Bio
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Giovanna Sardelli is a New York and California based theatre director and acting teacher who specializes in producing and directing new works. Besides Sardelli’s well-received productions with the Tony Award winning TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, where she is Artistic Associate and Director of New Works, she has directed and developed plays around the country, including many off-Broadway productions over the past decades. Sardelli’s directing credits include numerous productions of plays by Rajiv Joseph including his first professional production, Huck & Holden which premiered at Cherry Lane Theatre, as well as the World Premieres of The North Pool (TheatreWorks), and Animals Out of Paper (Second Stage), for which she was awarded the Joe A. Callaway Award for Best Direction, and the production of the Obie Award-winning play Describe The Night at Atlantic Theatre. Her West Coast Premiere of Mathew Lopez’ The Whipping Man for The Old Globe Theatre won her an NAACP nomination for Best Director and her production of Rajiv Joseph’s Guards at the Taj for the Geffen Theatre won the 2016 Ovation Award for Best Production of a Play. Sardelli holds an MFA in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and taught in NYU’s Graduate Acting Program as well as its Dance Department. Before being invited to train at NYU’s prestigious Director’s Lab program, Sardelli worked as a professional actress for a decade in television and theater, solidifying her well-rounded knowledge of the industry. She was named the 2019 Alumna of the Year for the University Nevada, Las Vegas College of Fine Art.
"I believe theatre, at its best,
can be a transformative experience."
I believe theatre, at its best, can be a transformative experience.
Growing up in Las Vegas as the child of an Oklahoma farm girl and an Italian/Brazilian immigrant, I formed an unwavering belief that people from disparate experiences can connect and transcend boundaries of culture, language, and ideology to share a story and connect over common humanity. A belief that is reinforced at every family gathering. For me, theatre is an extension of this belief – provide access, provide opportunity, provide resources for the inclusion of the multitude of voices that make up a community, and you can impact, inspire, entertain, and educate those you invite into your home.
In my nomadic life as a freelance director, I have had the privilege of working at some of the finest theaters in the country, including TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where I currently serve as Artistic Associate and Director of New Works; A position I’ve occupied for the past nine years while also maintaining a robust freelance career, the majority of which has been spent working with living playwrights on world premiere productions of their plays.
Before transitioning to directing, I began my career as an actress. After receiving my BA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I was fortunate enough to be accepted to the Graduate Acting Program at New York University where I was trained by theater legends like Zelda Fichandler, Ron Van Lieu, Jim Calder and Master Games Teacher, Paul Walker. After receiving my MFA, I was lucky enough to work at the Public Theater and some other wonderful theaters in New York and regionally. I spent years working as Nurse Claire on the soap opera Another World and had enough of a part to qualify for health insurance but not quite enough of one for Claire to ever get a last name.
It's safe to say, my acting career was less than satisfying. Working on the soap did give me time to pursue martial arts and I spent years studying, and eventually teaching, Seido Karate and received my 2nd degree black belt. Please don’t punch me, I’m out of practice.​
"I believe in magic,
and I can keep a secret."
Growing up in Vegas, you get some interesting job offers. As I was transitioning out of acting and trying to figure out what to do next, I spent a year as a magician’s assistant to the Guinness World Record holding magicians, The Pendragons. I believe in magic, and I can keep a secret. If you want to check out their Metamorphosis Illusion click here. Even though I’m not in it, it’ll explain a lot about growing up in Las Vegas.
As I was standing on stage with The Pendragons, perfecting looking surprised and amazed and wondering what I should be doing with my life, Zelda and NYU once again came to the rescue. I was invited to return to the Grad Acting program and study for a year in their Director’s Lab. That invitation truly changed the trajectory of my life. Upon completion of the program, I became a working director, joined the faculty of the Dance Department at NYU where I taught acting for over a decade and I joined the faculty of the Grad Acting program as the games teacher. One of my greatest honors has been continuing the legacy of Paul Walker.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the finest writers, actors and designers working today at some of the best theaters in the country. I’ve branched out into some TV, podcasting work, and writing. You can find lots of details by clicking on my resume and you can reach out to ask me questions if you have any.
In my life I follow my greatest passions. I am fascinated by human behavior and have a great passion for examining the “why” of what we do. To me, directing is like a great archeological dig into the deepest layers of human truth. I love investigating the story that a group of artists will come together to collectively tell. I love being responsible for how that story emerges through the creative process and how it relates to the audience. I view theatre and all forms of storytelling as a vital, valuable part of the human experience and as an important way to effect change. My work is to imagine and to play. It is my job to remain curious.
"[T]hese scenes work because of [...] Sardelli's masterful direction."
-KQED, Nan and the Lower Body