Leonard Foglia (born August 24, 1954) is an American

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

, and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

. Foglia made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut as the assistant director of ''

The Heidi Chronicles ''The Heidi Chronicles'' is a 1988 play by Wendy Wasserstein. The play won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Production history A workshop production at Seattle Repertory Theatre was held in April 1988, directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, starr ...

'' in 1989. He also directed revivals of ''

Wait Until Dark ''Wait Until Dark'' is a play by Frederick Knott, first performed on Broadway in 1966 and often revived since then. A Wait Until Dark (film), film version was released in 1967, and the play was published in the same year. Synopsis Susy Hendrix ...

'' (1998) and '' On Golden Pond'' (2005). Foglia has collaborated with playwright

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...

on three projects, ''

Master Class A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are being developed. "Masterclass" is als ...

'' (1995), '' By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea'' (1996), and ''The Stendhal Syndrome'' (2004). Foglia's off-Broadway credits include ''A Backer's Audition'' (1992), ''Lonely Planet'' (1994), ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygma ...

'' (1996), and ''If Memory Serves'' (1999). His regional theatre credits include ''

The Subject Was Roses ''The Subject Was Roses'' is a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1964 play written by Frank D. Gilroy, who also adapted the work in 1968 for a film with the same title. Background The play premiered on Broadway at the Royale Theatre on May 25, 1964, st ...

'', ''

Thurgood Thurgood is a surname and a given name, and may refer to the following people: Surname *Albert Thurgood (1874–1927), Australian rules footballer *Graham Thurgood, linguist * Josh Thurgood (1985–), Australian rules footballer * Rose Thurgood (b ...

'', and ''The Secret Letters of Jackie & Marilyn''. He wrote the libretto for Jake Heggie's

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

The End of the Affair ''The End of the Affair'' is a 1951 novel by British author Graham Greene, as well as the title of two feature films (released in 1955 and 1999) that were adapted from the novel. Set in London during and just after the Second World War, the n ...

'' and conceived and directed ''Dreamland'', a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

featuring the songs of Harold Arlen. In 2008, Foglia directed the world premiere of Jake Heggie's opera '' Last Acts'' at the Houston Grand Opera. With ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'' cultural correspondent David Richards, Foglia co-authored the 1997 suspense novel ''1 Ragged Ridge Road''. () Foglia directed the production of ''Thurgood'', a one-man show about the life and work of U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Thurgood Marshall Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-A ...

Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...

. ''Thurgood'', starring

Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. He is a three time Emmy Award and Tony Award winning actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He has been hailed for his forceful, militant, and authoritative charact ...

, opened officially on April 30, 2008. In the fall of 2009, Foglia directed the world premiere musical ''Laughing Matters'' by

Iris Rainer Dart Iris Rainer Dart ( Rainer; born March 3, 1944) is an American author and playwright for television and the stage. Her most notable novel is ''Beaches'', which was made into a 1988 film of the same name. She has also written several stage musical ...

at the

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

in California. In 2009, Foglia directed the production of ''Let Me Down Easy'' by

Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in '' The West Wing'' (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus in the Showtime series ''N ...

; presented by

Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

. He wrote the libretto for the first mariachi opera, ' (''To Cross the Face of the Moon''), to José "Pepe" Martínez' (

Vargas de Tecalitlán Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlán is a Mexican folk ensemble of mariachi music founded in 1897 by Gaspar Vargas. Since 1950 it has been under the artistic guidance of Rubén Fuentes. The group's musical direction had been the responsibility of Do ...

) music which premiered at the Houston Grand Opera in 2010. In 2011 With David Richards, Foglia co-authored the 2011 suspense novel trilogy ''The Sudarium Trilogy''. ''The Surrogate – Book One'' (), ''The Son – Book Two'' (), and ''The Savior – Book Three'' () He wrote the libretto for

Ricky Ian Gordon Ricky Ian Gordon (born May 15, 1956) is an American composer of art song, opera and musical theatre. Life Gordon was born in Oceanside, New York. He was raised by his mother, Eve, and father, Sam, and he grew up on Long Island with his three sist ...

's opera '' A Coffin in Egypt'' which had its world premiere at the Houston Grand Opera in 2014.

References

External links

* *
Leonard Foglia
at

Operabase Operabase is an online database of opera performances, opera houses and companies, and performers themselves as well as their agents. Found at operabase.com, it was created in 1996 by English software engineer and opera lover Mike Gibb.Edward Sc ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Foglia, Leonard American theatre directors American male novelists American musical theatre librettists 21st-century American novelists Helpmann Award winners Living people 1954 births American opera librettists 20th-century American novelists American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers