Donald Margulies (born September 2, 1954) is an American playwright and academic. In 2000, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Dinner with Friends.
Background and education Margulies attended John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Purchase College where he received a BFA in Visual Arts."Alumni Profiles. Margulies" purchase.edu, accessed November 3, 2015 Margulies lives with his wife, Lynn Street, a physician, and their son, Miles, in New Haven, Connecticut.Rizzo, Frank. "Play Is About Expensive Art Sold `Sight Unseen'" Hartford Courant, November 24, 1993
He is a professor in the Practice of English and Theatre & Performance Studies at Yale University."Donald Margulies Yale" yale.edu, accessed November 3, 2015
Theater Margulies' notable works include The Country House (2014), Time Stands Still (2009) and Brooklyn Boy (2004). Sight Unseen and Collected Stories were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, in 1992, and 1997, respectively; Dinner with Friends was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2000.
Margulies said of Sight Unseen, "It's about loss, like most of my plays, and about identity." Ben Brantley noted themes in his works: "The central motifs in Brooklyn Boy have always been visible in Mr. Margulies's work, from the willed amnesia of the self-invented artist (Sight Unseen) to the hazy lines between fiction and reality (Collected Stories). And Eric's fractious, divided family, summoned in recollection in Brooklyn Boy, has been anticipated in The Loman Family Picnic and What's Wrong With This Picture?Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review.'Brooklyn Boy'" The New York Times, February 4, 2005
Long Lost The play was developed in connection with the Nashville Repertory Theatre Ingram New Works Festival. The unfinished play was given a reading in May 2015 at the Festival. The play focuses on a "long-overdue reunion between two middle-aged brothers."Weinert-Kendt, Rob. "Turning Nashville’s Moment into New-Play Momentum" American Theatre, June 5, 2015 Long Lost opened Off-Broadway, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club, at New York City Center — Stage I on May 14, 2019, in previews, officially on June 4. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, the cast features Kelly AuCoin, Annie Parisse, Lee Tergesen and Alex Wolff.Franklin, Marc J. "A First Look at 'Long Lost' at Manhattan Theatre Club" Playbill, May 20, 2019
The Country House The play takes place in the Berkshires, where Anna, an actress, is appearing at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She is entertaining her son, a failed actor, Elliot; a handsome famous actor, Michael; her son-in-law, Walter, who was married to her deceased daughter, and his girlfriend/fiancé, Nell and his daughter Susie.Gardner, Elysa. "Blythe Danner gives 'Country House' a solid foundation" USA Today, October 2, 2014
The Country House opened on Broadway on October 2, 2014, at the Manhattan Theater Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.Staff. "The Verdict: Critics Review 'The Country House' on Broadway with Blythe Danner" Playbill, October 3, 2014 It was a co-production with the Geffen Playhouse, where it had its world premiere on June 11, 2014, directed by Daniel Sullivan and starred Blythe Danner ("Anna"), Eric Lange, David Rasche and Sarah Steele;Verini, Bob. "L.A. Theater Review." Variety, June 12, 2014 Scott Foley and Emily Swallow originated roles played on Broadway by Daniel Sunjata and Kate Jennings Grant. It won the 2014 L.A. Ovation Award for Best Play (Large Theatre)Riley, Jenelle. "2014 Ovation Award Winners Announced" Variety, November 3, 2014 and was selected an Applause Books Best Play of 2013–14.
Time Stands Still
Time Stands Still opened on Broadway on January 28, 2010, at the Manhattan Theatre Club's Friedman Theatre for a limited engagement. It resumed performances on September 23, 2010, at the Cort Theatre, where it ran until January 30, 2011; between its two runs, it played a total of 24 previews and 193 performances. It starred Laura Linney, Brian d'Arcy James, Eric Bogosian and Alicia Silverstone (later succeeded at the Cort by Christina Ricci), and was directed by Daniel Sullivan. The play was nominated for a 2010 Tony Award for Best Play"'Time Stand Still' Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed November 3, 2015 and was a Burns Mantle Best Play of 2009–2010."Best Plays 2009-10" bestplaysonline.com, accessed November 5, 2015 Linney was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.
Time Stands Still had its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse (Los Angeles) in February 2009 which had commissioned it. Directed by Sullivan, the Geffen premiere featured Silverstone, Anna Gunn, David Harbour and Robin Thomas.Rothstein, Mervyn. "'Time Stands Still' at the Geffen Playhouse" Playbill, February 14, 2009 Its European premiere took place in Stockholm in 2009.
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment The play, set in the 19th Century, focuses on "Louis de Rougemont" who was shipwrecked on a Coral Sea Island and lived with Australian aborigines, or so he tells his listeners in England.
The play made its world premiere in the September 2007 Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Repertory, where it starred Gregory Itzin and was directed by Bart DeLorenzo. Verini, Bob. "Review. 'Shipwrecked! An Entertainment'" Variety, September 28, 2007 The play went on to productions at the Geffen Playhouse, where it again was directed by DeLorenzo and starred Itzin and Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, directed by Evan Cabnet in February 2008.Hetrick, Adam and Hernandez, Ernio. "Margulies' 'Shipwrecked' Officially Opens at Long Wharf Feb. 20" Playbill, February 20, 2008
The play opened Off-Broadway at Primary Stages, directed by Lisa Peterson, running from February 8, 2009, to March 7, 2009.Isherwood, Charles. "Theater Review. 'Shipwrecked! An Entertainment'" New York Times, February 10, 2009 Michael Countryman appeared in the Long Wharf and Off-Broadway productions. It received the 2009 Outer Critics' Circle Award nomination for Outstanding New Play."'Shipwrecked! An Entertainment' Off-Broadway" lortel.org, accessed November 4, 2015
Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview, IL off-Chicago produced Shipwrecked: An Entertainment in summer 2021, which was the first production of the theater company to be produced outdoors.
