William Gibson (November 13, 1914 – November 25, 2008) was an American playwright and novelist. He won the Tony Award for Best Play for The Miracle Worker in 1959, which he later adapted for the film version in 1962.
Gibson graduated from the City College of New York in 1938, and he was of Irish, French, German, Dutch, Russian, and Greek ancestry.[1]
Work as playwrightedit
Gibson's Broadway debut had been with Two for the Seesaw in 1958, a critically acclaimed two-character play which starred Henry Fonda and, in her own Broadway debut, Anne Bancroft. It was directed by Arthur Penn. Gibson published a chronicle of the vicissitudes of rewriting for the sake of this production with The Seesaw Log, a nonfiction book. His most famous play is The Miracle Worker (1959), the story of Helen Keller's childhood education, which won him the Tony Award for Best Play after he adapted it from his original 1957 telefilm script.[2][3] He adapted the work again for the 1962 film version, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Arthur Penn directed both the stage and film versions.
His other works include Dinny and the Witches (1948, revised 1961), in which a jazz musician incurs the wrath of three Shakespearean witches by blowing a riff which stops time; the book for the musical version of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy (1964), which earned him yet another Tony nomination; A Mass for the Dead (1968), an autobiographical family chronicle; A Cry of Players (1968), a speculative account of the life of young William Shakespeare (with Anne Bancroft starring for Gibson, this time as Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway); American Primitive (1969), a verse play adapted from the letters of John and Abigail Adams, premiered at Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Frank Langella and starring Anne Bancroft; Goodly Creatures (1980), about Puritan dissident Anne Hutchinson; and Monday After the Miracle (1982), a continuation of the Helen Keller story. His ill-received[3]Golda (1977), a work about Golda Meir became so popular in its revised version, titled Golda's Balcony (2003), that it set a record as the longest-running one-woman play in Broadway history on January 2, 2005.[4]
1984 marked the debut of Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure, a dark fantasy about a sickly little girl who's whisked away on a quest to evade death, featuring the titular doll from popular children's stories, and songs by Sesame Street's Joe Raposo. The show traveled to Russia, where it was a smash-hit the following year under the title Rag Dolly,[5] and then it closed on Broadway in 1986 with only 15 previews and 5 performances.[6] Thanks to bootleg recordings, the show went on to garner a cult reputation on the internet.[7]
Other published worksedit
In 1973, Gibson published A Season in Heaven, an account of his studies with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Punta Umbria and La Antilla, Spain. In 1954, Gibson published the novel The Cobweb, set in a psychiatric hospital resembling the Menninger Clinic;[2] in 1955, the novel was adapted as a movie by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Family and later lifeedit
Gibson married Margaret Brenman-Gibson, a psychotherapist and biographer of Clifford Odets, in 1940. After 1954, the couple moved from Topeka, Kansas to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where Margaret took a position as a psychoanalyst. She died in 2004.[2]
Referencesedit
^Christopher Hawtree. "ObituaryWilliam GibsonLate-blooming writer best known for his play The Miracle Worker". Guardian. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
^ abcCarr, David (November 27, 2008). "William Gibson, playwright, dies at 94". The New York Times. p. A34.
^ ab"'Miracle Worker' playwright William Gibson dies," November 28, 2008.
^Simonson, Robert (September 23, 2004). “Golda's Balcony Becomes Longest-Running One-Woman Show in Bway History Oct. 3”. Playbill. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
^Bumpers, Jasmine (2020). "Dolly Diplomacy". New York Archives. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
^"Raggedy Ann". Guide to Musical Theater. Retrieved 2021-08-18. Opened 16th October, 1986; closed 19th October 1986 (15 previews; 5 performances)
^Gilchrist, Garrett (2021-04-16). "Re: Raggedy Ann & Andy Thread". Orange Cow. Retrieved 2021-08-18. Young people on Tumblr and Twitter have discovered the Raggedy Ann 1977 film and later Rag Dolly musical (by Joe Raposo). There's a new fandom.
