Paul Giovanni; Acclaimed Theater Personality

Paul Giovanni, 58, an acclaimed actor, writer, director and composer who worked on numerous productions in the United States and in England, died Sunday in New York of undisclosed causes.

Giovanni was nominated for a Tony Award for best director in 1978 for “The Crucifer of Blood.” His Los Angeles production of the play, starring Charlton Heston as Sherlock Holmes, received a best-director nomination from the Los Angeles Drama Critics.

Giovanni wrote the play “Seance” and composed music for a production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” He was nominated for an award by the Academy of Science Fiction and Fantasy Films for the score of the British film thriller, “The Wicker Man.”