Theresa Rebeck (born February 19, 1958) is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the

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 ...

and

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 tha ...

stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

. In 2012, she received the Athena Film Festival Award for Excellence as a Playwright and Author of Films, Books, and Television. She is a 2009 recipient of the

Alex Awards The Alex Awards annually recognize "ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18". Essentially, the award is a listing by the American Library Association parallel to its annual Best Books for Young A ...

. Her works have influenced American playwrights by bringing a feminist edge in her old works.

Early life and education

Rebeck was born in

Kenwood, Ohio Kenwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sycamore Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,981 at the 2010 census. It is a major shopping destination for the Cincinnati area, featuring properties such as Kenwood ...

, and graduated from

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

's Ursuline Academy in 1976.Kiesewetter, John
title = Kenwood native delves into criminal mind on ''Law & Order''
''

Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...

''. November 18, 2001. She earned her undergraduate degree at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

in 1980, and followed that with three degrees from

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...

: an MA in English 1983, a MFA in Playwriting in 1986, and a PhD in

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

, awarded in 1989.

Career

Past New York productions of her work include ''Mauritius'' on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre in a

Manhattan Theater Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has gr ...

production; ''The Scene'', ''The Water's Edge'', ''Loose Knit'', ''The Family of Mann'' and ''Spike Heels'' at

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 ...

; ''Bad Dates'' and ''The Butterfly Collection'' at

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. Under the ...

; and ''View of the Dome'' at

New York Theatre Workshop __NOTOC__ New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) is an Off-Broadway theatre noted for its productions of new works. Located at 79 4th Street (Manhattan), East 4th Street between Second Avenue (Manhattan), Second Avenue and Bowery in the East Village, ...

. ''

Omnium Gatherum Omnium Gatherum is a six-piece melodic death metal band from Finland, founded in the autumn of 1996. Although the band mainly follows the path of the melodic death metal genre, much of their work shows strong influences from progressive metal, ...

'' (co-written, finalist for the

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

in 2003) was featured at the

Humana Festival Humana Festival of New American Plays is an internationally renowned festival that celebrates the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, this festival showcases new theatrica ...

, and had a commercial run at the Variety Arts Theatre in 2003. Her play ''The Understudy'', premiered at the

Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...

in the summer of 2008, with a cast including

Reg Rogers Reg Rogers (born December 23, 1964) is an American stage, film, and television actor, known for his roles in '' Primal Fear'' and '' Runaway Bride'' and for the TV miniseries ''Attila''. He also appears in theater, both on Broadway and Off-Broadw ...

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...

and Kristen Johnson, and ran in New York at the Roundabout Theatre from October 2009 – January 2010, featuring

Julie White Julie K. White (born June 4, 1961) is an American actress. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in ''The Little Dog Laughed'' in 2007. She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performanc ...

Justin Kirk Justin Kirk (born May 28, 1969) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Prior Walter in Mike Nichols's screen adaptation of ''Angels in America'', for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting A ...

, and

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...

in the cast. The off-Broadway and regional theatre hit comedy premiered in 2015 at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland. Rebeck was attached as a book writer for the new musical ''Ever After'', based on the

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...

movie of the same name. That show was expected to start pre-Broadway tryouts in San Francisco in April 2009, but was postponed. Her play, ''

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

'', ran 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 from March 27 through April 26, 2009. Her play ''

Seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

'' played on Broadway starting in October 2011, and starred

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespe ...

. In May 2014 Seminar premiered in San Francisco at

San Francisco Playhouse San Francisco Playhouse (formerly SF Playhouse) is a non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, founded in 2003 by Bill English and Susi Damilano. The theater stages nine plays yearly, including Broadway plays, musicals, and world ...

receiving outstanding reviews. Her play ''Fool'' premiered at the

Alley Theatre The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at L ...

