Azar Kazemi is first-generation Persian American and a freelance director and educator based in Chicago. She directs socially-charged plays where the political and personal collide. Most recently directing the Jeff Award winning world premiere of Motherhouse by Tuckie White at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Some of Azar's other Chicago directing credits include: the U.S. premiere of debbie tucker green's dirty butterfly, the midwest premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's Jack's Precious Moment, and Sarah Kane's Crave. Azar received her MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she is also on faculty and received the 2020-21 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Azar has worked at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Chicago Dramatists, Jackalope Theatre, Bramble Theatre, American Theatre Company, Silk Road Rising, Victory Gardens, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In New York City she worked at The New Group where she assistant directed three Off-Broadway productions, two under the direction of her mentor Ethan Hawke. This season Azar is directing Steep Theatre's world premiere of Happy Days Are Here (Again) by Omer Abbas Salem at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre and Raven Theatre's reimagined revival of Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind. Azar is a proud member of SDC.