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Albert Innaurato
Albert Francis Innaurato Jr. (June 2, 1947 – September 24, 2017) was an American playwright, theatre director, and writer. Early career Innaurato was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1947. After graduating from the prestigious Central High School Class 224, Temple University and California Institute of the Arts, Innaurato attended the Yale School of Drama. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1975, a Rockefeller Grant and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1986 and 1989. Innaurato collaborated with Christopher Durang on ''The Idiots Karamazov'', ''I Don't Normally Like Poetry but Have You Read "Trees"?'', and ''Gyp, the Real-Life Story of Mitzi Gaynor'' while both were students at Yale University's School of Drama. They performed in all three plays, often as women dressed as priests. At Yale they frequently appeared in plays with classmates Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver and their friend Wendy Wasserstein. ''I Don't Normally Like Poetry but Have Y ...
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Playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder (as in a wheelwright or cartwright). The words combine to indicate a person who has "wrought" words, themes, and other elements into a dramatic form—a play. (The homophone with "write" is coincidental.) The first recorded use of the term "playwright" is from 1605, 73 years before the first written record of the term "dramatist". It appears to have been first used in a pejorative sense by Ben Jonson to suggest a mere tradesman fashioning works for the theatre. Jonson uses the word in his Epigram 49, which is thought to refer to John Marston: :''Epigram XLIX — On Playwright'' :PLAYWRIGHT me reads, and still my verses damns, :He says I want the tongue of epigrams ; :I have no salt, no bawdry he doth mea ...
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Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer than 100. An "off-Broadway production" is a production of a play, musical, or revue that appears in such a venue and adheres to related trade union and other contracts. Some shows that premiere off-Broadway are subsequently produced on Broadway. History The term originally referred to any venue, and its productions, on a street intersecting Broadway in Midtown Manhattan's Theater District, the hub of the American theatre industry. It later became defined by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers as a professional venue in Manhattan with a seating capacity of at least 100, but not more than 499, or a production that appears in such a venue and adheres to related trade union and other contracts. Previously, regardless of the size ...
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James Coco
James Emil Coco (March 21, 1930 – February 25, 1987) was an American stage and screen actor. He was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award and three Obie Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, an Academy Awards, Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Coco is remembered for his supporting roles in the films ''Man of La Mancha (film), Man of La Mancha'' (1972) and ''Only When I Laugh (film), Only When I Laugh'' (1981). Early life and career Born in the Little Italy, Manhattan, Little Italy section of Manhattan, Coco was the son of Felice Lescoco, a shoemaker, and Ida Detestes Lescoco (Coco being a shortened version of his birth name). The family moved to the Pelham Bay (neighborhood), Bronx, Pelham Bay section of the Bronx when he was an infant, where he lived until his late teens. James began acting straight out of high school. He received his acting training at HB Studio in New York City. As an overweight and prematurely balding adult, he ...
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Linda Hart
Linda Hart (born July 5, 1950) is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing in musical theatre. Life and career Hart was born in Dallas, Texas, United States. As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joined her father, the late Rev. Ralph L. Hart, (a preacher) and the rest of the family in ''The Harts'', a weekly gospel television series. Her father and uncle, the Rev. Doyle Hart, visited Detroit in 1954 and cut a 45 of "Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down", later released by Ralph Hart and The Texas Musical Harts. Hart attended Los Angeles City College as a theatre major. During college, however, her family received a recording contract with Columbia Records; Hart joined them and moved to Nashville for the job. The group recorded several gospel albums, many nominated for Grammy Awards and one a winner. Solo work included appearances with ''The New Christy Minstrels'' as their only female leader, a stint on Johnny Cash's ABC television s ...
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Robert Picardo
Robert Alphonse Picardo (born October 27, 1953) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the Cowboy in ''Innerspace'', Coach Cutlip on ''The Wonder Years'', Captain Dick Richard on the ABC series ''China Beach'', the Doctor on '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and Richard Woolsey in the '' Stargate'' franchise. He is a frequent collaborator of Joe Dante and is a member of The Planetary Society's Board of Directors. Early life Picardo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Joe Picardo. Robert is of Italian heritage, with his father's family originating from Montecorvino Rovella, Salerno, and his mother's parents originally from Bomba in Abruzzo. He graduated from William Penn Charter School in 1971 and originally entered Yale University as a pre-medical student, but opted to act instead. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in drama from Yale University. Picardo is an accomplished singer. While he was at Yale University, he was a member of the Society of Orpheus an ...
