Latest news with #RobertFalls
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Richard Greenberg dead at 67: The Tony-winning Take Me Out playwright is remembered for legacy on Broadway
Richard Greenberg, the Tony award-winning playwright behind Take Me Out, has died at age 67. Over the weekend, the New York native's death was announced on social media by his friend and theater director Robert Falls. 'Heartbroken by the news of playwright Richard Greenberg's death. For the past several years we've been deep in collaboration on his gorgeous adaptation of Holiday, Philip Barry's great American play — premiering at the Goodman this February. A profound loss mid-process,' Falls wrote on Bluesky. He continued: 'For over 30 years, it's been one of life's great pleasures to know Rich and his writing. Dazzling, humane, wildly funny. … His kindness was real. His loss is enormous.' American actor, Denis O'Hare, who received a Tony Award for his role as Mason Marzac in Take Me Out, shared a heartfelt tribute to Greenberg on Instagram. 'Hard to believe the genius that was Richard Greenberg is no more. I owe him more than I could possibly say,' he wrote. 'He gave me the greatest gift ever--a beautiful character to inhabit in a beautiful play.' O'Hare went on to praise his former colleague for giving him his two best friends, Lisa Peterson and Linda Emond, who he recalled meeting on Greenberg's 'one act play, The Author's Voice, at Remains Theatre in 1987 in a festival of one acts called "Sneaky Feelings."' 'I have a sneaky feeling of grief mixed with gratitude for this man. RIP Rich,' he concluded. At this time, a cause of death has not been publicly revealed. His fans flooded X with tributes as they remembered the late playwright for pushing boundaries and inspiring 'thought for generations to come.' 'Farewell to the playwright Richard Greenberg, of Take Me Out, The Assembled Parties and Three Days of Rain. A lyrical chronicler of the mysteries that are human beings, he understood that the past, far from being another country, is forever a pulsing part of our present,' one tweeted. Another wrote: 'RIP Richard Greenberg, a great American playwright. His work included the award-winning TAKE ME OUT and the superb THREE DAYS OF RAIN. He wrote about everyone from Major League baseball players to upper crust New Yorkers, always with wit and compassion. A major loss.' In addition to Take Me Out, Greenberg is remembered for writing plays as The Dazzle, The American Plan, Life Under Water and The Author's Voice. Take Me Out, which had an all-male cast, followed a baseball star's coming out journey during a season filled of racial tension and violence. He also penned the Broadway adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's and the book for the musical Far From Heaven. Over his career, he had more than 25 plays premiere on, Off-Broadway, and off-off 'Broadway in New York City as well as eight at the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California. Greenberg, who was born in 1958, graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University. He studied creative writing under American novelist Joyce Carol Oates and was roommates with future Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Greenberg, Tony-Winning ‘Take Me Out' Playwright, Dies at 67
Richard Greenberg, the Tony Award-winning writer of 'Take Me Out,' has died. He was 67 years old. Greenberg's death was announced on social media by collaborators and colleagues such as Denis O'Hare and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who won Tonys for their work in the original 2003 production of 'Take Me Out' and its 2022 revival, as well as director Robert Falls. More from Variety Jesse Williams and 'Take Me Out' Co-Stars Discuss Need for Hot Water in Infamous Shower Scenes Jesse Williams on Baring All Again in 'Take Me Out,' That Leaked Footage and Why He Doesn't Watch 'Grey's Anatomy' 'Take Me Out' Returning to Broadway in October With Jesse Williams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson 'For over 30 years, it's been one of life's great pleasures to know Rich and his writing. Dazzling, humane, wildly funny,' Falls wrote. 'He was also one of the smartest people I've ever met. But he wore that brilliance lightly—often cloaked in hilarity, or tossed off in the driest, most devastating line at dinner. His kindness was real. His loss is enormous.' Greenberg's plays were known for their wit and sophistication, and covered a wide range of topics, from a pro baseball team reacting to the presence of a gay player in the locker room in 'Take Me Out' to an Upper West Side family grappling with the consequences of their bad choices in 'The Assembled Parties.' Greenberg's work, which includes 'Three Days of Rain,' 'Our Mother's Brief Affair' and 'The American Plan,' was frequently produced on and off Broadway, as well as at top regional theaters. He also wrote a disastrous 2013 adaptation of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' as well as penned a well-received adaptation of August Strindberg's 'Dance of Death' that brought Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren to Broadway. In addition to winning the Tony for best new play for 'Take Me Out' in 2003, Greenberg was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for that show and for 'Three Days of Rain.' Falls wrote on social media that Greenberg was working with him on a new adaptation of Philip Barry's 'Holiday' that was supposed to premiere next year at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Chicago Tribune
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Anna D. Shapiro is stepping away from Steppenwolf for health reasons
Steppenwolf Theatre Company said Monday that its former artistic director, Anna D. Shapiro, will no longer be directing 'Amadeus' in its upcoming season. She will be replaced by former Goodman Theatre artistic director Robert Falls, making his Steppenwolf directorial debut. A Steppenwolf spokesman said the Tony Award-winning Shapiro was stepping down from leading the planned November staging for health reasons and hopes to return to directing projects soon. Steppenwolf also said that it was postponing its previously announced production of 'Topdog/Underdog' due to artistic scheduling conflicts, and will instead stage Conor McPherson's 2012 adaptation of August Strindberg's 'The Dance of Death.' To be directed by Yasen Peyankov, the replacement production will bring longtime ensemble member Kathryn Erbe back to Steppenwolf after an absence of nearly 30 years, along with Steppenwolf co-founder Jeff Perry. 'The Dance of Death' is slated for late January 2026. Steppenwolf Theatre hits 50: Its anniversary season will include 'Amadeus' and a new play by Tarell Alvin McCraneyChris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@
