Terrance McNally
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Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) 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 ...
, librettist, and
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. ...
. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," McNally was the recipient of five Tony Awards. He won the
Tony Award for Best Play The Tony Award for Best Play (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award given to the best new (non- musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first year ...
for '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'' and ''
Master Class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
'' and the
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligib ...
for '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' and ''
Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
,'' and received the 2019 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted into the
American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...
in 1996, and he also received the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the highest recognition of artistic merit in the United States. His other accolades included an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
, two
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
s, a
Rockefeller Grant Rockefeller is a German surname, originally given to people from the village of Rockenfeld near Neuwied in the Rhineland and commonly referring to subjects associated with the Rockefeller family. It may refer to: People with the name Rockefeller fa ...
, four
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
s, two
Lucille Lortel Awards The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatre ...
, two
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...
s, and three
Hull-Warriner Award The Hull-Warriner Award is an award bestowed by the Dramatists Guild of America. The award is unique in that it is given by Playwdramatists to dramatists. It is presented annually by the Dramatists Guild Council to an author, or team of authors, in ...
s. His career spanned six decades, and his plays, musicals, and operas were routinely performed all over the world. He also wrote screenplays, teleplays, and a memoir. Active in the regional 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 ...
theatre movements as well as on Broadway, he was one of the few playwrights of his generation to have successfully passed from the
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
to mainstream acclaim. His work centered on the difficulties of and urgent need for human connection. He was vice-president of the Council of the Dramatists Guild from 1981 to 2001. He died of complications from
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
on March 24, 2020, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida.


Early life and education

McNally was born November 3, 1938, in
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
, to Hubert Arthur and Dorothy Katharine (Rapp) McNally, two transplanted New Yorkers from Irish Catholic backgrounds. His parents ran a seaside bar and grill called The Pelican Club, but after a hurricane destroyed the establishment, the family briefly relocated to
Port Chester, New York Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populat ...
, then to
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
, and finally to
Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...
. There Hubert McNally purchased and managed a
Schlitz beer Schlitz may refer to: * Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company * Schlitz, Hesse, a town in Germany * Schlitz (river), a river in Germany People with the surname * Don Schlitz (born 1952), award-winning country music songwriter * Joseph Schlitz (1831–18 ...
distributorship, and McNally attended
W.B. Ray High School W. B. Ray High School is a 5A secondary school centrally located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States and is part of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. The school is named in honor of CCISD school board president, William Benton ...
. Despite his distance from New York City, McNally's parents enjoyed Broadway musicals. When McNally was eight years old, his parents took him to see '' Annie Get Your Gun'', starring Ethel Merman, and on a subsequent outing, McNally saw Gertrude Lawrence in ''
The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childre ...
''. McNally later said: "When I saw ''On the Town'', with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin with the Staten Island Ferry and the Empire State Building, I said: 'That's where I want to live.' I've never regretted it." In high school McNally was encouraged to write by a gifted English teacher, Maurine McElroy (1913–2005). He enrolled at Columbia College in 1956. There he especially enjoyed Andrew Chiappe's two-semester course on
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
in which students read Shakespeare's plays in roughly the order of their composition. He joined the Boar's Head Society and wrote Columbia's annual Varsity Show, which featured music by fellow student Edward L. Kleban and directed by Michael P. Kahn. He graduated in 1960 with a B.A. in English and membership in
Phi Beta Kappa Society The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ar ...
. In 1961, McNally was hired by novelist
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
to tutor his two teenage sons as the Steinbeck family took a cruise around the world. On the cruise McNally completed a draft of what became the opening act of ''
And Things That Go Bump in the Night ''And Things That Go Bump in the Night'' is a play by Terrence McNally. It premiered on February 4, 1964, at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and ran on Broadway in 1965 for 16 performances. McNally was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant to ...
''. Steinbeck asked McNally to write the libretto for a musical version of the novel '' East of Eden''.


