3224 Bee Ridge Rd
Sarasota
FL 34239
Please note this program is not part of the Hermitage’s traditional free programming. This event is hosted by the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning as part of the “Music Mondays” series.
“Music Mondays: Hermitage Alum Doug Wright Writes Broadway”
Presented in partnership with Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning
Monday, February 19 at 10:30am and 3:00pm
Church of the Palms (entrance at 3224 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34239)
Venice Presbyterian Church (entrance at 825 The Rialto, Venice, FL 34285)
$15 single tickets are available at the door for this special event with Doug Wright: 10:30am at Church of the Palms (Sarasota) and 3pm at Venice Presbyterian Church (Venice).
One of the most lauded theater creators of our time returns to Sarasota to share insight into the creation process with iconic numbers from his acclaimed Broadway musicals, performed by some of the best talent in Sarasota. Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Doug Wright’s works on Broadway include I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Hands on a Hardbody, War Paint, and the recent smash comedy success Goodnight, Oscar. Alongside stellar performances, Wright will offer his perspective on the vital role of a musical librettist, diving into the uniquely collaborative process of bringing a musical to life and the nuances of the various musical styles he has used throughout his celebrated career.
Hermitage Fellow and Trustee Doug Wright is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright. He is a proud Hermitage alumnus and also served as a juror for the inaugural Hermitage Major Theater Award in 2021. He has remained an engaged and active member of the Hermitage alumni community. Most recently, his play Goodnight, Oscar, starring Sean Hayes opened at the Goodman Theater in Chicago under the direction of fellow Hermitage alum Lisa Peterson before transferring to Broadway. Wright’s play Quills premiered at Washington, D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in 1995 and subsequently had its debut Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop. Quills garnered the 1995 Kesselring Prize for Best New American Play from the National Arts Club and, for Wright, a 1996 Village Voice Obie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting. In 2000, Wright wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Quills, which starred Geoffrey Rush. Wright’s play I Am My Own Wife was produced Off-Broadway by Playwrights Horizons in 2003. It transferred to Broadway where it won the Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2006, Wright wrote the book for the stage musical adaptation of Grey Gardens, which opened on Broadway to critical acclaim. He has adapted the Disney film The Little Mermaid as a Broadway musical, which opened in 2007. In 2009, he was commissioned by the La Jolla Playhouse to adapt and direct Creditors by August Strindberg. In another La Jolla commission, he wrote the book for the musical Hands on a Hardbody, with the score by Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio. The musical had a run on Broadway in 2013 after premiering at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2012. He has also written the book for the musical War Paint, with a score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie, and starring Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole. For television, Wright worked on four pilots for producer Norman Lear and teleplays for Hallmark Entertainment and HBO. In film, Wright’s credits include screenplays for Fine Line Features, Fox Searchlight, and DreamWorks SKG. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, where he served as President for many years. In addition to his role a a Hermitage trustee, he also serves on the board of New York Theatre Workshop. He is a recipient of the William L. Bradley Fellowship at Yale University, the Charles MacArthur Fellowship at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, an HBO Fellowship in playwriting, and the Alfred Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University. In 2010, he was named a United States Artists Fellow. Mr. Wright lives in New York City with his partner, songwriter David Clement.