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DALE WASSERMAN (1914 - 2008) |
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Nationality: USA Email: Click here to contact Website: Click here to visit |
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Literary Agent: The Lantz Office |
Dale Wasserman has served the theater for over 50 years. In earlier days he roamed America as a hobo, riding freight trains and thereby avoiding any formal education whatsoever. At nineteen, he gravitated into the theater where he cut his teeth on every conceivable job -- stage manager, lighting designer, director and producer among them. At age 33, he walked off the Broadway musical he was directing, abruptly deciding to become a writer. Since then, he has produced a continuous body of work for the theater, film and television. Never writing with a direct eye on commercial reward, his instincts have drawn him to a vast range of subjects, with serendipity often lending a hand. Visiting Spain in the late 1950s, the press incorrectly reported that he was researching Don Quixote. Intrigued, he did just that, becoming more interested in Miguel de Cervantes than in his famous protagonist. The result was I, Don Quixote, a TV drama starring Lee J. Cobb, Eli Wallach, and Colleen Dewhurst, which in turn becameMan of La Mancha, multiple Tony-winner and among the longest-running Broadway musicals of all time. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, also a multiple Tony-winner, was initially a flop on Broadway but later played to packed houses for 4 years in New York and 5 years in San Francisco -- leading, of course, to the famous film. Mr. Wasserman's many other credits include screenplays for The Vikings, Cleopatra,and A Walk with Love and Death. as well as countless TV dramas. Recently his play about Haiti, An Enchanted Land, had its premiere in London. Currently he has no less than three new musicals: Western Star, a look at the shady side of American "pioneers"; A Walk In the Sky, about the power of art to reach the primitive heart; and a revised version of Duke Ellington's masterpiece, Beggar's Holiday. The Rubicon Theatre has presented an entire season of Mr. Wasserman's works, andPlayers In the Game, which Mr. Wasserman considers his most trenchant writing, has just been published. In addition he has a newly-finished comedy calledPremiere!, slated for Off-Broadway. Mr. Wasserman holds Honorary Doctorates from several universities, and in terms of awards, guesses that he has "maybe a couple dozen," but since he avoids awards ceremonies, he is simply not sure. Reclusive by nature, he and his wife, Martha Nelly Garza, make their home in Arizona.
Plays by Dale Wasserman
Beggar's Holiday | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53162 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Dark Musical Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | It debuted many years ago, was successful, but not nearly as successful as the cognoscenti thought it should be. Dale rewrote it and it had a much praised run at the Marin Theatre near San Franciscoin 2004. | |||||
Synopsis: | a spin on John Gay's "Beggar's Opera." It's hilarious, yet its view of the human condition is dark indeed. It boasts Duke Ellington's only Broadway score | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Boy on Blacktop Road | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | Samuel French, NY, 2005 | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53160 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Short Play One Act | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | part of Open Secrets, was originally a TV play called The Stranger. It continued to be shown, by popular demand, all over the world, so Dale decided to rewrite it for the stage | |||||
Synopsis: | It's a gripping metaphysical drama about the sudden appearance of a boy, the effects he has on people who cross his path, and how each reads his own needs into the boy. It's structured like a murder investigation. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Enchanted Land, An | ||
| 1st Produced: | London | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53157 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Profound Dark Play | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | The title is ironic. The play is profound, gripping, powerful deeply disturbing drama set in and about Haiti. It's both timely and timeless. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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How I Saved the Whole Damned World | ||
| 1st Produced: | Renton Civic Theatre, Renton. Washington | 1997 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53163 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | concerns the adventures of a sailor on a drunken spree. The theme is that people who are overwhelmed by new technologies no longer know what to believe, and hence will believe almost anything | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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I, Don Quixote | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | 1959 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #128495 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Adaptation | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Based on the novel "Don Quixote" by Miguel Cervantes. This play became the basis for "Man of La Mancha" | |||||
Synopsis: | n/a | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Kiki of Montparnasse | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53164 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Musical Drama Musical | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | is ostensibly about the most famous model of her time, and indeed she does have the last word, in a startling and deeply satisfying conclusion. It's set in Paris in a particularly rich artistic period. But the mechanism is an older man being confronted by his younger self. There have been several scores written for this musical drama, the last one by Michel Legrand | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Livin' The Life | ||
| 1st Produced: | Eden Theatre, Off Broadway, NY | 1957 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #36203 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Musical Play Musical | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Bruce Geller did the lyrics, Jacques Urbont the music. Based on "Life on the Mississippi", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain | |||||
Synopsis: | Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Injun Joe | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Man Of La Mancha | ||
| 1st Produced: | Washington Square Theater, New York | 22 Nov 1965 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | Original cast recording: MCA (31065) 1965 | doollee no | #36204 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Musical Play Musical | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 18 | Female | 6 | ||
Parts other: | extras | |||||
Notes: | written by Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, Dale Wasserman | |||||
| While Cervantes's "Man of La Mancha" is Don Quixote, Wasserman's "Man" is Cervantes himself. This deeply touching musical drama, which was first a straight play, "I, Don Quixote," shows an episode in Cervantes' life reflected by his fictional creation. This, most emphatically is not, repeat, not an "adaptation" of "Don Quixote." The leading male role, usually considered a dual role (Cervantes/Don Quixote) is considerably more, because Don Quixote is also Alonzo Quijana, Don Quixote in his more normal life | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | ||
| 1st Produced: | New York | 1963 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | Samuel French, London, 1974 | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #36205 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 17 | Female | 5 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | novel by Ken Kesey | |||||
Synopsis: | A devil may care rogue chooses a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather than prison. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Players In The Game | ||
| 1st Produced: | staged readings at the Phoenix Theatre's New Words Festival | 2005 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | Dramatists Play Service, NY, | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #36206 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 9 | Female | 5 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | ||||||
Synopsis: | set in 14th century Prague. The Bishop of fourteenth century Prague is humane, witty and happily immoral, which suits his city just fine. However, it displeases the Pope who sends a clever young Inquisitor to force obedience from the Bishop, triggering a collision that ends shockingly. You'll recognize the game as that old, 'Who's Got The Power?' but you've never seen it played for such amazing stakes. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Premiere! | ||
| 1st Produced: | The York Theatre Company (staged reading) (New York, NY, United States) | 2007 | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | Playscripts, Inc - New York | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #84362 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | 100-120 min Comedy/Mystery | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 4 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | 4 males, 2 females (6 actors possible: 4-5 males, 1-2 females) | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | A famous comedic playwright decides to prove to the world that he can write more than fluff. But would it be possible to write a play that would be universally accepted as Shakespeare? A hilarious series of events leads to the discovery of a "new" play by the bard. Will the truth be uncovered or will the literary world be fooled forever. . .? | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Stallion Howl, The | ||
| 1st Produced: | as yet unproduced | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | Samuel French, NY, 2005 | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53161 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Short Comedy One Act | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | the other half of Open Secrets. Aka The Bequest | |||||
Synopsis: | a comedy based on retroactive sexual jealousy. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Walk In The Sky, A | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53158 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Musical Comedy-drama Musical | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Music by Allan Jay Friedman. | |||||
Synopsis: | a musical comedy-drama, a fantasy, with a "soupçon" of Shakespeare | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Western Star | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #53159 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | musical speculation | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur and Scott De Turk | |||||
Synopsis: | came into being as Dale taking refuge in a ghost town in the U.S. West, speculated about the people who had inhabited such places and why they had come. He calls it a "musical speculation." | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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