Stacy Title (February 21, 1964January 11, 2021) was an American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and producer. Her films include ''

Let the Devil Wear Black ''Let the Devil Wear Black'' is a 1999 crime thriller film directed by Stacy Title, co-written by Title and her husband, actor Jonathan Penner. The film is a modern retelling of the classic play ''Hamlet''. Background The film is a modern-day ve ...

'' (1999), ''

The Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...

'' (1995), and ''Down on the Waterfront'' (1993), for which she was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Career

Title's first project was ''Down on the Waterfront'' (1993), a short film nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film The Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film is an award presented at the annual Academy Awards ceremony. The award has existed, under various names, since 1957. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate awards, "Best Short Subject, One- ...

at the

66th Academy Awards The 66th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1993 and took place on March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p. ...

. Her first feature film, ''The Last Supper'' (1995), is a comedy about graduate students who plan to murder right-wing militants. Title was married to writer-actor and '' Survivor'' contestant

Jonathan Penner Jonathan Lindsay Penner (born March 5, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, television personality, and film producer, known for producing and starring in the film ''The Last Supper'', as well as acting in the television series '' Rude Awa ...

, with whom she collaborated on several movies. She first directed Penner in ''The Last Supper''. Together, they wrote the script for the 2003 WB-produced

re-imagining A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...

of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'', starring

Chad Michael Murray Chad Michael Murray (born August 24, 1981) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for playing Lucas Scott in The WB/ CW drama series ''One Tree Hill'' (2003–09, 2012), a recurring role as Tristin DuGray on The WB/ CW series ''Gilmo ...

and

Nathaniel Arcand Nathaniel Arcand (born November 13, 1971) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his first major role in the Canadian drama series ''North of 60'', in which for three seasons he played William MacNeil, smart-mouthed and cocky, a troubled, misunders ...

. She later directed the 2017 horror film ''

The Bye Bye Man ''The Bye Bye Man'' is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Stacy Title (in her final directed film before her death) and written by Jonathan Penner, based on the chapter "The Bridge to Body Island" in Robert Damon Schneck's book ...

'', from a script by Penner. She and Penner were previously developing a ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' television series for MarVista Entertainment and IM Global Television. She was also developing a dark comedy film called ''Walking Time Bomb'' following the release of ''The Bye Bye Man''.

Personal life

Title grew up in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and her father was a commercial producer. She married Jonathan Penner on September 14, 1991; the couple had two children together. Title was a first cousin of Daena Title, who is married to ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

'' actor

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...

. Alexander was slated to star in ''Walking Time Bomb'' before Title's death.

Illness and death

In December 2017, Title was diagnosed with

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...

, though she continued to work on ''Walking Time Bomb'' despite her illness and though as her illness progressed she was unable to walk, talk or swallow. The film was never completed. Title died on January 11, 2021, at the age of 56. Her husband Jonathan Penner announced her death via

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Filmography

Director

* '' Freakish'' (2017) – Episode: "Trust Issues" * ''

'' (2017) * ''The Greatest Show Ever'' (2007) * ''

Hood of Horror ''Hood of Horror'' (a.k.a. ''Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror'') is a Horror film, horror film adaptation of a fictional comic book, which is an anthology of three short tales set in an urban milieu in a style reminiscent of ''Tales from the Crypt ( ...

'' (2006) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

'' (1995) * ''Down on the Waterfront'' (1993)

Writer

* 2003: ''

'' * 1999: ''

'' * 1993: ''Down on the Waterfront''

Producer

* ''

'' (2003) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

'' (1995) * ''Down on the Waterfront'' (1993)

Cameo

* 2006: '' Survivor: Cook Islands'' (episode, "Arranging a Hit"), as Jonathan's loved one

References

External links

*
Interview, including biographical information

Stacy Title
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Title, Stacy 1964 births 2021 deaths American women film directors American women screenwriters Neurological disease deaths in California Deaths from motor neuron disease Place of birth missing 21st-century American women Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery