Curt Columbus became Trinity Repertory Company's artistic director in January 2006. His directing for the company has included his own translation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, as well as productions of A Christmas Carol, Memory House, Blithe Spirit, The Receptionist and The Secret Rapture. The 2007-2008 season saw the premiere of Columbus' play with music, Paris by Night, and Trinity's 2008-09 season will open with his re-imagining of Sophocles' Antigone, entitled The Dreams of Antigone. Columbus was the associate artistic director of Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theater Company from 2000-2005, where the world premieres of his translations of Cherry Orchard and Uncle Vanya were presented. Other Steppenwolf credits include translating Maria Arndt and directing The House of Lily, Division Street: America and Our Town. He was also the artistic director of Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake from 1996-2006 and an artistic associate at Victory Gardens Theater from 1990Ğ2006. His adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (with Marilyn Campbell), which was first presented by Writers' Theatre in Glencoe, Illinois, was awarded a Joseph Jefferson Award for best new adaptation and is published by Dramatic Publishing. Productions of Crime and Punishment have been seen across the country including upcoming presentations in 2009 at Berkeley Rep, Indiana Rep and the Cleveland Playhouse. His new play, The Dreams of Antigone, written with the Trinity Rep resident acting company, will be published by Broadway Play Publishing. Columbus' new translations of Anton Chekhov's plays have been published by Ivan R. Dee, including a volume of translations called Chekhov: The Four Major Plays. From that collection, Seagull premiered at Writers' Theatre in September 2004 and Three Sisters premiered at Strawdog Theatre in October 2005. Columbus was honored with a 2005-2006 Joseph Jefferson Citation for New Adaptation for his translation of Three Sisters. He lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with his partner, Nathan Watson.
