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History
Members & Bios
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History
"I worked closely with Herbert (Berghof) for a number of years at the Playwrights Foundation. He directed many of my plays there and produced a number of others. He gave me a home and rekindled my faith in theatre.” - Horton Foote, 1990
Nothing can be said that better illustrates the work and the impact of the HB Playwrights Foundation & Theatre. This simple statement made by Tony nominated, Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winning writer Horton Foote says almost everything important that can be said about the mission and work of this “home” for playwrights -- the artists who stand at theatre's gate. Horton Foote is but one of the more than one hundred-thirty writers who, over the years, have found a home here.
Since 1965, playwrights and other theatre artists have come to Bank Street where they have found a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow. They have come here and toiled to tell their stories which give voice and shape to all else that happens on, over, under, behind, around and in front of the stage. To date, over 270 plays have been given full productions and an even larger number has been afforded readings and workshops. Today, our commitment continues stronger than ever. Currently, in addition to the numerous play readings/workshops/productions for the members of the HB Playwrights' Unit, the HB Theatre presents four full productions each year by playwrights from around the world whose work will benefit from the long-term development process available here.
The HB Playwrights Foundation & Theatre is currently home to fifteen playwrights who participate in its unique program. As part of the program overseen by HB Executive Director, Donna de Matteo, the playwrights meet on a regular basis to read and discuss work in progress. When needed, readings are provided -- often several per play. When works are considered ready, the playwrights are afforded five-day intensive workshops with a director, full cast and an invited audience. Critics are not invited and no "admission" is charged relieving the playwright of any commercial pressures.
In this safe environment, creativity flourishes. In the last ten seasons, nine plays presented here found further life. Options were taken on LEFT ON FLATBUSH by Rick Lieberman and WALLFLOWERING by Peta Murray and VOIR DIRE by Joe Sutton. In 1995 MRS. KLEIN by Nicholas Wright, starring Uta Hagen, moved Off-Broadway for a year and toured nationally . During the 1997-98 season, UNCLE PHILIP'S COAT by Matty Selman moved to The American Jewish Theatre. Donald Margulies' COLLECTED STORIES with Uta Hagen, presented here in April 1998, moved to the Lucille Lortel Theatre where it ran for ten months. It was also presented at Canada's famed Stratford Festival (July-September 2000) followed by a run in Montreal . THE WAX by Kathleen Tolan, presented here in 1999 was subsequently presented Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in November 2000, and I WILL BEAR WITNESS, a dramatization of Victor Klemperer's best selling memoir developed at HB, was presented as part of the Classic Stage Company's 2000-01 season.
THE PLAYWRIGHTS
Constance Alexander
Dan Allen
Louis Auchincloss
Ingeborg Bachmann
Neena Beber
Saul Bellow
Eric Bentley
Albert Bermel
Bertoldt Brecht
Alan Brandt
Patricia Broderick
Vincent Canby
Darrah Cloud
William Cobb
George Howe Colt
Walter Corwin
Fred Crecca
Frank Crocitto
Robert Culp
Laura Shaine Cunningham
Dennis Danziger
Allen Davis III
Donna de Matteo
Richard Dresser
Marguerite Duras
Don Evans
Jesse Feiler
Catherine Filloux
Conn Fleming
Daisy Foote
Horton Foote
Kelton S. Francis
Donald Freed
John Gassner
Alexandra Gersten
Stuart Gilbert
Arthur Giron
Gilbert Girion
Joanna Glass
Ray Goodwin
Martin Gottfried
Allison Graves
Julien Green
Herb Greer
Franz Grillparzer
George Hammer |
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David Harrower
Peter Hedges
Michael Herring
Wolfgang Hildesheimer
Mary Hivnor
Irene Kamp
Marjorie Kellogg
Norman Kennelly
Norman Kline
Arthur Kober
Pavel Kohout
Adam Kraar
Christina Kukucka
Marcia Jean Kurtz
Emmet Lavery
Agnes Leicester
Stephen Levi
Rick Lieberman
Art Liebeskin
Romulus Linney
Dmitry Lipkin
John Liton
Kenneth Lonergan
Quincy Long
Richard Longchamps
Robert Lowell
Donald Margulies
Peter Maloney
Douglas Marland
Julie McKee
Petrina McGowan
Mark Medoff
Jocelyn Meinhardt
Frederick Morton
Miriam Morton
Shane Mullery
Peta Murray
Ed Napier
Timothy Nolan
William Packard
Ronnie Ruth
Paris Gilbert Pearlman
John Petrick
Pedro Juan Pietri
James Purdy
Lisa-Maria Radano |
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Eugene Raskin
Theresa Rebeck
Jackie Reingold
Robert S. Reiser
Daniel Reitz
Lynn Riggs
David Rimmer
Irven Rinard
William D. Roberts
Romain Rolland
Carol Roper
Ari Roth
Enid Rudd
James Ryan
Peter Sagal
Susan Sandler
Ellen Sandler
William Saroyan
Martin Sherman
David Shepherd
Marjorie Sigley
Ben Simkhovitch
Maria A. Sluckaite
Forest M. Stone
Michael Straight
William Styron
Robert Sugarman
Joe Sutton
Jay Tarses
Joann Tedesco
Michael Thomas
Kathleen Tolan
Maurice Valency
Janice Van Horne
Mary Walton
Thornton Wilder
Tennessee Williams
Calder Willingham
Virginia Woods
Nicholas Wright
Marshall Yaeger
Sherman Yellen
Tug Yourgrau |
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