Nationality American Plays As Is Period 1960s–present Movies As Is | Name William Hoffman Books Commercial Transactions Role Playwright | |
 | ||
Born April 12, 1939 (age 85)
New York City, New York, U.S.A ( 1939-04-12 ) Notable work(s) As Is
The Ghosts of Versailles Education City College of New York (1960) Awards Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada Similar People John Corigliano, Marshall W Mason, Fran Myers, John Glines, Jeffrey Sweet | ||
Conversations with william m hoffman sir arnold wesker british playwright pt 2 of 2
William M. Hoffman (April 12, 1939 - April 29, 2017) was an American playwright, editor and educator.
Contents
- Conversations with william m hoffman sir arnold wesker british playwright pt 2 of 2
- Conversations with william m hoffman david henry hwang playwright and librettist pt 2of 2
- Life and career
- Published plays
- Other credits
- Additional awards and acclaim
- References
Conversations with william m hoffman david henry hwang playwright and librettist pt 2of 2
Life and career
Hoffman was born in New York City, New York, United States, the son of Johanna (Papiermeister), a jeweler, and Morton Hoffman, a caterer. Hoffman's earliest works were mounted in small, experimental off-off-Broadway theaters in New York City.
It was not until 1985 that he achieved critical acclaim and public recognition when the Broadway-theatre production of his play, As Is, one of the first plays to focus on AIDS, opened in New York City at the Lyceum Theatre, where it ran for 285 performances. Hoffman won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (1985) and an Obie Award (1984-85 for Playwriting ) and nominations for a Tony Award for Best Play (1985). The following year, he adapted the work for a television production directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
In 1991, Hoffman was commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera Company to write the libretto for The Ghosts of Versailles first produced in celebration of the company's centennial. A 1993-televised production starred Teresa Stratas, Renée Fleming, and Graham Clark. Hoffman earned an Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
As an editor at Hill and Wang, Hoffman promoted the careers of Lanford Wilson, Tom Eyen, and Joe Orton, among others, by including their plays in either his New American Plays series or his anthology, Gay Plays: A First Collection.
Until the time of his death, he was an Associate Professor of Theatre at Lehman College at The City University of New York.
Published plays
(Year indicated is when first produced)