, Houston, Texas, in February 2014. The theme of the play Seminar was women empowerment through sexuality and the struggles of what it is to be a female in an industry dominated by men. Her play ''Poor Behavior'' opened Off-Broadway at

Primary Stages Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company. In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years at 354 West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theaters. In 2014, the ...

in August 2014. The play premiered at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

in 2011. In an article in ''

The 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 ...

'' in September 2007, she said that her plays were about "betrayal and treason and poor behavior. A lot of poor behavior."

Simonson, Robert Robert Simonson (born September 11, 1964) is an American journalist and author. Personal life Robert Simonson was born in Wisconsin; he has lived in Brooklyn since 1988. Career Robert Simonson began writing about cocktails, spirits and bars for ...

"An Acute Interest in Bad Behavior"
''The New York Times''. September 23, 2007. Rebeck's other publications include ''Free Fire Zone'', a book of comedic essays about writing and show business. She has written for ''American Theatre'' magazine and has had excerpts of her plays published in the ''

Harvard Review ''Harvard Review'' is a biannual literary journal published by Houghton Library at Harvard University. History In 1986 Stratis Haviaras, curator of the Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard University, founded a quarterly periodical called ''Erato''. ...

''. Rebeck's first novel, ''Three Girls and Their Brother'', was published in 2008 by Random House/Shaye Areheart Books. She has received awards including the Mystery Writers of America's

, the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...

Award for Episodic Drama, the Hispanic Images

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 ...

, and the

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

, all for her work on ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...

''. She has won the National Theatre Conference Award (for ''The Family of Mann''), and was awarded the William Inge New Voices Playwriting Award in 2003 for ''The Bells''. ''Mauritius'' was originally produced at Boston's Huntington Theatre, where it received the 2007

IRNE Award The IRNE Awards are presented annually by the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) to honor the best achievements in Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealt ...

for Best New Play as well as the

Elliot Norton Award The Elliot Norton Awards are presented annually to honor the best achievements in Boston-area theater. The genesis of the awards was the Norton Medal, which was first awarded in 1983 and was named after long-time theater critic Elliot Norton (1903 ...

. In 2010, Rebeck was honored with the

PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award The PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award, commonly referred to as the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award, is awarded by the PEN America (formerly PEN American Center). It annually recognizes two American playwrights. A medal is given ...

for an American playwright in mid-career. In television, Rebeck has written for '' Dream On'', ''

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...

'', ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'', '' American Dreamer'', '' Maximum Bob'', '' First Wave'', and ''

Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced by ...

''. She has been a writer/producer for ''Canterbury's Law'', ''Smith'', ''

Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...

'' and ''

''. Through March 2012 she was one of the executive producers for the NBC musical series '' Smash'', which she created, and which also debuted on February 6, 2012. Her produced feature film screenplays include ''

Harriet the Spy ''Harriet the Spy'' is a children's novel written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh that was published in 1964. It has been called "a milestone in children's literature" and a "classic". In the U.S., it ranked number 12 in the 50 Best Books fo ...

'', ''Gossip'', and the independent feature ''Sunday on the Rocks''.

Academic

Rebeck is Distinguished Professor of Playwriting and holds the Lyndall Finley Wortham Chair in the Performing Arts at the University of Houston. Rebeck is a board member of The Dramatists Guild and the Lark Play Development Center in New York City, and has taught at Brandeis University and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. In 2014 she will join the faculty of the

University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance The School of Theatre and Dance is a department within the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts at the University of Houston. The School offers both Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs, including a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ...

as a distinguished visiting professor of playwriting.

Personal life

Rebeck is married, residing with her husband, Jess Lynn, and two children, Cooper and Cleo in

Park Slope, Brooklyn A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

. "Three Girls and their Brother" is dedicated to both Cooper and Cleo.

Works

Plays

Her other work as a playwright includes: ;Full-length * '' Mad House'' (West End, 2022) * ''Bernhardt/Hamlet'' (Broadway, 2018) * ''What We're Up Against'' (2017) * ''

Seared Searing (or pan searing) is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat such as beef, poultry, pork, seafood) is cooked at high temperature until a browned crust forms ...

