SAN DIEGO — Des McAnuff will step down as artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse at the end of the 1994 season to pursue film and theater projects, it was announced Wednesday. According to a Disney spokeswoman, McAnuff--director of the Broadway hit musical "The Who's Tommy"--is currently negotiating with Touchstone Pictures for a "multi-picture deal."
McAnuff will continue as Director-in-Residence at the Playhouse, with a commitment to direct at least one project a year in addition to senior administration duties. "The fact that I can gain or acquire the freedom I need and still keep my creative home is beyond my wildest dreams," McAnuff said.
The success of "Tommy," which won him a Tony Award for best director and is currently on a national tour, has made the 41-year-old McAnuff one of the hottest directors in the nation. He will direct the London production of "Tommy" next year.
McAnuff will direct a new production of a classic Broadway musical in 1994 at the Playhouse, rumored to be the Broadway-bound revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."