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Prince Music Theater
The Prince Theater is a non-profit theatrical producing organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and specializing in music theatre, including opera, music drama, musical comedy and experimental forms. Founded in 1984 as the American Music Theater Festival by Marjorie Samoff, Eric Salzman and Ron Kaiserman, for the first 15 years AMTF performed in various venues throughout Philadelphia. In March 1999, AMTF moved into the renovated Midtown Theater and changed its name in honor of Broadway producer and director Harold Prince,. AMTF/Prince Theater has produced 92 world premieres and has sent 81 productions to theaters in New York and worldwide. Works The Prince Theater productions (primarily as the American Music Theater Festival) have included the world premieres of * Julie Taymor, Elliot Goldenthal and Sidney Goldfarb's ''The Transposed Heads'' * Anthony Davis' ''X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X'' * Duke Ellington's ''Queenie Pie'' * Emily Mann, Ntozake Shange, and Ba ...
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The Society For The Study Of The Multi-Ethnic Literature Of The United States
''The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States'' (''MELUS'') is a scholarly society established in 1974. MELUS publishes a quarterly academic journal, ''MELUS''. The aim of the Society is "to expand the definition of American literature through the study and teaching of Latino American, Native American, African-American, Asian and Pacific American, and ethnically specific Euro-American literary works, their authors, and their cultural contexts". Founding The society was formed in response to the perceived practice at the Modern Language Association's annual conference American Literature section of discussing only works by white men. The society was founded at the following year's conference and within a few months had almost 100 members. At the conference the following year (1974), society members formally proclaimed their demand, "We must expand the canon of American literature!" At this time, the society's goals included the recovery of lost wo ...
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Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the same sex. It "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions." Along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation within the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. Scientists do not yet know the exact cause of sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences and do not view it as a choice. Although no single theory on the cause of sexual orientation has yet gained widespread support, scientists favor biologically based theories. There is considerably more evidence supporti ...
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Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on the sitcom ''Charles in Charge'' (1984–1990), Dr. Jack Stewart in the medical-mystery-drama series '' Diagnosis: Murder'' (1993–1995), and the titular role of the musical film ''Bugsy Malone'' (1976), his onscreen debut. Baio has guest-starred on various television programs, appeared in several independent films, and starred on the Nickelodeon sitcom ''See Dad Run'' (2012–2015). Early life Baio was born in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City in 1960, the son of Italian immigrants Rose, a homemaker, and Mario Baio, who worked as his manager. He and his siblings were raised in Bensonhurst. He went to Xaverian High School. Career In 1976, Baio played the title character ''Bugsy Malone'' in t ...
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Showtime (TV Network)
Showtime is an American pay television, premium television television network, network owned by Paramount Media Networks, and is the flagship property of the namesake parent company, Showtime Networks, a part of Paramount Media Networks. Showtime's programming primarily includes Art release#Film, theatrically released Feature film, motion pictures and Original series, original television program, television series, along with boxing and mixed martial arts matches, occasional stand-up comedy television special, specials, and Television film, made-for-TV movies. Headquartered at Paramount Plaza on the northern end of New York City's Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway district, Showtime operates eight 24-hour, linear Multiplex (television)#Pay television multiplexes, multiplex channels; a traditional subscription video on demand service; and two proprietary streaming media, streaming platforms, the TV Everywhere offering Showtime Anytime (which is included as part of a subscription to th ...
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Happy Birthday, Gemini
''Happy Birthday, Gemini'' is a 1980 comedy-drama film written and directed by Richard Benner and starring Madeline Kahn, Rita Moreno, Robert Viharo, Alan Rosenberg, Sarah Holcomb, David Marshall Grant and Timothy Jenkins. It is based on Albert Innaurato's play ''Gemini''. Plot Set in the backyard of a blue-collar neighborhood early in South Philadelphia in the summer of 1973, the comedy-drama focuses on the 21st birthday celebration of Harvard student Francis Geminiani. In attendance are his divorced father Fran and Fran's widowed girlfriend Lucille, next-door neighbor Bunny Weinberger and her overweight son Herschel, and Francis' classmates, the wealthy WASP Hastings siblings; Judith (who seeks romance with Francis) and Randy (the object of Francis' unexpressed affection), who have arrived unexpectedly, much to their friend's dismay. All are dysfunctional to varying degrees, and the interactions among them provide the play with its comic and dramatic moments. Cast *Madeline Ka ...
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Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Following the 1964 renaming as the Drama Desk Awards, Broadway productions were included beginning with the 1968–69 award season. The awards are considered a significant American theater distinction. History The Drama Desk organization was formed in 1949 by a group of New York theater critics, editors, reporters and publishers, in order to make the public aware of the vital issues concerning the theatrical industry. They debuted the presentations of the ''Vernon Rice Awards''. The name honors the ''New York Post'' critic Vernon Rice, who had pioneered Off-Broadway coverage in the New York press. The name was changed for the 1963–1964 awards season to the ''Drama Desk Awards''. In 1974, the Drama Desk became incorporated as a not-for-pr ...
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