Moeller, Phillip

(1880-1958)

   Born in New York, Philip Moeller attended New York University and Columbia University. He began his theatre career as one of the founders of the Washington Square Players, staging several of the group's productions. When the Players broke up during World War I, Moeller went on to become a distinguished director with the Theatre Guild, staging their first production, Jacinto Benavente's The Bonds of Interest (1919), among many others. Admired for his skill at directing comedy, Moeller also staged important dramas. He used improvisational techniques to reach his desired ends. Among the plays he directed are The Guardsman (1924), Sidney Howard's Pulitzer PRizE-winning drama They Knew What They Wanted (1924), Ned McCobb's Daughter (1926), The Second Man (1927), Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning Strange Interlude (1928), Hotel Universe* (1930), Elizabeth the Queen* (1930),Mourning Becomes Electra* (1931), Biography* (1932), Ah, Wilderness!* (1933), and End of Summer* (1936), among others. Moeller also directed motion pictures, before retiring in the late 1930s.