From the Winner's Circle: COMPANY Director Marianne Elliott Talks Making Tony History!

COMPANY director, Marianne Elliott, has made history as the first female to win three Tony Awards for directing!

Elliott earned two previous wins for her productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse.

In her trip to the winner's room, Elliott revealed her feelings at having been the first woman to acheive this feat.

She said, "It's sort of overwhelming, really, to be honest. I really never imagined that I would ever do a show on Broadway. I came to New York when I was twenty, and I was having quite a bad time. I flew to New York on the day that I should have graduated. I was on my own, I had a backpack, and I had one night at the Y, and that was it. I had the most amazing summer here, it changed my life. So to be here, doing a show on Broadway and a show about New York is in itself, totally...I can't believe it! [laughs]"

She continued, "I've always struggled with insecurities and vulnerabilities , and I never imagined I could be a director, because I thought all directors were men. Which they were when I first started out. So I suppose it just shows that you just have to keep going, keep plowing on and evenually you'll get a job!"

Marianne Elliott is Artistic Director of Elliott & Harper Productions, theatre Company co-founded in 2016 with producer Chris Harper. Marianne was an Associate Director at The National Theatre for 10 years where, most recently, she directed Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Her work for The National Theatre also includes the multi-award winning War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. War Horse, co-directed with Tom Morris, transferred to the West End and Broadway, and has toured the UK and Ireland, two tours of North America, plus runs in Canada, Toronto, Berlin and China. War Horse's awards include the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. Marianne's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time transferred from the NT to the West End and Broadway, as well as tours of the UK, Ireland and North America; winning Marianne an Olivier and Tony Award for Best Director and the South Bank Show Arts Award. Curious Incident... is currently on an international tour which includes Toronto, Melbourne, Singapore and Hong Kong. At The National Theatre, Marianne also directed Husbands & Sons (a co-production with the Royal Exchange Theatre), Rules for Living, The Light Princess Port, Season's Greetings, Women Beware Women, All's Well That Ends Well, Mrs. Affleck, Harper Regan, Saint Joan (Olivier Award for Best Revival, South Bank Show Award), Therese Raquin, and Pillars of the Community (Evening Standard Best Director Award) for the NT. She was an Associate Director at the Royal Court, where her productions included Stoning Mary, Notes on Falling Leaves, The Sugar Syndrome and Local. She was previously an Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre where she directed Port, Design for Living, Les Blancs, As You Like It, A Woman of No Importance, Nude with Violin, Fast Food, Martin Yesterday, Deep Blue Sea, Mad for It, Poor Superman and I Have Been Here Before. Other theatre includes Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic; Much Ado About Nothing for the RSC and The Little Foxes at the Donmar.