Brooklyn Boy Brooklyn Boy began at the Pacific Playwrights Festival, in 2003, and was produced at South Coast Repertory in 2004,Hernandez, Ernio. "World Premiere of Donald Margulies' Broadway-Bound 'Brooklyn Boy' Begins in CA, Sept. 3" playbill.com, September 2, 2004 on Broadway by Manhattan Theatre Club at the Biltmore Theatre in February 2005,Jones, Kenneth. "Donald Margulies' 'Brooklyn Boy' Opens on Broadway Feb. 3" playbill.com, February 3, 2005 and in Paris at the Comedie des Champs-Élysées. It was an American Theatre Critics' Association New Play Award finalist, a 2005 Outer Critics' Circle nominee for Outstanding New Broadway Play"'Brooklyn Boy' Production and Awards" playbillvault.com, accessed November 4, 2015 and a Burns Mantle Best Play of 2004–2005."Best Plays 2004-05" bestplaysonline.com, accessed November 5, 2015
The play was directed by Daniel Sullivan, and its original cast at the South Coast Rep was Adam Arkin, Arye Gross, Allan Miller, Ari Graynor, Mimi Lieber, Kevin Isola and Dana Reeve (whose role was played on Broadway by Polly Draper).
Dinner with Friends Dinner with Friends, which received the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Drama,Pulitzer Prize citation 2000 was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville (Kentucky), where it had its world premiere at the 1998 Humana Festival of New American Plays. A revised version was produced in October 1998 at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California.Mermelstein, David. "Review. 'Dinner with Friends' " Variety, November 8, 1998
The play opened Off-Broadway at the Variety Arts Theatre in November 1999, where it played 654 performances. In addition to the Pulitzer, Dinner with Friends received an American Theatre Critics Association New Play Citation, The Dramatists' Guild/Hull-Warriner Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play"Awards for 1999-2000" outercritics.org, accessed November 5, 2015 a Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Play"MTC 'Wild Party', 'Kate', Stroman Lead Drama Desk Nominations" playbill.com, April 25, 2000 and was selected a Burns Mantle Best Play of 1999–2000.
It went on to have a long run in Paris at the Comedie des Champs-Élysées, and productions in London, Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, Tokyo, Mumbai, Seoul, Tel Aviv and Istanbul.
In 2002 it was an Emmy Award-nominated film for HBO.IMDB list of Awards for Dinner with Friends
Collected Stories
Collected Stories was commissioned by South Coast Repertory, where it had its world premiere in 1996. It went on to have three New York productions: its premiere Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club's City Center Stage I, in 1997, with Maria Tucci and Debra Messing, directed by Lisa Peterson;" 'Collected Stories' 1997" lortel.org, accessed November 4, 2015 in 1998–99 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre with Uta Hagen and Lorca Simons, directed by William Carden;"'Collected Stories' 1998" lortel.org, accessed November 4, 2015 and on Broadway in 2010 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Friedman (formerly Biltmore) Theatre, starring Linda Lavin and Sarah Paulson, directed by Lynne Meadow. Lavin received a 2010 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play for her performance."'Collected Stories' Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed November 4, 2015
Lavin had previously played the role of Ruth Steiner in May - June 1999 at the Geffen Playhouse in a production co-starring Samantha Mathis, directed by Gilbert Cates,Simonson, Robert. "Linda Lavin Stars in L.A. 'Collected Stories' May 19-June 13" Playbill, May 18, 1999 which was later re-produced for television broadcast by PBS Hollywood Presents in 2002.
The play has had many productions all over the country and around the world,Eger, Henrik. "'Mentors and protégés exist everywhere': Interview with playwright Donald Margulies on COLLECTED STORIES" phindie.com, accessed November 14, 2018 including one in London in 1999, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, with Helen Mirren and Anne-Marie Duff, directed by Howard Davies.Dalglish, Darren. londontheatrearchive.co.uk,17 November 1999, accessed November 5, 2015
Collected Stories was a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Drama."Pulitzer Prize Drama" pulitzer.org, accessed May 5, 2016
Sight Unseen Sight Unseen was commissioned by South Coast Repertory, where it had its premiere in September 1991. The play premiered Off-Broadway in a Manhattan Theatre Club production, at City Center II on January 7, 1992, and transferred to the Orpheum Theatre on March 26, 1992, where it ran for a combined total of 293 performances. It was directed by Michael Bloom and starred Dennis Boutsikaris, Deborah Hedwall, Jon DeVries and, in the supporting role of a German art critic, Laura Linney." Sight Unseen 1992" lortel.org, accessed November 3, 2015
Linney played "Patricia" in the play's Broadway premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club's Biltmore Theatre, running from May 6, 2004 (previews) to July 25, 2004. The cast featured Ben Shenkman, Byron Jennings and Ana Reeder, directed by Daniel Sullivan. Linney received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play."'Sight Unseen" Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed November 3, 2015
The play was a finalist for the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Drama."Drama Winners and Finalists" pulitzer.org, accessed November 5, 2015
The Loman Family Picnic