Mary Jo DuPrey
Position
- Assistant Teaching Professor of Theatre
Mary Jo is a renowned vocal coach and award-winning theater director based in Los Angeles. A graduate of Vassar College with an MFA in Directing from UCLA and a recipient of the NYU Professional Certification in Filmmaking, she has an impressive track record in both teaching and directing. Formerly the personal touring voice teacher for Jon Bon Jovi, Mary Jo coached Daveed Diggs for his Tony Award-winning role in Hamilton and has worked with numerous artists in Broadway and National Touring productions, including Cheyenne Jackson for Into the Woods at the Hollywood Bowl.
Having previously served as a Guest Director and Artist in Residence at Iowa State University, she directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Night of the Living Dead: The Musical. Last summer, she helmed an experimental presentation of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, featuring a recent ISU Theatre alum in the cast.
Mary Jo has directed productions such as The Wedding Singer at Los Angeles’ Musical Theater Guild, A Perfect Ganesh at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, and an updated version of The West Side Waltz by Academy Award-winning writer Ernest Thompson. This rewrite was created in collaboration with Ms. DuPrey and discussed in a recent segment on Los Angeles' Spectrum News.
Prior to her tenure at Iowa State, Mary Jo was a faculty member at UCLA's Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program from 2006 to 2018, where she made significant contributions to the MFA Programs in Playwriting and Acting. Her directorial credits include innovative performances of The Visit, Big Love, and an all-female version of Lysistrata.
Mary Jo's directorial work has garnered critical acclaim and numerous nominations, including the Ovation Nominated August: Osage County, which was recognized on various “Best of LA Theater” lists in 2015. As an actress, she has appeared in countless plays and musicals and has recently lent her voice to over 12 foreign films for Netflix.
Mary Jo is a proud member of Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Having previously served as a Guest Director and Artist in Residence at Iowa State University, she directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Night of the Living Dead: The Musical. Last summer, she helmed an experimental presentation of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, featuring a recent ISU Theatre alum in the cast.
Mary Jo has directed productions such as The Wedding Singer at Los Angeles’ Musical Theater Guild, A Perfect Ganesh at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, and an updated version of The West Side Waltz by Academy Award-winning writer Ernest Thompson. This rewrite was created in collaboration with Ms. DuPrey and discussed in a recent segment on Los Angeles' Spectrum News.
Prior to her tenure at Iowa State, Mary Jo was a faculty member at UCLA's Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program from 2006 to 2018, where she made significant contributions to the MFA Programs in Playwriting and Acting. Her directorial credits include innovative performances of The Visit, Big Love, and an all-female version of Lysistrata.
Mary Jo's directorial work has garnered critical acclaim and numerous nominations, including the Ovation Nominated August: Osage County, which was recognized on various “Best of LA Theater” lists in 2015. As an actress, she has appeared in countless plays and musicals and has recently lent her voice to over 12 foreign films for Netflix.
Mary Jo is a proud member of Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Area of Study
- Theatre