Tim Kelly (October 2, 1931 – December 7, 1998) was an American
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 ...
who wrote over three hundred plays.
Biography
Kelly was born in
Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 28,619 at the 2020 census. Saugus is known as the site of the first integrated iron works in North America.
History
Native Americans ...
on October 2, 1931. He graduated from
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private college with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It also maintains campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and Well, Limburg, Netherlands ( Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a ...
with a bachelor's degree and received a master's degree in play-writing from
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
.
His first stage play was ''Widow's Walk,'' published in the 1960s. Other early plays include ''A Darker Flower'' (New York's Pocket Theatre), ''The Trunk and All That Jazz'' (Boston's Image Theatre), and ''Die Blum'' (Germany). He wrote under a variation of his own name (Tim Kelly), and also at least four pseudonyms (Vera Morris, J. Moriarty, Robert Swift, Keith Jackson). His publishers include Samuel French, Pioneer Drama Service and Contemporary Drama Service.
He wrote over three hundred plays,
which have been performed by the Royal Court Rep, the Studio Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Los Angeles Actor's Theatre, the Aspen Playwright's Festival, and the Seattle Repertory Company. His professionally staged plays include ''Murder Game'', described in a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' review of a 1989 production as a "tedious story with a contrived ending".
[Frank, Leah D. (24 December 1989) Theater review; Games People Play Extend to Murder. ''New York Times'', pA.7]
Kelly was a drama critic and journalist in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
(1965–1967) and was particularly noted for the broad scope of his work, which covered everything from mysteries to musicals to serious drama. He was also a screen and television writer (1968–1978).
In 1995, he became a member of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre.
On December 7, 1998, Kelly died suddenly at home of a brain hemorrhage (age 67).
[Kenneth Jones (December 10, 1998)]
Tim Kelly, Prolific Playwright for Amateur Market, Dead at 67
''Playbill
''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...
''
Awards and honors
Emerson College recognized him for his "contributions to the field of playwriting" on two occasions. The University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center holds a Tim Kelly Collection.
References
Kelly's obituary in ''Playbill''Article about Kelly's plays with Francoeur, especially ''Oz!''
Further reading
* ''Tim Kelly: Master of Stage Fright: The Life and Times of America's Most Prolific Playwright'', by Ben Ohmart. Albany, BearManor Media, 2009.
* ''The Museum Murders'', by Tim Kelly. Albany, BearManor Media, 2009.
External links
Tim Kelly at Pioneer DramaThe Playwrights Database: Tim Kelly
* Th
Tim Kelly papers
at th
American Heritage Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Tim
1931 births
1998 deaths
20th-century American dramatists and playwrights