Mary Zimmerman is a playwright, director and producer, whose works are sui generis. Her focus is on adaptations and re-adaptations of classical and pre-classical works, as well as librettos for operas and reorganizing films into stage plays. She was interviewed by Richard Wolinsky for the "Open Book" radio program in late 2012 for a production of "The White Snake" at Berkeley Rep.

Sne won a 2002 Tony Award for her direction of Ovid's "Metamorphosis," on Broadway. More recently she wrote a stage version of Disney's "Tarzan" and directed the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice, with a libretto by Sarah Ruhl, at the Los Angeles Opera in February 2020.