Lauren Haughton Gillis is an international director and choreographer who is deeply rooted in the tradition of musical theatre but curious about moving the art form forward in a more contemporary and equitable way. She has produced, directed, and choreographed shows for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS all over the US and Canada with the Broadway National Touring companies of Hamilton, Wicked, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, and The Book of Mormon.

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Lauren is currently an associate choreographer for Virgin Voyages International. In June 2022 she made her NYC directing debut at The Cutting Room with a concert version of the new musical, The Magic Hummingbird. As a director/choreographer Lauren was blessed with telling three amazing female stories earlier in 2022: Bright Star at Okoboji Summer Theatre, Matilda at Festival 56, and Carrie: The Musical at Indiana University. In 2021 Lauren was awarded an observership assisting Tony award winning director/choreographer Graciela Daniele on The Gardens of Anuncia at The Old Globe in San Diego, CA. At La Jolla Playhouse she was awarded a Fellowship on the production of Fly and also served as the Associate Director alongside Jesca Prudencio on the documentary theatre piece,, PDA for the La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls Festival. She has also directed and choreographed at San Diego Musical Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, Ripley Grier Studios, San Diego State University, Northwestern University, and The Broadway in San Diego Awards (Jimmy Awards pre-qualifier). She has won two Aubrey Awards for best direction and best choreography for her production of The World Goes 'Round at The Coronado Playhouse in 2021.

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As a performer, Lauren appeared on Broadway in Wicked. She was in the original casts of Turn of the Century directed by Tommy Tune at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and Sammy with Leslie Bricusse at The Old Globe in San Diego. On television she appeared in the Annie episode for Encore! on Disney Plus, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and choreographed by Melinda Sullivan. She also guest starred as Lori on Guiding Light. 

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Lauren is currently an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at the Indiana University Department of Theatre & Dance where she won the 2022 Trustee Teaching Award. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and is the Head of Dance as well as the Vice President of Conferences for Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance International (MTEA). She holds a BFA from Syracuse University and an MFA from San Diego State University.