Lisa Loomer (born 1950) is an American
playwright and
screenwriter who has also worked as an actress and stand-up comic.
She is best known for her play ''The Waiting Room'' (1994), in which three women from different time periods meet in a modern doctor's waiting room, each suffering from the effects of their various societies' cosmetic
body modification
Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common ear piercing in many so ...
practices (
foot binding
Foot binding, or footbinding, was the Chinese custom of breaking and tightly binding the feet of young girls in order to change their shape and size. Feet altered by footbinding were known as lotus feet, and the shoes made for these feet were kno ...
,
corsetry
A corsetmaker is a specialist tailor who makes corsets. Corsetmakers are frequently known by the French equivalent terms corsetier (male) and corsetière (female).
Stay-maker is an obsolete name for a corsetmaker.
The best corsetmakers are highl ...
, and
breast implantation).
She also co-wrote the screenplay for the film ''
Girl Interrupted''. Many of her plays deal with the experiences of Latinas and immigrant characters. Others deal with social and political issues through the lens of contemporary family life. Beyond that, Loomer's play ''The Waiting Room'' discusses issues such as body image, breast cancer, and non-Western medicine.
Early life
Lisa Loomer was born in
New York and moved to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
with her family in her late teens.
She is of Spanish and Romanian ancestry.
Loomer studied theatre at
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, ...
and
New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Career
Lisa Loomer began her career as an actress and comedienne. Her first work for theater was ''A Crowd of Two'' at the
American Place Theatre
The American Place Theatre was founded in 1963 by Wynn Handman, Sidney Lanier, and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church, 423 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and was incorporated as a not-for-profit theatre in that year. Tenness ...
. This was followed by a one-woman show, ''All By Herselves'', at the
Westside Arts Theatre. She began writing plays at the
Intar Playwrights Lab, under the direction of
Maria Irene Fornes
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
. Her first play ''Birds'' was produced by
South Coast Rep.
Lisa Loomer’s play ''Roe'', about
Roe v. Wade
''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...
, was originally commissioned through the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...
's American Revolutions program. It was first produced at OSF in a production that traveled to Arena Stage and Berkeley Rep. It received the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award and the Pen Award.
Her play ''Homefree'' was commissioned and developed at
Denver Center Theater Company before receiving its world premiere in Los Angeles at the Road Theatre.
''Café Vida'', about female gang members, was presented at the
Los Angeles Theatre Center
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is an institution in Los Angeles, which is operated by the Latino Theater Company.
In January 2006, the Latino Theater Company won a lease to operate The Los Angeles Theatre Center for 20 years and got a $4 millio ...
by the
Cornerstone Theatre Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
in partnership with
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Industries is a youth program founded in 1992 by Father Greg Boyle following the work of the Christian base communities at Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. The program is intended to assist high-risk youth, former ...
, and was nominated for an
Ovation Award
The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...
for Best Play.
''Two Things You Don't Talk About at Dinner'' had its world premiere at the
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...
.
''Distracted'' had its world premiere at the
Mark Taper Forum and was subsequently produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The play was produced at the
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
History
The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...
in New York in a production starring
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...
and has subsequently been produced in theatres throughout the U.S.
''Living Out'' had its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum and was produced at the
Second Stage Theater
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 ...
in New York. It has been produced at such theaters as
Seattle Rep,
Milwaukee Rep, The Denver Center, and
Theatreworks, often in bi-lingual productions, as well as in Israel, Europe, and Mexico.
Her play ''The Waiting Room'' went from the
Williamstown Theater Festival to the Mark Taper Forum to highly successful productions at
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...
and
Trinity Rep, and then to the
Vineyard Theatre
The Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Its first production was in 1981. It is best known for its productions of the Tony award-winning ...
in New York. It has been widely produced nationally and internationally.
''Expecting Isabell'' had its world premiere at Arena Stage and its west coast premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. It has been produced in New York and nationally.
''Bocón!'', a political fable for young audiences, began at the Taper and has been seen throughout the country, from the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
, to Seattle’s Group Theater and the
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego.
History
La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...
, as well as in Germany, Alaska, and Mexico.
For the Cornerstone Theatre Company, she also wrote ''Broken Hearts'', produced at the
Los Angeles Theatre Center
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is an institution in Los Angeles, which is operated by the Latino Theater Company.
In January 2006, the Latino Theater Company won a lease to operate The Los Angeles Theatre Center for 20 years and got a $4 millio ...
.
Other plays by Loomer which have been performed publicly include ''Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria!'' (
Mixed Blood), ''Accelerando'' (
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble), and ''Looking for Angels'' (
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
).
Loomer is an alumna of
New Dramatists
New Dramatists is an organization of playwrights founded in 1949 and located at 424 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Hell's Kitchen (Clinton) neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
The members of New Dramatists parti ...
and the recipient of two grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
and a grant from the
New York Foundation for the Arts
The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organizations ...
