- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- Writer/Director/Actor John Farzad Strong A.K.A. John Farmanesh-Bocca, the immigrant son of an Iranian General, is a multi-award winning American theatre and film director, who is known both here and abroad for his many modern adaptations of ancient works. Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca's visually compelling and visceral theatre plays have been seen both here and Europe.
Mr. Strong / Farmanesh-Bocca, has spent a 30-year career in the theatre. He is a multi-award winning theatre director and the Founding Artistic Director of both Not Man Apart - Physical Theatre Ensemble (2005-2015) and Shakespeare Santa Monica (2003-2014).
Awarded an American Theatre Wing Scholarship, John trained at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts ('94) before serving as a Directing Fellow at the Juilliard School, Drama Division (2003-2005). He now serves as Emeritus Director of the award-winning Not Man Apart - Physical Theatre Ensemble which, under his watch, was named by Backstage Magazine in 2014 as one of the 13 most innovative physical theatre companies in the world. Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca was very recently named by Broadway World Magazine; as Los Angeles 'Theatre Director of the Decade.'
An LA Stage Alliance Ovation and Drama Critics Circle award nominated artist, Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca's award-winning and award-nominated adaptations and works include Pericles Redux (European and U.S. Premieres), Wish I Had A Sylvia Plath (Co-conceived, World Premiere, Edinburgh Fringe First Award Winner), Titus Redux, As/Is, Hercules Furens, Tempest Redux (A total of 13 Nominations and 3 Stage Raw Awards), Ajax in Iraq (Los Angeles Premiere Production), Lysistrata Unbound (World Premiere Production).
Mr. Strong/Farmanesh-Bocca's first endeavors in filmmaking, a narrative short film drama called "I Did Not Forget You", which he both wrote and directed, and the second he wrote, #3 Normandy Lane, which was directed by his wife Brenda Strong, have collectively played as official selections at 36 National and International Film Festivals and have collectively won 16 Best Short Film Awards and Audience Awards, garnering another 22 Nominations between the two films.
In addition, to his writing and directing, John served as on-set Acting Coach for both Season 3 & 4 of the Paramount Television and Netflix Original Series 13 Reasons Why, where he also choreographed 2 episodes.
Mr. Strong/Farmanesh-Bocca now serves as Emeritus Director of the award-winning Not Man Apart Ensemble, which under his watch was named by Backstage Magazine in 2014 as one of the 13 most innovative physical theatre companies in the world.
In 2020 he took his new married last name of Strong, and added his birth middle name Farzad. He has been married to actress Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives, Starship Troopers, Seinfeld) since 2015.- IMDb Mini Biography By: John Farmanesh-Bocca/Robert Sieger (updated) - John Strong / A.K.A. John Farmanesh-Bocca, the immigrant son of an Iranian General, is a multi-award-winning American theatre director / film director and writer, who is known both here and abroad for his many modern adaptations of ancient theatrical works. John has had a three decade career making theatre around the world.
Mr. Strong / Farmanesh-Bocca has a number of film projects in various phases of development - notably his adapted screenplay SHIMMER, based on the play of the same name by John O'Keefe. Mr. Strong / Farmanesh-Bocca is also attached to Direct, with Ed Harris (Westworld, Pollack), Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things) and Alex Hibbert (Moonlight) to star. Also on deck, a 16th Century Comedy/Adventure Series Pilot.
Mr. Strong / Farmanesh-Bocca's first endeavors in filmmaking, a narrative short film drama called I DID NOT FORGET YOU, which he both wrote and directed, and another he penned, #3 Normandy Lane, directed by his wife Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives, Seinfeld), have collectively played as official selections at 36 esteemed National and International Film Festivals and have collectively won 16 Best Short Film Awards and Audience Awards, garnering another 22 Nominations between the two films.
In addition to his writing and directing, John served as on-set Acting Coach for both Season 3 & 4 of the Paramount Television and Netflix Original Series 13 Reasons Why, where he also choreographed an episode.
As a multi-hyphenate artist, Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca, is also an award-winning actor and choreographer and began his career as both a dancer and actor.
Awarded an American Theatre Wing Scholarship, John trained at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts ('94) for Acting, before serving as a Directing Fellow at the Juilliard School - Drama Division (2003-2005).
An LA Stage Alliance Ovation and Drama Critics Circle award nominated artist, Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca's award-winning and award-nominated adaptations and works include Pericles Redux (European and U.S. Premieres), Wish I Had A Sylvia Plath (Co-conceived, World Premiere, Edinburgh Fringe First Award Winner), Titus Redux, As/Is, Hercules Furens, Tempest Redux (A total of 13 Nominations and 3 Stage Raw Awards), Ajax in Iraq (Los Angeles Premiere Production), Lysistrata Unbound (World Premiere Production). Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca now serves as Emeritus Director of the award-winning Not Man Apart Ensemble.
Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca now serves as Emeritus Director of the award-winning Not Man Apart - Physical Theatre Ensemble which, under his watch, was named by Backstage Magazine in 2014 as one of the 13 most innovative physical theatre companies in the world. Mr. Farmanesh-Bocca was also very recently named by Broadway World Magazine - Los Angeles Awards as 'Los Angeles Theatre Director of the Decade.'
Mr. Strong / Farmanesh-Bocca's visually compelling and visceral plays have been seen at U.K. venues such as The Burton/Taylor Theatre in Oxford England, The Oxford Playhouse, Theatre Royal Bath, England, Belfast Cathedral Quarter Festival and The Edinburgh Festival Fringe where his work received the highly coveted Fringe First Award.
In the USA his work has been seen at The Kirk Douglas Theatre, The Getty Villa Theatre Lab, The Odyssey Theatre, Pacific Repertory Theatre and The Sunset Center in Central California, The Miles Playhouse, The Hollywood Fringe, The Annenberg Beach House, Performing Arts Center Baton Rouge Louisiana (BRCC), CSULB, NYU and The Juilliard School.
In 2020 he took his new married last name of Strong, and added his birth middle name Farzad. He has been married to actress Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives, Starship Troopers, Seinfeld) since 2015.- IMDb Mini Biography By: John F. Strong
- SpouseBrenda Strong(May 2, 2015 - present)
- In 2020 he took his new married last name of Strong, and added his birth middle name Farzad. He has been married to actress Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives, Starship Troopers, Seinfeld) since 2015.
- Farmanesh-Bocca was the recipient of a Juilliard Directing Fellowship (03'-05') Only two Professional Theatre Directors are chosen, every three years, for this highly coveted Directing Fellowship.
- John Farzad Strong, A.K.A. John Farmanesh-Bocca was both the Artistic Director of both Not Man Apart - Physical Theatre Ensemble' as well as 'Shakespeare Santa Monica' which celebrated it's tenth year anniversary in 2013.
- The Short Film 'An Engagement' directed by John Farmanesh-Bocca is an Official Selection at the Malibu International Film Festival, Carmel Art & Film Festival, Philadelphia International Film Festival and The Burbank International Film Festival.
- John Farmanesh-Bocca Directed the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe First Award winning play "Wish I Had A Sylvia Plath" which he also co-created. His other play at Edinburgh "Pericles Redux" became a Festival Favorite in 2009. Eventually having it's Los Angeles premiere at The Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2010.
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