one of the world's most respected directors of stage and screen. From 1988-97, Richard Eyre served as artistic director of Britain's Royal National Theatre, a tenure which critics have described as "a golden age" comparable to the era in which Laurence Olivier held that post. Under Mr. Eyre's artistic direction, the publicly funded National received countless awards -- it won 24 awards in 1992 alone. In 1990, the National embarked on its most ambitious tour (Europe, Japan, and the U.S.) of "Richard III" with Ian McKellan in the title role. Throughout his time at the theater company, Mr. Eyre oversaw productions including "Carousel," "Sweeney Todd," "Wind in the Willows," "The Madness of King

George III," "An Inspector Calls," and both parts of "Angels in America" and directed plays including "Racing Demon," "Night of the Iguana," "Sweet Bird of Youth," "The Invention of Love," "Guys and Dolls," and "John Gabriel Borkman" starring Paul Scofield, Vanessa Redgrave, and Eileen Atkins. Within this ten-year span, the group became the first British theater company to visit Lithuania, and also traveled to Korea, mainland China, South Africa, and New Zealand.

Mr. Eyre has won many British awards for theater, television, and film, and in 1994 he won a Tony for producing "Carousel" at Lincoln Center Theater. In 1997, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his direction of "Skylight" on Broadway. His adaptation of "King Lear," which starred Ian Holm and aired on PBS in 1998, earned him a Peabody Award. Mr. Eyre's production of "Amy's View" played on Broadway and starred Judi Dench, who also stars, with Kate Winslet, in his forthcoming feature film, IRIS.

Born in 1943 in southwestern England, he studied at Cambridge and became associate director, then director of productions, at Edinburgh's Lyceum Theatre. He went on to serve as artistic director of the Nottingham Playhouse and later as producer of the BBC's PLAY FOR TODAY series.