Career


Early career

After graduation, McNally moved to Mexico to focus on his writing, completing a one-act play which he submitted to the
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
in New York City for production. While the play was turned down by the acting school, the Studio was impressed with the script, and McNally was invited to serve as the Studio's
stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
so that he could gain practical knowledge of theater. His earliest full-length play, ''This Side of the Door'', deals with a sensitive boy's battle of wills with his overbearing father and was produced in an
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
Workshop in 1962, featuring a young
Estelle Parsons Estelle Margaret Parsons (born November 20, 1927) is an American actress, singer and stage director. After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program ''Today'' and ...
. Starting a career that covered both off-Broadway and Broadway, his plays cried out against
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, satirized stale family dynamics, mocked sexual mores and became a part of the social protest movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1964, his next play ''
And Things That Go Bump in the Night ''And Things That Go Bump in the Night'' is a play by Terrence McNally. It premiered on February 4, 1964, at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and ran on Broadway in 1965 for 16 performances. McNally was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant to ...
'' put
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
squarely on stage which brought him the ire of New York City's conservative theatre critics. It opened at the Royale Theatre on Broadway to generally negative reviews. The play explores the psycho-social dynamic of anxiety that leads one to preemptively and defensively accuse others of creating problems that in actuality result from one's own insecurity. McNally later said, "My first play, ''Things That Go Bump in the Night'', was a big flop. I had to begin all over again." Nevertheless, the producer,
Theodore Mann Theodore Mann, birth name Goldman, (May 13, 1924 – February 24, 2012) was an American theatre producer and director and the Artistic Director of the Circle in the Square Theatre School. Mann co-founded Circle in the Square Theatre, widely r ...
dropped the price of tickets to $1.00 which allowed the production to run with sold-out houses for three weeks. ''
Next Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Lit ...
'' (1968), which brought him his greatest early acclaim and was directed by
Elaine May Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She has received numerous awards including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and a Tony. She made her initial impact in the 1950s with her ...
and starred
James Coco James Emil Coco (March 21, 1930 – February 25, 1987) was an American stage and screen actor. He was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award and three Obie Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, an Academy Awards, ...
, follows a married, middle-aged, businessman who has been mistakenly drafted into the armed forces. ''
Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...
'' (1968) centers on two American soldiers standing guard in the jungle while making a game of the great names in Western Civilization. ''¡Cuba Si!'' (1968) satirizes the disdain that many Americans feel for the idea of revolution though United States was itself born out of a revolution. It starred
Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination a ...
. In '' Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?'' (1971) he celebrates while mourning the ineffectiveness of the American youth movement's conviction to "blow this country up so we can start all over again." '' Sweet Eros'' (1968) is about a young man who professes his love to a naked woman he has gagged and bound to a chair. In ''Let It Bleed'' (1972) a young couple showers and becomes convinced an intruder is lurking on the other side of the shower curtain. These and his other early plays, including ''Tour'' (1967), ''
Witness In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
'' (1968), and '' Bringing It All Back Home'' (1970), and ''
Whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...
'' (1973), form a dark satire on American moral complacency. McNally turned to comedy and
farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...
, beginning with '' Noon'' (1968), a sexual farce revolving around five strangers who are lured to an apartment in lower Manhattan by a personal advertisement. '' Bad Habits'', which satirizes American reliance upon
psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...
, premiered at the John Drew Theatre in
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, in 1971 starring Linda Lavin. It transferred to the Booth Theatre on Broadway in 1974 and garnered an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...
. '' The Ritz'' is a farce centering on a straight man who inadvertently takes refuge in a Mafia-owned gay bathhouse. It opened at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., and moved to the Longacre Theatre on Broadway in 1975.
Robert Drivas Robert Drivas (born Robert Choromokos; November 21, 1935 – June 29, 1986) was an American actor and threatre director. Life and early career Drivas was born Robert Choromokos in Coral Gables, Florida, the son of Hariklia (née Cunningham-W ...
, then McNally's romantic partner, directed both productions. McNally adapted the play for the motion picture, '' The Ritz'' (1976), directed by Richard Lester. In 1978, McNally wrote ''Broadway, Broadway'', which failed in its Philadelphia try-out starring
Geraldine Page Geraldine Sue Page (November 22, 1924June 13, 1987) was an American actress. With a career which spanned four decades across film, stage, and television, Page was the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Acade ...
. Rewritten and retitled '' It's Only a Play'', it premiered in off-Broadway in 1985 at Manhattan Theatre Club directed by
John Tillinger John Tillinger (born June 28, 1938) is a theatre director and actor. Life and career Joachim F. Tillinger was born in Tabriz, Iran. His father was German Jewish and his mother was Protestant. Tillinger was raised in England, where he was first ...
and starring
Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...
, Joanna Gleason, and
James Coco James Emil Coco (March 21, 1930 – February 25, 1987) was an American stage and screen actor. He was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award and three Obie Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, an Academy Awards, ...
.


