Arthur Kopit
Arthur Kopit | |
---|---|
Born | Arthur Lee Koenig May 10, 1937 |
Died | April 2, 2021 Manhattan, New York, U.S. | (aged 83)
Occupation | Playwright |
Years active | 1962–2021 |
Arthur Lee Kopit (May 10, 1937 – April 2, 2021) was an American playwright. He was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist (Indians and Wings) and a three-time Tony Award nominee: Best Play, Indians (1970); Best Play, Wings (1979); and Best Book of a Musical, for Nine (1982). He won the Vernon Rice Award (now known as the Drama Desk Award) in 1962 for his play Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad and was nominated for another Drama Desk Award in 1979 for his play Wings.[1]
Early life
Kopit was born Arthur Lee Koenig in Manhattan on May 10, 1937. His father, Henry, worked as an advertising salesman; his mother, Maxine (Dubin), was a millinery model. They divorced when he was two years old. He consequently adopted the surname of his stepfather, George Kopit, after his mother remarried.[2] Kopit was raised in Lawrence, Nassau County, and attended Lawrence High School.[2][3] He studied engineering at Harvard University, graduating in 1959.[2] Although he intended to go into science or business, his interest in theater was piqued when he enrolled in a modern drama workshop.[4] He started to compose short plays featuring "outlandish" and long-winded titles, which were staged while he was still an undergraduate.[2][4]
Career
After graduating from Harvard, Kopit undertook a graduate fellowship in Europe. It was during this time that he learned of a playwriting contest organized by the university, which he consequently signed up for.[2] He wrote the play in Europe and completed it in five days.[4]
Kopit subsequently taught at Wesleyan University, Yale University, and the City College of New York.[2][5] He donated his papers to the Fales Library at New York University in 2005.[5]
Nine returned to Broadway in 2003, with Antonio Banderas as Guido.[2] It ended up winning two Tony Awards, including best revival. Rob Marshall later directed the film Nine in 2009 based on Kopit's script. The principal cast consisted of Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, and Fergie.[6]
Personal life
Kopit married Leslie Garis in 1968. They remained married until his death. Together, they had three children: Alex, Ben, and Kat.[2]
Kopit died on April 2, 2021, at his home in Manhattan. He was 83; the cause of death was not disclosed.[2][7]
Works
- Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad (1963)[2]
- Chamber Music (1965)[8] – published in the collection Chamber Music and Other Plays including Chamber music, The questioning of Nick, Sing to me through open windows, The hero, The conquest of Everest, The day the whores came out to play tennis
- Indians (1969), simultaneously a review of America's treatment of Native Americans and a critique of the Vietnam War; inspired the 1976 film by Robert Altman, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson.[2]
- Wings (1978), a more somber story of a stroke victim's recovery[2]
- Nine (1982), an adaptation of Federico Fellini's film 8½[2]
- Good Help is Hard to Find (1982)[9]
- End of the World with Symposium to Follow (1984), a mordant investigation of the arms race and nuclear destruction.[2]
- Road to Nirvana (1991)[10]
- Success (published in Plays in One Act, Ecco Press, 1991)[11]
- Phantom (1992), a musical version of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston.[2][12]
- High Society (Broadway musical, 1998)[2]
- Y2K (2000) – subsequently published under the title Because He Can[2]
References
- ^ "Awardperson". Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2006. Awards for Arthur Kopit, Internet Broadway Database
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Gates, Anita (April 3, 2021). "Arthur Kopit, Whose 'Oh Dad' Shook Up the Theater, Dies at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Kevin. "THE CURIOUS CAREER OF ARTHUR KOPIT", The Boston Globe, February 22, 1987. Accessed July 10, 2008.
- ^ a b c Shewey, Don (April 29, 1984). "Arthur Kopit – A Life on Broadway". The New York Times. p. 88. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b "Kopit". Archived from the original on November 20, 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ "Nine (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Kennedy, Mark (April 3, 2021). "Arthur Kopit, three-time Tony-nominated playwright, dies". Associated Press. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Bommer, Lawrence (June 23, 1994). "Early Kopit Play Fights Cold War in an Asylum". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Gussow, Mel (June 14, 1981). "Theater: 3 New Works Displaying Originality". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Rich, Frank (March 21, 1991). "'Road to Nirvana' Proves a Route Best Not Taken". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Witchel, Alex (May 10, 1991). "On Stage, and Off". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ "Phantom (Yeston/Kopit)". Retrieved August 28, 2014.
External links
- 1937 births
- 2021 deaths
- 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century American male writers
- City College of New York faculty
- Harvard University alumni
- Jewish American dramatists and playwrights
- Lawrence High School (Cedarhurst, New York) alumni
- People from Lawrence, Nassau County, New York
- Wesleyan University faculty
- Writers from Manhattan
- Yale University faculty