Biography of Sanford Eliot Schimel

My nationality is American (Russian/Austrian Jewish and GAY). I was born in Jersey City in 1960. I was raised in Des Plaines, Ill. I’ve been a theater queen my entire life. I was taught by both parents to have a great love of words. They instilled in me love for reading, crossword puzzles, writing, music, and theater. I grew up to be an opera singer. Along the way, I starred as Trixi Biloxi, in Lianheart Gay Theater’s production of Lawrence Bommer’s “Gunsel”, in Chicago. I had dabbled in song and lyric writing for years, half-heartedly, until I moved to Washington, D.C. in 1987. Less than a year later my father died. I found myself having a conversation with him one night, which I had a burning desire to write down. I was lucky to find a group in D.C. called The Playwright’s Forum. They helped me shape the play, and helped me get a reading, which was wonderful. In 1996, I began preparations to bring the show to New York. My cousin, Stephanie Mittman, and I decided to produce it ourselves, which we did, at The John Houseman Studio Theater during the summer of 1996. “Melding Jokers” was one of three one-acts on the bill, which was entitled “Acts of Love”. I was in the middle of writing book, music, and lyrics for a new show at that time, but stalled and never started again. It was about that time that I started my rather clichéd decent into addiction. I didn’t write another word for many years. I’ve been sober since January2, 2001, and I’m back in college, so I’m rediscovering my writing skills. I’m a long-term survivor of AIDS (since 1994).