After Nichols and May disbanded in 1961, he began directing plays, and quickly became known for his innovative productions and ability to elicit polished performances. His Broadway directing debut was Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" in 1963, with Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. He continued to direct plays on Broadway including, "Luv" (1964), and "The Odd Couple" (1965) for which he received Tony Awards for each of those plays. In 2012, he won his sixth Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play with a revival of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. Nichols directed and/or produced more than 25 Broadway plays throughout his prolific career.