John Guare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Guare
|
|
|---|---|
Guare at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009
|
|
| Born | February 5, 1938 Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Playwright |
| Education | Georgetown University (BA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Period | 1964–present |
| Notable works | The House of Blue Leaves; Six Degrees of Separation |
| Spouse | Adele Chatfield-Taylor |
John Guare (born February 5, 1938) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the plays The House of Blue Leaves and Six Degrees of Separation.
Contents
Growing Up and Early Education
John Guare grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, a neighborhood in New York City. In 1949, his family moved to Ellenville, New York, after his father had a heart attack. This move was a special time for John because many of his father's relatives lived there.
Instead of going to a regular school, John studied at home. This gave him lots of time to watch movies, which he loved. Seeing all the popular films of that time really shaped his future career.
He later attended Georgetown University and the Yale School of Drama. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Playwriting in 1962. While at Georgetown, his play The Toadstool Boy won first place in a local play competition.
A Playwriting Career Begins
John Guare started his career writing short, funny plays. These early works often had a silly or unusual style. Some of his first plays include To Wally Pantoni, We Leave a Credenza (1965) and Muzeeka (1968).
His play Cop-Out opened on Broadway in 1969. It starred famous actors Linda Lavin and Ron Leibman.
Famous Plays and Musicals
One of Guare's most well-known plays is The House of Blue Leaves. This play is a mix of very funny and very sad moments. It first opened in 1971 and has been brought back to the stage many times. In 2011, actor Ben Stiller starred in a Broadway revival of the play. His mother, Anne Meara, had been in the original 1971 show.
Guare also wrote the screenplay for the film Atlantic City (1980). This movie earned him a nomination for an Academy Award, also known as an Oscar.
Another very famous play by Guare is Six Degrees of Separation. This clever play is about a trickster who pretends to be the son of a famous actor. It was first performed in 1990 and became one of his most popular works. The play was even made into a movie in 1993, starring Will Smith.
John Guare has also worked on many musicals. He wrote the story (called the libretto) for the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona in 1971. This musical was a big hit and won a Tony Award for Best Musical. He also helped revise the story for the Broadway revival of the classic musical Kiss Me, Kate in 1999.
His play A Free Man of Color was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2011. This award is one of the highest honors for plays in the United States.
Other Contributions to Theater
John Guare has been very involved in the theater world beyond just writing plays.
- He was one of the first members of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut, which helps new playwrights.
- He was also a writer-in-residence at the New York Shakespeare Festival.
- He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, an organization for playwrights.
- He helped start the Lincoln Center Theater Review in 1987 and is still its co-executive editor.
- He teaches playwriting at the Yale School of Drama.
What Critics Say
Critics have praised John Guare's unique writing style. Louis Malle, a famous film director, said that Guare's humor helps us understand human feelings. He believed Guare was very good at showing how people try to make up stories to deal with life's challenges.
Gregory Mosher, a theater director, said that John Guare, along with a few other writers, "reshaped the face of contemporary American theater." This means Guare had a big impact on how plays are written and performed today.
Major Works
Here are some of John Guare's most important plays and screenplays:
- 1971: The House of Blue Leaves
- 1971: Two Gentlemen of Verona (musical)
- 1971: Taking Off (screenplay)
- 1977: Marco Polo Sings a Solo
- 1980: Atlantic City (screenplay)
- 1990: Six Degrees of Separation
- 1992: Four Baboons Adoring the Sun
- 2010: A Free Man of Color
Awards and Honors
John Guare has received many awards for his plays:
- Muzeeka won an Obie Award in 1968.
- The House of Blue Leaves won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award in 1971. Its 1986 revival won four Tony Awards.
- Two Gentlemen of Verona won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1972.
- Six Degrees of Separation won an Obie Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and London's Olivier Award. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
- He was elected to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1993.
- In 2005, he received an Obie Award for his many achievements in theater.
- He received the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Personal Life
John Guare is married to Adele Chatfield-Taylor. She is an expert in saving historic buildings and was the president of the American Academy in Rome. They live in New York City, Long Island, and Waterford, Virginia.
