John Giresi is the Director of Musical Theatre Productions at Fair Lawn High School. He has directed more than one hundred major productions in the tri-state area including Merrily We Roll Along, A Chorus Line, Me and My Girl, Zorba, Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity, and Follies. In 2001 his production of Steel Pier won The Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award for Best Overall Musical in the state of New Jersey. In addition, Mr. Giresi won the award for the Best Director for his work on Steel Pier.

John Giresi’s direction of Stephen Sondheim’s landmark musical Company won the 2004 Paper Mill Rising Star Award for Best Musical as well as best Director for Mr. Giresi for the second time. In addition, John’s work on Fair Lawn High School’s 2005 production of The Will Rogers Follies won the Helen Hayes Award for Best Overall Musical in the tri-state area. Mr. Giresi’s teaching experience spans 25 years including his Adjunct Professor status in 2001 at Fairleigh Dickinson University. John holds a BME from Indiana University School of Music, and a Masters in Education. He is an active composer and lyricist with five full length musicals which have been produced in various venues.

In 2007, John Giresi was the first and only director to win both the Paper Mill Playhouse and Helen Hayes award for Best Direction in the same year for his work in Fair Lawn High School's production of Grand Hotel. John actively free-lances throughout the tri-state area as a guest speaker, director, teacher of theatre arts, acting instructor, vocal coach, and workshop consultant. Many of his former students may currently be seen in various Broadway, regional theatre, television, and film productions.