Mid-career

After the failure of ''Broadway, Broadway'' and living briefly in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
, he returned to New York City and formed an artistic relationship with Manhattan Theatre Club. The rapid spread of
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
fundamentally changed his writing. McNally only became truly successful with works such as the off-Broadway production of '' Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'' and its screen adaptation with stars
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
and
Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and ...
. His first Broadway musical was '' The Rink'' in 1984, a project he joined after the score by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb had been written. In 1990, McNally won an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Best Writing in a Miniseries or Special for ''
Andre's Mother ''Andre's Mother'' is a 1990 American made-for-television drama film written by Terrence McNally, adapted from his 1988 stage play, directed by Deborah Reinisch and starring Richard Thomas, Sada Thompson, and Sylvia Sidney. It was broadcast on t ...
'', a drama about a woman coping with her son's death from AIDS. A year later, in ''
Lips Together, Teeth Apart ''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' is a play by American playwright Terrence McNally. The play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1991, concerns two straight couples who spend a weekend in a gay community. Plot A gay community in Fire Island provides an ...
'', two married couples spend the Fourth of July weekend at a summer house on Fire Island. They are all afraid to use the pool given that its owner who has just died of AIDS. It was written for
Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...
, Anthony Heald, Swoosie Kurtz (taking the place of Kathy Bates), and frequent McNally collaborator Nathan Lane, who had also starred in '' The Lisbon Traviata''. With '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (based on the novel by Manuel Puig) in 1992, McNally returned to the musical stage, collaborating with Kander and Ebb on a script which explores the complex relationship between two men jailed together in a Latin American prison. ''Kiss of the Spider Woman'' won the 1993
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligib ...
, the first of McNally's four Tony Awards. He collaborated with
Stephen Flaherty Stephen Flaherty (born September 18, 1960) is an American composer of musical theatre and film. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/book writer Lynn Ahrens. They are best known for writing the Broadway musicals ''Ragtime'', whi ...
and
Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Awa ...
on ''
Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
'' in 1997, a musical adaptation of the E. L. Doctorow novel, which tells the story of Coalhouse Walker Jr., a black musician who demands retribution when his Model T is destroyed by a mob of white troublemakers. The musical also features such historical figures as
Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
,
Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...
, J. P. Morgan, and Henry Ford. For his libretto, McNally won his third Tony Award. ''Ragtime'' finished its Broadway run on January 16, 2000. A revival in 2009 closed after only two months. McNally's other plays from this period include 1994's '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'', with Lane and John Glover, which examines the relationships of eight gay men; it won McNally his second Tony Award; and ''
Master Class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
'' (1995), a character study of legendary opera soprano
Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...
, which starred Zoe Caldwell and won the
Tony Award for Best Play The Tony Award for Best Play (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award given to the best new (non- musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first year ...
, McNally's fourth. McNally's '' Corpus Christi'' (1997) became the subject of protests. In this retelling of the story of Jesus' birth, ministry, and death, he and his disciples are portrayed as homosexual. The play was initially canceled because of death threats against the board members of the Manhattan Theatre Club, which produced the play. The board relented after several other playwrights, including
Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...
, threatened to withdraw their plays if ''Corpus Christi'' was not produced. A crowd of almost 2,000 protested the play as blasphemous at its opening. After it opened in London in 1999, a group called the "Defenders of the Messenger Jesus" issued a
fatwa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
sentencing McNally to death. In 2008, the play was revived in New York City at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre. Reviewing this production for '' The New York Times'', Jason Zinoman wrote that "without the noise of controversy, the play can finally be heard. Staged with admirable delicacy... the work seems more personal than political, a coming-of-age story wrapped in religious sentiment."


