Biography
CHARLES NEWELL served as Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director of Court Theatre for 30 years. In 2024, Charlie received the Joseph Jefferson Special Award, honoring his enduring impact on Chicago theatre. In 2022, he and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre accepted the Regional Theatre Tony Award on behalf of Court Theatre. Additional credits include Alan Schneider Director Award, Zelda Fichandler Award, League of Chicago Artistic Leadership Award, Graham School Excellence in Teaching Award, Phi Betta Kappa Distinguished Service Award, and eight Jeff Awards as Director. Having directed 60+ productions at Court, recent productions include Berlin (2025 Jeff Awards for Production, New Work, Ensemble, and Director), An Iliad (Jeff Award, Director), and The Gospel at Colonus, co-directed with Mark J.P. Hood. Charlie also directed at Goodman, Guthrie, Arena, Lyric Opera, and more. He is co-founder of the Civic Actor Studio and regularly teaches leadership at University of Chicago Booth School of Business.