"'Miracle Worker' Playwright Dies", The New York Times ArtsBeat blog, November 27, 2008
January 01, 1970
william, gibson, playwright, william, gibson, november, 1914, november, 2008, american, playwright, novelist, tony, award, best, play, miracle, worker, 1959, which, later, adapted, film, version, 1962, gibson, 1964, contents, early, life, education, work, play. William Gibson November 13 1914 November 25 2008 was an American playwright and novelist He won the Tony Award for Best Play for The Miracle Worker in 1959 which he later adapted for the film version in 1962 Gibson in 1964 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Work as playwright 3 Other published works 4 Family and later life 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and education editGibson graduated from the City College of New York in 1938 and he was of Irish French German Dutch Russian and Greek ancestry 1 Work as playwright editGibson s Broadway debut had been with Two for the Seesaw in 1958 a critically acclaimed two character play which starred Henry Fonda and in her own Broadway debut Anne Bancroft It was directed by Arthur Penn Gibson published a chronicle of the vicissitudes of rewriting for the sake of this production with The Seesaw Log a nonfiction book His most famous play is The Miracle Worker 1959 the story of Helen Keller s childhood education which won him the Tony Award for Best Play after he adapted it from his original 1957 telefilm script 2 3 He adapted the work again for the 1962 film version receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay Arthur Penn directed both the stage and film versions His other works include Dinny and the Witches 1948 revised 1961 in which a jazz musician incurs the wrath of three Shakespearean witches by blowing a riff which stops time the book for the musical version of Clifford Odets Golden Boy 1964 which earned him yet another Tony nomination A Mass for the Dead 1968 an autobiographical family chronicle A Cry of Players 1968 a speculative account of the life of young William Shakespeare with Anne Bancroft starring for Gibson this time as Shakespeare s wife Anne Hathaway American Primitive 1969 a verse play adapted from the letters of John and Abigail Adams premiered at Williamstown Theatre Festival directed by Frank Langella and starring Anne Bancroft Goodly Creatures 1980 about Puritan dissident Anne Hutchinson and Monday After the Miracle 1982 a continuation of the Helen Keller story His ill received 3 Golda 1977 a work about Golda Meir became so popular in its revised version titled Golda s Balcony 2003 that it set a record as the longest running one woman play in Broadway history on January 2 2005 4 1984 marked the debut of Raggedy Ann The Musical Adventure a dark fantasy about a sickly little girl who s whisked away on a quest to evade death featuring the titular doll from popular children s stories and songs by Sesame Street s Joe Raposo The show traveled to Russia where it was a smash hit the following year under the title Rag Dolly 5 and then it closed on Broadway in 1986 with only 15 previews and 5 performances 6 Thanks to bootleg recordings the show went on to garner a cult reputation on the internet 7 Other published works editIn 1973 Gibson published A Season in Heaven an account of his studies with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Punta Umbria and La Antilla Spain In 1954 Gibson published the novel The Cobweb set in a psychiatric hospital resembling the Menninger Clinic 2 in 1955 the novel was adapted as a movie by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Family and later life editGibson married Margaret Brenman Gibson a psychotherapist and biographer of Clifford Odets in 1940 After 1954 the couple moved from Topeka Kansas to Stockbridge Massachusetts where Margaret took a position as a psychoanalyst She died in 2004 2 References edit Christopher Hawtree ObituaryWilliam GibsonLate blooming writer best known for his play The Miracle Worker Guardian Retrieved 2014 06 15 a b c Carr David November 27 2008 William Gibson playwright dies at 94 The New York Times p A34 a b Miracle Worker playwright William Gibson dies November 28 2008 Simonson Robert September 23 2004 Golda s Balcony Becomes Longest Running One Woman Show in Bway History Oct 3 Playbill Retrieved March 22 2013 Bumpers Jasmine 2020 Dolly Diplomacy New York Archives Retrieved 2021 08 18 Raggedy Ann Guide to Musical Theater Retrieved 2021 08 18 Opened 16th October 1986 closed 19th October 1986 15 previews 5 performances Gilchrist Garrett 2021 04 16 Re Raggedy Ann amp Andy Thread Orange Cow Retrieved 2021 08 18 Young people on Tumblr and Twitter have discovered the Raggedy Ann 1977 film and later Rag Dolly musical by Joe Raposo There s a new fandom External links editWilliam Gibson at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp William Gibson at the Internet Off Broadway Database Miracle Worker Playwright Dies The New York Times ArtsBeat blog November 27 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Gibson playwright amp oldid 1218251225, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