Late career

In 2000, McNally partnered with composer and lyricist David Yazbek to write the musical '' The Full Monty'', which was directed by Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. It had an initial run at
The Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...
and then transferred to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway. The opening night cast included
Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...
, Andre De Shields, Jason Danieley, Kathleen Freeman, Emily Skinner, and
Annie Golden Annie Golden (born October 19, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She first came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk band the Shirts from 1975 to 1981 with whom she recorded three albums. She began her acting career as Mother in ...
. It was nominated for 12 Tony Awards including for McNally's book. It later transferred to the Prince of Wales Theater in London's West End. McNally collaborated on several new American operas. His voice may be more familiar with opera fans than theater-goers, as for nearly 30 years (1979-2008) he was a member of the Texaco Opera Quiz panel that fielded questions during the weekly ''Live from the Met'' radio broadcasts. He wrote the libretto for '' Dead Man Walking'', his adaptation of Sister Helen Prejean's book, with a score by
Jake Heggie Jake Heggie (born March 31, 1961) is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers. B ...
. The opera had its world premiere at San Francisco Opera in 2000 and subsequently received two commercial recordings and over 40 productions worldwide, making it “one of the most successful American operas in recent decades." In 2007, Heggie composed a chamber opera, ''
Three Decembers ''Three Decembers'' is a chamber opera in two acts by Jake Heggie to a libretto by Gene Scheer which is based on the unpublished play ''Some Christmas Letters'' by Terrence McNally. Created with a role for Frederica von Stade, the work premiered ...
'', with a libretto by
Gene Scheer Gene Scheer (born April 28, 1958) is an American songwriter, librettist and lyricist. Brother to Samuel Scheer, an English teacher at Windsor High School and part-time musician. Education and early career Scheer was born in New York City. He receiv ...
based on a text McNally had created in 1999 for a Christmas concert to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, ''Some Christmas Letters (and a Couple of Phone Calls, Too)''. playbill.com In October 2015, Dallas Opera presented ''
Great Scott "Great Scott!" is an interjection of surprise, amazement, or dismay. It is a distinctive but inoffensive exclamation, popular in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, and now considered dated. It originated as a min ...
'' with an original libretto by McNally and a score by Heggie. The new opera starred Joyce DiDonato and Frederica von Stade and was directed by Jack O’Brien. The Kennedy Center presented three of McNally's plays that focus on opera under the heading ''Nights at the Opera,'' in March 2010. It included a new play, ''Golden Age''; ''Master Class'', starring
Tyne Daly Ellen Tyne Daly (; born February 21, 1946) is an American actress. She has won six Emmy Awards for her television work, a Tony Award and is a 2011 American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee. Daly began her career on stage in summer stock in New York, ...
; and ''The Lisbon Traviata'', starring John Glover and Malcolm Gets. ''Golden Age'' subsequently ran Off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club New York City Center – Stage I from November 2012 to January 2013. In 2001, McNally started what became a 15-year developmental process towards Broadway with the musical '' The Visit'', for which he wrote the book. The music is written by John Kander and the lyrics by Fred Ebb.   Adapted from Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1956 satire, '' The Visit'' is the story of a widow who has amassed enormous sums of wealth and returns to her hometown to seek revenge on the villagers who scorned her in her youth. The project originally starred Angela Lansbury who departed the process to care for her ailing husband. Chita Rivera became the new star and ''The Visit'' had its first production at The Goodman Theater in Chicago in 2001. The first preview was held just ten days after the September 11 attacks, and the producers were unable to get many investors or critics from New York City to fly to Chicago. In 2004, Fred Ebb, the lyricist, died. Its next regional production occurred in 2008 at The Signature Theatre outside of Washington D.C. In 2014, under the direction of John Doyle and starring Chita Rivera and Roger Rees, ''The Visit'' had a new production at Williamstown Theatre and then transferred to Broadway at The Lyceum Theatre in 2015. The musical was nominated for five Tony awards including for McNally's book. Continuing his work on librettos, McNally partnered with his collaborators on ''
Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
'',
Stephen Flaherty Stephen Flaherty (born September 18, 1960) is an American composer of musical theatre and film. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/book writer Lynn Ahrens. They are best known for writing the Broadway musicals ''Ragtime'', whi ...
and
Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Awa ...
, to write the musical '' A Man of No Importance'' which premiered at Lincoln Center in 2002 and was directed by Joe Mantello. He also wrote the libretto for '' Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life,'' in 2005, another collaboration with Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, which began at
