Nicholas Polonio is a Filipino-American director of plays and musicals based in New York City. His work features detailed performances of complicated human behavior.
Nicholas has directed and developed new plays with Ars Nova, New York Theatre Workshop, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Bedlam, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Normal Ave, Hangar Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Iowa Playwrights Workshop, American Playwriting Foundation, Asian American Arts Alliance, Sống Collective, Audible Theatre, and the Movement Theatre Company. Past productions include THE SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MALE PRESERVATION SOCIETY, or S.I.M.P.S. (IRT Theater), MARY STUART (The Lee Strasberg Institute), THE POLICE (Hangar Theatre Wedge) and POV: U RUN JOE BIDEN’S TIKTOK (ANTFest). Currently, he serves as Director-in-Residence for Leviathan Lab.
As Associate Director: SLAVE PLAY (Broadway, West End, LA Premieres), PUBLIC OBSCENITIES (Soho Rep), JELLY’S LAST JAM (New York City Center Encores!), HAMLET (Center Theatre Group), SHIT.MEET.FAN. (MCC Theater), X: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOLM X (Metropolitan Opera, Detroit Opera, Opera Omaha, Seattle Opera), A RAISIN IN THE SUN (The Public Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival), RICHARD III (Delacorte Theater), A LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (Minetta Lane Theatre), A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (Williamstown Theatre Festival), PARIS (Atlantic Theater Company), 17 BORDER CROSSINGS (New York Theater Workshop), THE WHITE DEVIL (Lucille Lortel Theatre), HENRY IV, PART I (Shakespeare’s Globe), and RICHARD II (Shakespeare’s Globe).
Nicholas is a former New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Directing Fellow and Drama League Hangar Directing Fellow. He is a past member of the Ma-Yi Writer’s Lab, Mercury Store Directors Lab, Roundabout Directors Group, Williamstown Theatre Festival Directing Corps, and the Young Vic Genesis Directors. As an actor, he won a National YoungArts Award for Spoken Theater.
Nicholas received his BFA in Acting from Rutgers University and leads a directing seminar at NYU.
Proud member of SDC.