Gerald Gutierrez, 53; Broadway Director Won 2 Tony Awards

Gerald Gutierrez, who won back-to-back Tony Awards in 1995 and 1996 for his direction of the Broadway revivals of “The Heiress” and “A Delicate Balance,” has died. He was 53.

Gutierrez was found late Monday in his Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment, his brother, Nick, said Tuesday. The cause of death was respiratory complications from the flu. It was not immediately clear when the director died.

Based on Henry James’ novel “Washington Square,” “The Heiress” also brought stardom and a Tony to actress Cherry Jones. Gutierrez followed that production with Edward Albee’s “A Delicate Balance,” which starred Rosemary Harris, George Grizzard and Elaine Stritch.

Gutierrez was a mainstay at Lincoln Center Theater, where he also directed last season’s lavish revival of “Dinner at Eight” by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. His other Lincoln Center productions included revivals of “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” in 1994; a 1997 revival of Chekhov’s “Ivanov” starring Kevin Kline; and the Jean Anouilh comedy “Ring Round the Moon” in 1999.

He also directed an intimate, two-piano version of Frank Loesser’s “The Most Happy Fella,” which had begun life at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut before moving to Broadway’s Booth Theatre in 1992.

Among Gutierrez’s other Broadway directing credits: “Honour,” Joanna Murray-Smith’s 1998 play about a disintegrating marriage; the 1996 revival of the musical “Once Upon a Mattress,” starring Sarah Jessica Parker; and “The Curse of an Aching Heart,” a drama by William Alfred, starring Faye Dunaway, in 1982.

Gutierrez also had extensive off-Broadway directing credits. He is best-known for having directed Wendy Wasserstein’s comedy “Isn’t It Romantic?” in 1983.

His staging of “The Most Happy Fella” played as an Ahmanson presentation at Hollywood’s James A. Doolittle Theatre in 1991, and his staging of “The Heiress” ran at the Ahmanson downtown in 1996.

A native of Brooklyn, Gutierrez graduated from the Juilliard School’s drama division and was a member of the Acting Company, appearing in its productions of “Edward II,” “The Time of Your Life,” “Three Sisters” and “The Cradle Will Rock.”

Besides his brother, Gutierrez is survived by two nieces and a nephew.

Funeral arrangements are pending.