel co-produced campus productions of The Vagina Monologues to raise money for Eve Ensler's non-profit V-Day.

During his senior year, after scouting a film location in New Mexico, he created the Zia Pueblo Theater project, bringing members of his theater company and other graduating seniors to the Zia Pueblo to provide theater education for Zia's underserved youth.

In 2009, Swibel co-produced Defying Inequality: The Broadway Concert, to fight against marriage inequality. [43]

In 2018, Swibel joined the Cultural Counsel for the anti-corruption organization, RepresentUs, directing and producing their annual Unrig Live shows starring Jennifer Lawrence and Ed Helms in 2018 and 2019.  [44]

In 2020, he produced the star-studded virtual event, United to Save The Vote, featuring Jennifer Lopez, Dave Matthews, Alicia Keys, Sia, Ed Helms, Jennifer Lawrence, Zooey Deschanel, and more.  The show was written by Conan writer, Matt O’Brien, and featured original works by Drunk History and David Javerbaum.[5]

Swibel is an active board member of Every Last One, one of the leading organizations fighting to free separated migrant children from detention and advocate for immigrant families. His work for the organization has been covered by outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter.[45]

Press[]

Swibel's work as a writer, director, and producer for film, television and theater, as well as his activism, has been chronicled in The New York Times,[46] Variety,[47] Hollywood Reporter,[45] Vanity Fair,[1] and Entertainment Weekly,[48] among others.

Triptyk Studios[]

Swibel formed the first iteration of his production company, World Tribe Players, during his junior year at Chicago's Goodman School of Drama, to focus on experimental theater and independent film.  In 2006, six years later and in advance of the Broadway production of Xanadu, he reformed the company as B. Swibel Presents. That same year, Swibel met Broadway producer, Tara Smith, and partnered with her in the newly formed company: an official affiliation between Smith's Playing Pretend Productions and B. Swibel Presents, sharing production offices, staff, and operations.  

In 2008, Swibel and Smith began working with writer, composer, and producer Adam Westbrook, their third partner in what would become Triptyk Studios, and who gave the company its name.

In 2014, in advance of their production of An American in Paris, Swibel and Smith officially combined B. Swibel Presents and Playing Pretend Productions and, along with Westbrook, were billed as Triptyk Studios for the first time.  

Since that time, Triptyk has continued to develop and produce theater, film, television, web series, and social justice events, most recently, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Kiss the Ground, The Trumpty Dumpty Cycle, and United to Save the Vote, respectively.[49][47]

References[]

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  44. ^ "About RepresentUs - End Corruption. Fix our Broken Elections". RepresentUs. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
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  48. ^ "NBC plans Stevie Wonder-produced miniseries about the Underground Railroad". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  49. ^ "Home". triptyk. Retrieved 2021-04-07.

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