. Awards include the Jane Chambers Award (twice), the
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize
The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize established in 1978, is the largest and oldest playwriting prize for women+ writing for English-speaking theatre. Named for Susan Smith Blackburn (1935–1977), alumna of Smith College, who died of breast cancer.
W ...
, the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award, a
Garland Award
The Back Stage Garland Awards — also referred to simply as the Garland Awards, and known as the Back Stage West Garland Awards from 1998 to 2008 — were bestowed by the entertainment-industry newspaper '' Backstage'', honoring excellence in Sou ...
, a Lurie Foundation Award, an Ovation Award, and the American Theatre Critics Association Award (twice). She has also received an
Imagen Award
The Imagen Awards are administered by the Imagen Foundation, an organization dedicated to "encouraging and recognizing the positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry." To be considered for an Imagen Award, a media piece or person ...
for positive portrayals of Latinos in all media. Her plays have been selected for the
Otis Guernsey Jr.
Otis Love Guernsey Jr. (August 9, 1918 – May 2, 2001) was an American journalist, writer, and editor of books about theatre. He was a former arts editor of the '' New York Herald Tribune'' and edited 36 volumes of the ''Best Plays'' series (form ...
/
Burns Mantle
Robert Burns Mantle (December 23, 1873February 9, 1948) was an American theater critic. He founded the ''Best Plays'' annual publication in 1920.Chansky, Dorothy (2011)"Burns Mantle and the American Theatregoing Public" in ''Theatre History Stu ...
anthologies ''The Best Plays of 1994–1995'', ''The Best Plays of 1998–1999'', and ''The Best Plays of 2003-2004''. Loomer's works have been published by
Dramatists Play Service
Dramatists Play Service (also known as The Play Service) is a theatrical-publishing and licensing house, established in 1936 by members of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Society for Authors' Representatives. DPS publishes English-language ...
,
TCG,
Dramatic Publishing
Dramatic may refer to:
* Drama, a literary form involving parts for actors
* Dramatic, a voice type classification in European classical music, describing a specific vocal weight and range at the lower end of a given voice part
* Dramatic soprano, ...
, and
Arte Publico Press
Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture.
It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, pl ...
. ''Roe'', ''The Waiting Room'', and ''Living Out'' are widely taught in university drama programs, Women's Studies programs, and Latino Studies programs.
Loomer also writes for film and television, both comedy and drama. She was a supervising producer for the second season of
''Love Is…'' on
OWN
Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
. Her films include ''
Girl Interrupted'', and ''
Nappily Ever After
''Nappily Ever After'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour and written by Adam Brooks and Cee Marcellus. It is based on the novel of the same name by Trisha R. Thomas. The film stars Sanaa Lathan, Ernie Hudson, ...
'' for
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
. Loomer has written TV pilots for
HBO,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
,
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, and
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
.
Awards
Loomer has won the
Jane Chambers Playwriting Award (in 1994 for ''The Waiting Room''
[Layfer, Lauren ]
Loomer play spotlights three ladies in 'Waiting'
." ''The Michigan Daily Online''. 1997-11-19. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.), the
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize
The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize established in 1978, is the largest and oldest playwriting prize for women+ writing for English-speaking theatre. Named for Susan Smith Blackburn (1935–1977), alumna of Smith College, who died of breast cancer.
W ...
, the
Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award, a
Back Stage West
''Backstage'', also previously written as ''Back Stage'', is an American entertainment industry trade publication. Founded by Allen Zwerdling and Ira Eaker in 1960, it covers the film and performing arts industry from the perspective of performer ...
Garland Award for Playwriting (in 2003 for ''Living Out''
[Living Out: Performance Guide](_blank)
Palo Alto, CA: Theatre Works. 2004. 7. Retrieved on: 2007-10-13.), the
Imagen Award
The Imagen Awards are administered by the Imagen Foundation, an organization dedicated to "encouraging and recognizing the positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry." To be considered for an Imagen Award, a media piece or person ...
for positive portrayals of Latinos in all media, and
American Theatre Critics Association The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) is the only nationwide professional association of theatre critics in the United States. The ATCA membership consists of theatre critics who write reviews and critiques of live theatre for print, broad ...
Steinberg New Play Award (in 1995 for ''The Waiting Room'' and in 1999 for ''Expecting Isabel''.)
[ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award Winners](_blank)
. St. Paul, MN: American Theatre Critics Association. 2007. Retrieved on: 2007-10-13. She was also the recipient of two grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
, and one from the
New York Foundation for the Arts
The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organizations ...
, and was nominated for a
Pulitzer Prize.
Select plays
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loomer, Lisa
Living people
1950 births
Writers from New York City
American women screenwriters
20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
Screenwriters from New York (state)
American women dramatists and playwrights
American people of Spanish descent
American people of Romanian descent
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women