The Old Globe ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speak ...
and subsequently transferred to Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. In 2004, Primary Stages presented McNally’s ''The Stendhal Syndrome,'' which according to McNally explores “how art can affect us emotionally, psychologically, and erotically.” The play starred Isabella Rossellini and
Richard Thomas Richard Thomas or Dick Thomas may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Dick Thomas (singer) (1915–2003), American singing cowboy and actor * Richard Thomas (actor) (born 1951), American actor * Richard Thomas (author) (born 1967), Americ ...
and was directed by Leonard Foglia. In 2007,
Philadelphia Theatre Company The Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) is a theater company located Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1974 as The Philadelphia Company by Robert Hedley and Jean Harrison. Since October 2007, PTC's home has been the new Suzanne Rober ...
presented '' Some Men,'' which explores the evolution of gay relationships and same-sex marriage. It went on to Second Stage Theatre in New York and was directed by Trip Cullman. That same year McNally's drama ''Deuce'' ran on Broadway at the Music Box Theater for a limited engagement in 2007 for 121 performances. Directed by
Michael Blakemore Michael Howell Blakemore OBE, AO (born 18 June 1928) is an Australian actor, writer and theatre director who has also made a handful of films. A former Associate Director of the National Theatre, in 2000 he became the only individual to win T ...
, the play starred Angela Lansbury, in her return to Broadway after more than 20 years, and Marian Seldes. ''And Away We Go'' premiered Off-Broadway at the Pearl Theatre in November 2013, with direction by Jack Cummings III and featured Donna Lynne Champlin, Sean McNall and Dominic Cuskern. The play takes place over several millennia covering the most pivotal moments in dramatic history entwined with a modern-day story of a struggling theatre company. McNally said that “It's very much written for the Pearl, the company that has kept the faith for the great classic plays. There are whole seasons in New York when I don't think a single classic play would have been performed if it hadn't been for the Pearl... I think it's really important. I write new plays for a living; I certainly don't think theatre should be just revivals, but there has always got to be a place for Chekhov,
Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...
, Shakespeare, Moliere and Aeschylus.” '' Mothers and Sons'' starring
Tyne Daly Ellen Tyne Daly (; born February 21, 1946) is an American actress. She has won six Emmy Awards for her television work, a Tony Award and is a 2011 American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee. Daly began her career on stage in summer stock in New York, ...
and Frederick Weller opened on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre, where ''Master Class'' had its premiere, on March 24, 2014 (February 23, 2014 in previews). ''Mothers and Sons'' premiered at the
Bucks County Playhouse THE BUCKS COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE The Bucks County Playhouse is located in New Hope, Pennsylvania. When the ''Hope Mills'' burned in 1790, the grist mills were rebuilt as the ''New Hope Mills,'' by Benjamin Parry. The town was renamed for the mills. ...
(Pennsylvania) in June 2013. Vermont Stage opened its production January 27, 2016 at FlynnSpace in
Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...
. The play is an expansion on his 1988 drama ''Andre’s Mother'', which was set at a memorial service for a victim of the AIDS crisis.  ''Mothers and Sons'' also marked the first time a legally wed gay couple was portrayed on Broadway. It was nominated for two Tony Awards including for Best Play. McNally's ''Fire and Air'' premiered Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company on February 1, 2018. The play explores the history of the
Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
, the Russian ballet company, with a particular focus on Sergei Diaghilev, the ballet impresario, and Vaslav Nijinsky, the dancer and choreographer. It featured the actors Douglas Hodge, Marsha Mason, Marin Mazzie, John Glover, and Jay Armstrong Johnson and was directed by Tony Award-winner John Doyle. On May 29, 2019, a revival of '' Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'' opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. The production starred
Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...
and Michael Shannon, and was directed by Arin Arbus in her Broadway debut. In June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the
Stonewall riots The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous protests by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of Ju ...
, an event widely considered a watershed moment in the modern
LGBTQ rights movement Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBT people in society. Some focus on equal rights, such as the ongoing movement for same-sex marriage, while others focus on liberation, as in the ...
, ''
Queerty ''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay-oriented lifestyle and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors. History ''Queerty'' was founded by David ...
'' named him one of the ''Pride50'' "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
people". McNally received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019.


