Theresa Rebeck

Theresa Rebeck is an American playwright, television writer and novelist.

She was born in Kenwood, Ohio, and graduated from Cincinnati's Ursuline Academy in 1976. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame in 1980, and followed that with three degrees from Brandeis University: an MA in 1983, a M.F.A. in Playwrighting in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Victorian era melodrama, awarded in 1989.

Past New York productions of her work include "Mauritius" on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre in a Manhattan Theater Club Production; "The Scene", "The Water’s Edge", "Loose Knit", "The Family of Mann" and "Spike Heels" at Second Stage Theatre; "Bad Dates" and "The Butterfly Collection" at Playwrights Horizons; and "View of the Dome" at New York Theatre Workshop. "Omnium Gatherum" (co-written, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2003) was featured at the Humana Festival, and had a commercial run at the Variety Arts Theatre. Her play "The Understudy", will premiere at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 2008, with a cast including Reg Rogers, Bradley Cooper and Kristen Johnson. Ms. Rebeck is also writing the book for the new musical "Ever After", based on the Drew Barrymore movie of the same name. The show is expected on Broadway in the spring of 2009.

In television, Ms. Rebeck has written for "Dream On", "Brooklyn Bridge", "L.A. Law", "American Dreamer", "Maximum Bob", "First Wave", and "Third Watch". She has been a writer/producer for "Canterbury’s Law", "Smith", "" and "NYPD Blue". Her produced feature film screenplays include "Harriet the Spy", "Gossip", and the independent feature "Sunday on the Rocks".

Rebeck’s other publications include "Free Fire Zone", a book of comedic essays about writing and show business. She has written for "American Theatre" magazine and has had excerpts of her plays published in the "Harvard Review". Ms. Rebeck’s first novel, "Three Girls and Their Brother", was published in 2008 by Random House/Shaye Areheart Books.

She has received awards including the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award, the Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama, the Hispanic Images Imagen Award, and the Peabody Award, all for her work on "NYPD Blue". She has won the National Theatre Conference Award (for "The Family of Mann"), and was awarded the William Inge New Voices Playwriting Award in 2003 for "The Bells". "Mauritius" was originally produced at Boston’s Huntington Theatre, where it received the 2007 IRNE Award for Best New Play as well as the Eliot Norton Award.

Ms. Rebeck is a board member of The Dramatists Guild, and has taught at Brandeis University and Columbia University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jess Lynn and two children, Cooper and Cleo.

In an article in the New York Times in September, 2007, she said that her plays were about "betrayal and treason and poor behavior. A lot of poor behavior."

__NOTOC__

Television

For her work on "NYPD Blue" she was awarded a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award and a Writers Guild of America award for Episodic Drama.

*"Canterbury's Law"
*"Smith"
*""
*"Third Watch"
*"Maximum Bob"
*"Total Security"
*"American Dreamer"
*"L.A. Law"
*"Dream On"
*"Brooklyn Bridge"

Plays

Her other work as a playwright includes:

Full Length
* [http://www.wtfestival.org/performances/detail.php?PerformanceID=544 "The Understudy" (2007)]
* [http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/2008_mainstage_season.htm#MAURITIUS "Mauritius" (2007)]
* "The Scene" (2006)
* "The Water’s Edge" (2006)
* "The Bells" (2005)
* "Omnium Gatherum" (2003) (Co-Written with Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros)
* "Bad Dates" (2003)
* "Dollhouse" (2000)
* "The Butterfly Collection (2000)
* "Abstract Expression" (1998)
* "View of the Dome" (1996)
* "Sunday on the Rocks" (1994, Final version - 1996)
* "The Family of Mann" (1994)
* "Loose Knit" (1992)
* "Spike Heels" (1990, Final version - 1992)

One Acts
* "Mary, Mother of God, Intercede for Us" (2006)
* "Aftermath" (2005)
* "Off Base" (2005)
* "How We Get to Where We're Going" (2004)
* "Train to Brooklyn" (2003)
* "Deliver Me" (2003)
* "The Actress" (2002)
* "Art Appreciation" (2002)
* "Funeral Play" (2001)
* "Josephina" (2001)
* "First Day" (2000)
* "Walk" (1999)
* "Great To See You" (1998)
* "The Contract" (1997)
* "Katie and Frank" (1996)
* "Does This Woman Have a Name?" (1993)
* "What We Are Up Against" (1992)
* "Candy Heart" (1992)
* "Drinking Problem" (1991)
* "Big Mistake" (1991)
* "Sex With The Censor" (1990)
* "The Bar Plays" (1990)

Film

Her work as a screenwriter (or story writer) includes:
*"Catwoman"
*"Gossip"
*"Harriet the Spy"

References

Books

*citation
last=Rebeck
first=Theresa
title=Theresa Rebeck: Complete Plays Volume I 1989 - 1998
publisher=Smith & Kraus
year=1999
edition=1st
note=1st ed. 1999
isbn=1-57525-172-8
*citation
last=Rebeck
first=Theresa
title=Theresa Rebeck: Complete Plays Volume II 1999 - 2007
publisher=Smith & Kraus
year=2007
edition=1st
note=1st ed. 2007
isbn=1-57525-444-1
*citation
last=Rebeck
first=Theresa
title=Theresa Rebeck: Complete Plays Volume III Short Plays 1989 - 2005
publisher=Smith & Kraus
year=2007
edition=1st
note=1st ed. 2007
isbn=1-57525-447-6

External links

* [http://www.theresarebeck.com/ Official Site]
* [http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/8672.html Who's Who entry] from "Playbill"
* [http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/11/18/tem_kenwood_native.html Kenwood native delves into criminal mind on "Law & Order"] , a November 2001 article from the "Cincinnati Enquirer"
* [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/83844.html Channeling Theatre: A Chat with Theresa Rebeck] , a January 2004 "Playbill" article
* [http://classic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/theatre.pl?keyword=Theresa+Rebeck Her Notre Dame study theatre work in the late 1970s] , from the university's website
* [http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=76610
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/theater/23simo.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin] An Acute Interest in Bad Behavior, The New York Times, Sept. 23, 2007.