'' (2016) * ''The Nest'' (2016) * '' Dead Accounts'' (2012) * ''

'' (2011) * ''Poor Behavior'' (2011) * ''O Beautiful'' (2011), written for the professional actors at the University of Delaware * ''The Understudy'' (2007) * ''

'' (2007)
pasadenaplayhouse.org * ''Our House'' (2009) * '' The Scene (play), The Scene'' (2006) * ''The Water's Edge'' (2006) * ''The Bells'' (2005) * ''

'' (2003) (co-written with Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros) * ''Bad Dates'' (2003) * ''Dollhouse'' (2000) * ''The Butterfly Collection'' (2000) * ''Abstract Expression'' (1998) * ''View of the Dome'' (1996) * ''Sunday on the Rocks'' (1994, Final version – 1996) * ''The Family of Mann'' (1994) * ''Loose Knit'' (1992) * ''Spike Heels'' (1990, Final version – 1992) ;One Acts * ''Mary, Mother of God, Intercede for Us'' (2006) * ''Aftermath'' (2005) * ''Off Base'' (2005) * ''How We Get to Where We're Going'' (2004) * ''Train to Brooklyn'' (2003) * ''Deliver Me'' (2003) * ''The Actress'' (2002) * ''Art Appreciation'' (2002) * ''Funeral Play'' (2001) * ''Josephina'' (2001) * ''First Day'' (2000) * ''Walk'' (1999) * ''Great To See You'' (1998) * ''The Contract'' (1997) * ''Katie and Frank'' (1996) * ''Does This Woman Have a Name?'' (1993) * ''What We Are Up Against'' (1992) * ''Candy Heart'' (1992) * ''Drinking Problem'' (1991) * ''Big Mistake'' (1991) * ''Sex with the Censor'' (1990) * ''The Bar Plays'' (1990)

Television

For her work on ''

'', Rebeck was awarded a

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

and a

award for Episodic Drama. *''

Canterbury's Law ''Canterbury's Law'' is an American legal drama television series, which aired from March 10 to April 18, 2008 as a mid-season replacement on Fox. The show was created by Dave Erickson and executive produced by Denis Leary, Jim Serpico, Walon Gr ...

'' *''Smith'' *''

'' *''

'' *'' Maximum Bob'' *''Total Security'' *'' American Dreamer'' *''

'' *'' Dream On'' *''

'' *'' Smash''

Film

Her work as a screenwriter (or story writer) includes: *''

Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...

'' *''

Gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means ...

'' *''

'' *'' Seducing Charlie Barker'' *'' Sunday on the Rocks'' *''

Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...

'' (also director) *''

The 355 ''The 355'' is a 2022 American action spy thriller film directed by Simon Kinberg from a screenplay by Theresa Rebeck and Kinberg, and a story by Rebeck. The film stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita N ...

Fiction

*''I'm Glad About You'' (2016) *''Twelve Rooms with a View'' (2011) *''Three Girls and Their Brother: A Novel by Theresa Rebeck'' (2009)

Non-fiction

*"Free Fire Zone: A Playwright's Adventures on the Creative Battlefields of Film, TV, and Theater" (2007)

Bibliography

* * *

References

External links

* * *
Who's Who entry
from ''

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 ...

''
Channeling Theatre: A Chat with Theresa Rebeck
a January 2004 ''

'' article
Her Notre Dame study theatre work in the late 1970s
from the university's website
Theresa Rebeck
at Random House
Theresa Rebeck: "I Am a Populist"
an L Magazine article from December 11, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rebeck, Theresa 1958 births Living people 21st-century American novelists 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from Ohio Television producers from Ohio American women television producers American television writers American women novelists Brandeis University alumni Edgar Award winners University of Notre Dame alumni Writers from Cincinnati Roman Catholic writers American women dramatists and playwrights American women screenwriters American women television writers People from Hamilton County, Ohio Writers Guild of America Award winners 21st-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers Novelists from Ohio 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American screenwriters