Julie Taymor "has changed the way America looks at children's theater," proclaimed Adrienne Martini in American Theatre. "Now more than ever, half-hearted clowning or talking down to kids in that ridiculous sing-songy tone is passé." Taymor, a renowned director and designer, won a 1998 Tony Award for her production of The Lion King, the first time a woman walked away with that impressive honor for a Broadway musical. Taymor's achievement lay in transforming what could be a kid's show into a format that audiences of all ages could enjoy without feeling patronized. "Julie Taymor is the new lion queen of Broadway," wrote Robert Brustein in New Republic, "universally acclaimed for having built a bridge between the avant-garde and the commercial theater."

Renowned for her set design and inspired theatrical vision, the ever-inventive Taymor does not, however, rest on theatrical laurels. Her production and direction of the Shakespeare play...