Quick Facts
Biography
Johan Simons (born 1 September 1946) is a Dutch theatre director.
Simons received his education at the Rotterdam Dance Academy and the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also taught directing in Maastricht for a number of years.
From about the year 2000 onward, Simons has received international recognition for his directing. He has been regularly invited as a guest director for some of the leading German-language theatre companies, including the Schauspielhaus Zürich, the Schauspielhaus Stuttgart, the Ruhrtriennale, and the Münchner Kammerspiele. In addition to directing plays, he has also directed several operas, including Verdi's Simon Boccanegra at the Opéra Bastille in 2006 and Mozart's Il Seraglio at the De Nederlandse Opera in 2008.
Simons was artistic director of the Münchner Kammerspiele since 2010. He is the director of the Ruhrtriennale from 2015 to 2017. Simon raised concerns by directing a play in Austria called "Die Neger" ("The Niggers") using blackface against protests and accusations of racism in 2015