He studied acting in Paris together with Belmondo, Marielle, Trintignant, Bedos, Yves Gasc  & Jacques Sereys of the Comédie Française at the Rue Blanche National School, at Dullin’s with Marceau , Alain Cuny, Gérard Philippe and with Jean Vilar at the TNP.

 

In the USA, he took Master Classes with Harold Clurman and was a member of his ACTORS STUDIO Director’s Unit, as well as Musical & Actors’ Director for the Studio’s Broadway production of James Baldwin’s “BLUES FOR MISTER CHARLIE.”

 

 

Robert Cordier with Alain Ginsberg adaptation of "The Howl"

Robert Cordier with Ricardo Bofil Documentary on R. Bofil by R. Cordier

 

Close to Rip Torn, Geraldine Page, Roman Polanski or Robert De Niro, he has taught many stars at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has also taught  at Wisconsin University, Sarah Lawrence College and Drake University. He’s on the Faculty of the Academy of Paris/OXBRIDGE Summer Program.

 

An internationally renowned director & producer, he  has directed more than a hundred plays, from Artaud to Williams, On & Off-Broadway, at La Mama, Etc, and in many regional & national theatres throughout the United States and  Europe. He is Sam Shepard’s best known French translator for SAVAGE/LOVE, FOOL FOR LOVE, ACTION, WAR in HEAVEN, ANGEL CITY, COWBOY MOUTH, The TOOTH OF CRIME and others, all of which he has directed with great success in Europe.

 

  

As a filmmaker, he wrote & filmed several feature films including INJUN FENDER, the 7O’s cult film and winner of top prizes at leading European Festivals: The Grand Prix du Jury in Toulon, The Ducat D’Or In Manheim, Prix Special du Jury in Locarno with Lukas’ American Graffiti. This film was short-listed for Brussels’ prestigious Cinémathèque’s PRIX L’AGE D’OR with Luis Bunuel, Stanley Kubrick and Oshima. He also co-produced Alain Resnais’ “HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR” & “LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD.” On prime-time American television, he has directed Jim Morrison & The Doors, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, Ritchie Havens, the Beatles, and the The Association. In I967 the famous 90 Minutes T.V.Spectacular : MURRAY THE K IN NEW YORK.

 

As an actor, he played a significant role in the Xavier Durringer recent award-winning feature “J’irai  au Paradis car l’Enfer est ici”. Producer/director for France’s national radio FRANCE CULTURE, he recently wrote & produced : SAM SHEPARD: THE MAN BORN FROM HIS WORK (Nomination  PRIX EUROPA) and directed the same author ‘s play A LIE OF THE MIND. He has apapted and directed ALL IN THE TIMING by David Ives and Joyce Carol Oates’ I STAND BEFORE YOU NAKED for the Parisian Stage and received  high critical acclaim (see <<PRESS>>) He also directed the revival of Jean-Paul Sartre’s THE RESPECTFUL PROSTITUTE  and Shepard’ s FOOL FOR LOVE in reperatory.  At  Paris Sudden Theatre he recently directed ALL MEN ARE WHORES by David Mamet. His adaptation of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST had a long run at Paris’ largest theatre Le Théâtre de Paris with Bernard Tapie.

 

Recently, he directed and acted with two of France’s leading actresses, Marianne Denicourt & Mireille Perrier, a former student of his, in SAVAGE/LOVE & WAR IN HEAVEN by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin at the Porquerolles Jazz Festival. His film script based on Sade’s “Eugénie de Franval,” nominated as one of the year’s best screenplays in France’s Prix du Meilleur Scénario, is in pre-production.

             

While not directing, Robert Cordier devotes his creative energies to teaching.

 

 

PRESS ABOUT CORDIER

 

“Cordier is a great teacher.”

José ARTUR /FRANCE INTER

 

“Cordier is one of those people with a talent for everything, beyond fashion and style.”-J.D. BAUBY /ELLE

 

“ ‘The Robert Cordier Touch !’ a blinding efficacy in directing actors.”

A.H. L’Humanité

 

“Magnificent direction for actors.”

PARIS PREMIERE/TELEVISION

 

“An extraordinary sense of the reality of what happens on stage and of what the actor does. I saw and loved his first professional production: THE RAINMAKER with Juleen Compton. For me, Cordier is a phenomenon.”  

Lee STRASBERG / Director ACTORS STUDIO

 

“Marivaux, directed by Robert Cordier, THE BEST OF BRITISH WIT, elegance and style.”

R.H. – The SUNDAY TIMES / London

 

“Beguiling evening … A TRIUMPH!”

NEW REPORTER

 

“The GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE is a triumphant success!”

THE GUARDIAN

 

“Cordier, with whom I worked on Broadway for the Actors Studio, knows

more about music and the actor than anyone I know, even Strasberg.”

Burgess MEREDITH /Actors Studio

 

“Tom Conti and Lindsay Duncan in Molière’s DOM JUAN … it’s extremely truthful, enchanting … hard-edged and very intelligent …it could not be done better.”

Barbara BRAY: B.B.C. /London

 

“Cordier’s staging marks a real departure in French staging of the classics…a mixture of farce, aphorism, apocalypse and sentiment …HEADY  !!”

TIME OUT / LONDON