Personal life

In his early years in New York City, McNally's interest in theatre brought him to a party where, departing, he shared a cab with
Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), '' The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), '' A Delicate Balance'' (1966) ...
, who had recently written '' The Zoo Story'' and '' The Sandbox''. They functioned as a couple for over four years during which Albee wrote '' The American Dream'' and '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' He was frustrated by Albee's lack of openness about his sexuality. McNally later said: "I became invisible when press was around or at an opening night. I knew it was wrong. It’s so much work to live that way." After his relationship with Albee, McNally entered into a long-term relationship with the actor and director
Robert Drivas Robert Drivas (born Robert Choromokos; November 21, 1935 – June 29, 1986) was an American actor and threatre director. Life and early career Drivas was born Robert Choromokos in Coral Gables, Florida, the son of Hariklia (née Cunningham-W ...
. Drivas and McNally broke up as a couple in 1976; they remained close friends until Drivas died of AIDS-related complications ten years later. McNally was partnered to Tom Kirdahy, a Broadway producer and a former civil rights attorney for not-for-profit AIDS organizations, following a civil union ceremony in Vermont on December 20, 2003. They married in Washington, D.C. on April 6, 2010. In celebration of the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states, they renewed their vows at
New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...
with Mayor
Bill de Blasio Bill de Blasio (; born Warren Wilhelm Jr., May 8, 1961; later Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm) is an American politician who served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New Yor ...
, Kirdahy's college roommate, officiating on June 26, 2015. As a young man, McNally was a heavy drinker. He relates that while attending a party in 1980 he spilled a drink on
Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...
. "Then someone I hardly knew, Angela Lansbury, aid‘I just want to say, I don’t know you very well, but every time I see you, you’re drunk, and it bothers me.’...She was someone I revered, and she said this with such love and concern. I went to an A.A. meeting, and within a year, I had stopped drinking.” When given his Tony for Lifetime Achievement in June 2019, he began his acceptance speech saying "Lifetime achievement. Not a moment too soon." He wore a cannula and appeared short of breath. McNally died at
Sarasota Memorial Hospital Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) is an 839-bed health care facility located in Sarasota, Florida. The hospital was founded in 1925, and is a level II trauma center. History Early years Local residents started to raise funds for the hospital in ...
in Sarasota, Florida, on March 24, 2020, at the age of 81, from complications of
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
during the COVID-19 pandemic. He had previously overcome lung cancer in the late 1990s that cost him portions of both his lungs due to the disease, and he was living with COPD at the time of his death.


On theater

For McNally, the most important function of theatre was to create community and bridge rifts opened between people by differences in religion, race, gender, and particularly sexual orientation. In an address to members of the League of American Theatres and Producers he remarked, "I think theatre teaches us who we are, what our society is, where we are going. I don't think theatre can solve the problems of a society, nor should it be expected to ... plays don't do that. People do. ut plays canprovide a forum for the ideas and feelings that can lead a society to decide to heal and change itself."


Archive

McNally donated his papers to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The archive includes all of his major works for stage, screen, and television, as well as correspondence, posters, production photographs, programs, reviews, awards, speeches, and recordings. It is an open archive. He had previously deposited his papers at the University of Michigan. His high school English teacher, Maurine McElroy, who had since become head of freshman English at the University of Texas, influenced his choice of Texas.


Documentary

'' Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life,'' a documentary about McNally's life and career, aired on PBS on June 14, 2019, as part of their American Masters series. The film features new interviews with McNally in addition to conversations with his friends and collaborators, including
F. Murray Abraham F. Murray Abraham (born Murray Abraham; October 24, 1939) is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he came to prominence for his acclaimed leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film ''Amadeus (film), Amadeus'' (1984) ...
,
Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...
,
Tyne Daly Ellen Tyne Daly (; born February 21, 1946) is an American actress. She has won six Emmy Awards for her television work, a Tony Award and is a 2011 American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee. Daly began her career on stage in summer stock in New York, ...
, Edie Falco, John Kander, Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Marin Mazzie,
Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...
,
Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...
, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Doris Roberts, John Slattery and
Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor and director. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty'' (2000–2001) and ''Oklahoma ...
, plus the voices of Dan Bucatinsky, Bryan Cranston and Meryl Streep.
Charles McNulty Charles McNulty (born 1966) is the chief theatre critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' newspaper and a recipient of Cornell University's prestigious Nathan Award for dramatic criticism, who, himself, served as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize dr ...
, reviewing the film for the Los Angeles Times, wrote, "If you can know a person by the company he keeps, you can judge a playwright by the talent that sticks by him. By this measure, Terrence McNally was one of the most important dramatists of the last 50 years."


