William M. Hoffman facts for kids

William M. Hoffman (born April 12, 1939 – died April 29, 2017) was an American writer who created plays for the stage and opera. He also worked as a theatre director, editor, and college professor.

About William M. Hoffman

William M. Hoffman was born in New York City. His mother, Johanna, was a jeweler, and his father, Morton, was a caterer.

Early Theatre Work

Hoffman started his career writing plays for smaller theatres, often called off-off-Broadway theatres. One of these was the famous La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. His first play with La MaMa was Thank You, Miss Victoria. It was shown in Copenhagen in 1965 as part of a tour.

Later, in 1966, La MaMa presented his plays in New York. These shows also featured works by other well-known playwrights like Sam Shepard. Hoffman even narrated a show called Three Mask Plays with the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers in 1966. Another one of his plays, Spring Play, was performed in 1967 and featured a young actor named Harvey Keitel.

In the 1970s, Hoffman continued to work with La MaMa. Director John Vaccaro led a group called the Playhouse of the Ridiculous in Hoffman's play XXXXX in 1972. Hoffman also adapted the classic story Gulliver's Travels for the stage in 1978.

Famous Plays and Awards

In 1985, William Hoffman became very well known for his play As Is. This play was one of the first to talk about a serious health crisis that affected many people at the time. It opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in New York and was performed 285 times.

For As Is, Hoffman won several important awards. He received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and an Obie Award for his writing. He was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, which is one of the highest honors in American theatre. The next year, he adapted As Is into a television movie.

Working with Opera

In 1991, Hoffman was asked by the Metropolitan Opera to write the story, or libretto, for an opera called The Ghosts of Versailles. This opera was created to celebrate the opera company's 100th anniversary.

A television version of The Ghosts of Versailles was released in 1993. It starred famous singers like Teresa Stratas and Renée Fleming. Hoffman was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on this television production.

Teaching and Editing

Besides writing, Hoffman also worked as an editor at a publishing company called Hill and Wang. In this role, he helped promote the careers of other playwrights, including Lanford Wilson and Tom Eyen.

Until he passed away in 2017, William Hoffman was an associate professor of theatre at Lehman College. This college is part of the City University of New York, where he taught students about theatre.

Published Plays

Here are some of the plays William Hoffman wrote, listed by when they were first performed.

Other Work

• He also worked as a scriptwriter for the TV show One Life to Live in the mid-1990s.

Additional Awards

• He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team for his work on One Life to Live in 1992.
• He won a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Writing for One Life to Live in 1996.