Lanford Wilson

Lanford Wilson (born on April 13, 1937 in Lebanon, Missouri) is an American playwright. An openly gay man, his work has featured many gay themes and characters. And yet the scope of his work is very broad, often delving deep into "straight" characters and culture, as well. No matter what standard is used, he is one of the great American playwrights. [Lawson, Don S. (August 2005) [http://www.glbtq.com/literature/wilson_l.html Lanford Wilson] . glbtq.com. Retrieved 17 April 2007.]

He was raised in the Ozarks until, as a teenager, he moved to California to live with his father, from whom his mother had been long divorced. He began his career as a playwright in the early 1960s at the Caffe Cino in Greenwich Village with one-act plays such as "Ludlow Fair", "Home Free", and "The Madness of Lady Bright." The Madness of Lady Bright which was produced in May 1964 at Caffe Cino is seen as a breakthrough in gay theatre as it portrayed homosexuals as human rather than villains, depressives or deviants. Gay liberation has progressed so far since 1964 that Lady Bright may seem dated now; but it was truly a breakthrough at the time. It was the longest running play ever at the Cino, reputedly being performed more than a thousand times on the Cino's hectic two-a-day and three-a-day schedule. [ [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050904/news_1a04gaybar.html It began with 'The Madness of Lady Bright' | The San Diego Union-Tribune ] ]

He soon moved to off-Broadway with "Balm in Gilead" in 1965 and "The Rimers of Eldritch" in 1965. Wilson was a founding member of the Circle Repertory Company, (better known as Circle Rep) which began in 1969. Many of his plays were first presented there, with long standing directorial collaborative partner Marshall W. Mason, including "Hot L Baltimore", which won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Obie Award, and "Fifth of July", which later had a successful production on Broadway. Wilson's 1979 play, "Talley's Folly" won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Another big hit on Broadway during the 1980's was "Burn This".

"Fifth of July", "Talley's Folly", and "Talley and Son" are all part of the Talley trilogy cycle of plays, revolving around the Talley family of Lebanon, Missouri.

Wilson's style and approach changed and evolved over the years, resulting in plays which sometimes have drastically different effects. Some are extremely radical and experimental, while others are looking for a mainstream audience, without compromising creativity. His first full length play, Balm in Gilead, is perhaps his most radical, yet it also remains one of his most popular. It had a memorable off-Broadway revival in the 1980's, directed by John Malkovich, who led the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

In 2004, Wilson became a member of the American Academy for Arts and Letters.

In addition to writing plays, Wilson has written the texts for several twentieth century operas, including at least two collaborations with composer Lee Hoiby: "Summer and Smoke" (1971) and "This is the Rill Speaking" (1992).

Plays

*"Ludlow Fair"
*"Home Free"
*"The Madness of Lady Bright"
*"Balm in Gilead" (1965)
*"The Rimers of Eldritch" (1965)
*"The Gingham Dog" (1968)
*"Lemon Sky" (1970)
*"Serenading Louie" (1970)
*"Hot L Baltimore" (1973)
*"The Mound Builders" (1975)
*"Fifth of July" (1979)
*"Talley's Folly" (1979)
*"A Tale Told" (1981, later revised and renamed "Talley & Son")
*"Angels Fall" (1983)
*"Burn This" (1987)
*"Redwood Curtain" (1993)
*"Sympathetic Magic" (1998)
*"Book of Days" (2000)
*"Rain Dance"
*"Wandering"

References

External links

* [http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc65.html Biography of Lanford Wilson on Moonstruck Drama Bookstore Website]