Writing credits

Plays: * ''
And Things That Go Bump in the Night ''And Things That Go Bump in the Night'' is a play by Terrence McNally. It premiered on February 4, 1964, at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and ran on Broadway in 1965 for 16 performances. McNally was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation grant to ...
'' (1964) * ''
Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...
'' (1968) * '' Sweet Eros'' (1968) * ''
Witness In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
'' (1968) * '' ¡Cuba Si!'' (1968)"Dramatists Play Service, Inc, Terrence McNally"
Book/Item: ¡CUBA SI!, BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME, LAST GASPS,
* '' Bringing It All Back Home'' (1969) * '' Noon'' (1968), second segment of ''Morning, Noon and Night'' * ''Apple Pie'' ** Three one-act plays: ''Tour'', ''Next'' (in two versions), and ''Botticelli'' * ''
Next Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Lit ...
'' (1969) * '' Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?'' (1971) * '' Bad Habits'' (1974) ** Two one act plays: ''Ravenswood'' and ''Dunelawn'' * ''
Whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...
'' (1973) * ''The Tubs'' (1974), early version of ''The Ritz'' * '' The Ritz'' (1975) * '' Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'' (1982) * '' It's Only a Play'' (1986) * ''Hope'' (1988), second segment of ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' * ''
Andre's Mother ''Andre's Mother'' is a 1990 American made-for-television drama film written by Terrence McNally, adapted from his 1988 stage play, directed by Deborah Reinisch and starring Richard Thomas, Sada Thompson, and Sylvia Sidney. It was broadcast on t ...
'' (1988) * '' The Lisbon Traviata'' (1989) * ''Prelude and Liebestod'' (1989) ** Later presented as half of ''The Stendhal Syndrome'' (2004) * ''
Lips Together, Teeth Apart ''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' is a play by American playwright Terrence McNally. The play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1991, concerns two straight couples who spend a weekend in a gay community. Plot A gay community in Fire Island provides an ...
'' (1991) * ''
A Perfect Ganesh ''A Perfect Ganesh'' is a play written by Terrence McNally which premiered Off-Broadway in 1993. Narrated by Ganesha, Hindu god of "wisdom, prudence, acceptance and love," it is the story of two friends, Margaret Civil and Katharine Brynne, who e ...
'' (1993) * ''
Hidden Agendas Hidden Agenda or Hidden Agendas may refer to: Video games * ''Hidden Agenda'' (1988 video game), a 1988 text-based game * ''Hidden Agenda'' (2017 video game), a thriller video game developed by Supermassive Games for the PlayStation 4 Film * ...
'' (1994) * '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'' (1994) * ''
By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea ''By The Sea, By The Sea, By The Beautiful Sea'' is a trilogy of three short plays by Terrence McNally, Lanford Wilson, and Joe Pintauro. The title is taken from the first line of the chorus of the 1914 song " By the Beautiful Sea". Productions T ...
'' (1995) * ''
Master Class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
'' (1995) * '' Corpus Christi'' (1998) * ''The Stendhal Syndrome'' (2004) **Two one-act plays: ''Full Frontal Nudity'' and ''Prelude and Liebestod'' * ''
Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building. Feast of Dedication The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days fr ...
'' (2005) * '' Some Men'' (2006) * ''The Sunday Times'' (2006) * ''
Deuce Deuce, Deuces, or The Deuce may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deuce, in the ''Danger Girl'' comic book series * Deuce, a character in ''Shake It Up'' * Deuce, in the ''Wild Cards'' science fiction universe * Deuce Biga ...
'' (2007) * ''Unusual Acts of Devotion'' (2008) * ''Golden Age'' (2009) * ''And Away We Go'' (2013) * '' Mothers and Sons'' (2014) * ''Fire and Air'' (2018) Musical Theatre: * '' Here's Where I Belong'' (1968) * '' The Rink'' (1984) * '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1992) * ''
Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
'' (1996) * '' The Full Monty'' (2000) * '' The Visit'' (2001) * '' A Man of No Importance'' (2002) * '' Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life'' (2005) * '' Catch Me If You Can'' (2011) * ''
Anastasia Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most ...
'' (2016) Opera: * ''The Food of Love'' (1999), music by
Robert Beaser Robert Beaser (born May 29, 1954, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American composer. Biography Beaser was brought up in a non-musical family. His father was a physician and mother was a chemist. He grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, where he dist ...
* '' Dead Man Walking'' (2000), music by
Jake Heggie Jake Heggie (born March 31, 1961) is an American composer of opera, vocal, orchestral, and chamber music. He is best known for his operas and art songs as well as for his collaborations with internationally renowned performers and writers. B ...
* ''
Three Decembers ''Three Decembers'' is a chamber opera in two acts by Jake Heggie to a libretto by Gene Scheer which is based on the unpublished play ''Some Christmas Letters'' by Terrence McNally. Created with a role for Frederica von Stade, the work premiered ...
'' (2008), music by Jake Heggie, libretto by
Gene Scheer Gene Scheer (born April 28, 1958) is an American songwriter, librettist and lyricist. Brother to Samuel Scheer, an English teacher at Windsor High School and part-time musician. Education and early career Scheer was born in New York City. He receiv ...
* ''
Great Scott "Great Scott!" is an interjection of surprise, amazement, or dismay. It is a distinctive but inoffensive exclamation, popular in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, and now considered dated. It originated as a min ...
'' (2015), music by Jake Heggie Film: * '' The Ritz'' (1976) * '' Frankie and Johnny'' (1991) * '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'' (1997) TV: * ''
Mama Malone ''Mama Malone'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from March 7, 1984, to July 21, 1984, and featured Lila Kaye in the title role. Premise The series' main character was Renate Malone (surname rhymed with "baloney"), an Italian-American woma ...
'' (1984) * ''
Andre's Mother ''Andre's Mother'' is a 1990 American made-for-television drama film written by Terrence McNally, adapted from his 1988 stage play, directed by Deborah Reinisch and starring Richard Thomas, Sada Thompson, and Sylvia Sidney. It was broadcast on t ...
'' (1990) * '' The Last Mile'' (1992) * '' Common Ground'' (2000)


Awards and nominations


Tony Awards


Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
s


Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
s


Other awards

* 1966, 1969 Guggenheim Fellowship * 1974
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...
Winner, Distinguished Play – '' Bad Habits'' * 1992 Lucille Lortel Award Winner, Outstanding Play – ''
Lips Together, Teeth Apart ''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' is a play by American playwright Terrence McNally. The play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1991, concerns two straight couples who spend a weekend in a gay community. Plot A gay community in Fire Island provides an ...
'' * 1992 Lucille Lortel Award Winner, Outstanding Body of Work * 1994
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
for Drama Nomination – ''
A Perfect Ganesh ''A Perfect Ganesh'' is a play written by Terrence McNally which premiered Off-Broadway in 1993. Narrated by Ganesha, Hindu god of "wisdom, prudence, acceptance and love," it is the story of two friends, Margaret Civil and Katharine Brynne, who e ...
'' * 1995
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...
Winner, Playwriting Award – '' Love! Valour! Compassion!'' * 1996 inducted into the
American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...
. * In 1998, McNally was awarded an honorary degree from the Juilliard School in recognition of his efforts to revive the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program with fellow playwright John Guare. * In 2011 he received the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award. * In 2013 he was the keynote speaker for the Columbia College class of 2013. * In 2016,
Lotos Club The Lotos Club was founded in 1870 as a gentlemen's club in New York City; it has since also admitted women as members. Its founders were primarily a young group of writers and critics. Mark Twain, an early member, called it the "Ace of Clubs". ...
State Dinner honoree * In 2018, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the highest recognition of artistic merit in the United States. * 2019 an honorary doctorate from New York University.


Notes


References

;Additional sources * *


External links


Terrence McNally Papers
at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin
Terrence McNally
at the Playwrights Database
Terrence McNally
at the Internet Off Broadway Database * *
New Plays And Playwrights
– ''Working in the Theatre Seminar'' video at American Theatre Wing.org, January 2004 * {{DEFAULTSORT:McNally, Terrence 1938 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American male writers Actors Studio alumni American male dramatists and playwrights American male screenwriters American musical theatre librettists American opera librettists Columbia College (New York) alumni Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida Drama Desk Award winners American gay writers LGBT dramatists and playwrights LGBT people from Florida LGBT people from Texas LGBT screenwriters Obie Award recipients People from Corpus Christi, Texas Primetime Emmy Award winners Screenwriters from Florida Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Texas Special Tony Award recipients Tony Award winners Writers from St. Petersburg, Florida American people of Irish descent Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters