John Patrick Shanley

Last updated
John Patrick Shanley
An Evening With John Patrick Shanley (16890409746).jpg
Shanley in 2015
Born (1950-10-13) October 13, 1950 (age 73)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation
  • Playwright
  • screenwriter
  • director
Alma mater New York University - Steinhardt
Years active1982–present
Notable awards
SpouseJayne Haynes
Children2

John Patrick Shanley (born October 13, 1950) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film Moonstruck . [1] [2] [3] His play, Doubt: A Parable , won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2005 Tony Award for Best Play; he wrote and directed the film adaptation and earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Contents

Early life and education

Shanley was born into an Irish-American family in The Bronx, New York City. His mother worked as a telephone operator, and his father was a meat-packer. The neighborhood Shanley grew up in was considered very rough. [1]

Shanley's academic career did not begin well, but ultimately he graduated from New York University with honors. [4] In his program bio for the Broadway production of Doubt: A Parable , he mentions that he was "thrown out of St. Helena's kindergarten, banned from St. Anthony's hot lunch program and expelled from Cardinal Spellman High School." He was heavily influenced by one of his first teachers, Sister Margaret McEntee, on whom he based the character of Sister James in his play, Doubt. [5] While at Cardinal Spellman High School, he saw two school productions that influenced him: The Miracle Worker and Cyrano de Bergerac. [6]

After his freshman year at New York University, Shanley was put on academic probation. He then enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving in a stateside post during the Vietnam War. [1] Following his military service, he wrote a novel, then burned it, and returned to the university with the help of the G.I. Bill, and by supporting himself with a series of jobs: elevator operator, house painter, furniture mover, locksmith, bartender. He graduated from New York University as valedictorian in 1977, [4] [7] with a degree in Educational Theatre, and is a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre. [8]

Career

John Patrick Shanley sits down to discuss adaptations and his creative process at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on the 23rd of March, 2015 An Evening With John Patrick Shanley (16709004047).jpg
John Patrick Shanley sits down to discuss adaptations and his creative process at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on the 23rd of March, 2015

Shanley is the author of more than 23 plays, which have been translated and performed around the world, including 80 productions a year in North America. He has often directed his own productions. [1]

He has also written for film; his second film, Moonstruck (1987), stars Nicolas Cage and Cher, and won three Academy Awards, including one for his screenplay. [9] In 1990, Shanley directed his script of Joe Versus the Volcano. Shanley also wrote two songs for the movie: "Marooned Without You" and "The Cowboy Song." [10] He wrote the screenplay for the film Congo (1995), which was based on the Michael Crichton book. [11]

His play Doubt: A Parable ran on Broadway from March 31, 2005, to July 2, 2006, and won four 2005 Tony Awards (including Best Play), [12] the Drama Desk Award (including Outstanding Play) [13] and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. [14] Shanley wrote and directed the 2008 film version, which starred Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. [15] The screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award, and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [16] Doubt: A Parable, is featured in The Fourth Wall, a book of photographs by Amy Arbus for which Shanley also wrote the foreword.

In 2012, Shanley wrote the libretto for an opera version of Doubt: A Parable , which premiered at the Minnesota Opera in January 2013, with music by Douglas J. Cuomo. Until then, his experience with opera was not extensive; he had attended a few performances and had listened to recordings. As he worked on the libretto, using many lines that come directly from the play, he describes that his enthusiasm for the form grew. [17] Also in 2012, his play Storefront Church ran Off-Broadway in a production by the Atlantic Theater Company. The play concerns Bronx residents "whose lives become tangled in unexpected ways when a mortgage goes sour". [18] Storefront Church was also put up by San Francisco Playhouse in San Francisco in December 2013 where it was very well received. [19]

His play, Outside Mullingar , opened on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club, on January 3, 2014 (in previews) and officially on January 23, 2014. The play was directed by Doug Hughes and starred Debra Messing and Brían F. O'Byrne. [20] The play is set in the Irish countryside. [21]

Prodigal Son, which he directed, was produced Off-Broadway by the Manhattan Theatre Club. It opened on February 9, 2016, and featured Timothée Chalamet, Robert Sean Leonard, Annika Boras, Chris McGarry and David Potters. The play concerns a lonely teen from The Bronx who attends a private school in New Hampshire. [22] His new play The Portuguese Kid opened on October 24, 2017, at the New York City Center Stage I, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club. Directed by Shanley, the cast featured Jason Alexander, Sherie Rene Scott, Mary Testa, Aimee Carrero and Pico Alexander. [23]

Personal life

Shanley resides in New York City. He has been married and divorced twice; with his second wife, Jayne Haynes, he adopted two sons, both born in 1992. [24]

Work

Theatre

YearTitlePlaywrightDirectorVenueRef.
1982Welcome to the MoonYesNoEnsemble Studio Theater, Off-Broadway [25]
1983 Danny and the Deep Blue Sea YesNo Circle in the Square Theatre, Off-Broadway [26]
1984 Savage in Limbo YesNo Gate Theatre, London [27]
1985The Dreamer Examines His PillowYesNo 47th Street Theatre, Off-Broadway
1986 Italian American Reconciliation YesNo Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway
1986 Women of Manhattan YesNoOff-Broadway [28]
1987All for CharityYesNoEnsemble Studio Theater [29]
1990The Big FunkYesYesNew York Shakespeare Festival [30]
1991Beggars in the House of PlentyYesYesOff-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club [31]
1992The Wild GooseYesNoEnsemble Studio Theater [32]
1993Four Dogs and a BoneYesYes Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway [33]
1996Missing Marisa/Kissing ChristineYesYesPrimary Stages, Off-Broadway [34]
1998 Psychopathia Sexualis YesNo Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway
2001Where's My Money?YesYesLAByrinth Theatre Company
Manhattan Theatre Club
[35]
2001 Cellini YesYes Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway
2003 Dirty Story YesNoOff-Broadway [36]
2004 Doubt: A Parable YesNo Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway
Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway
2004Sailor's SongYesNo Joseph Papp Public Theatre, Off-Broadway [37]
2005 Defiance YesNo Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway
2007Romantic PoetryYesYesManhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway [38]
2010PirateYesNo Powerhouse Theater
Vassar & New York Stage and Film
[39]
2012Storefront ChurchYesYes Atlantic Theater Company, Off-Broadway
2014 Outside Mullingar YesNo Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway
2016Prodigal SonYesYes New York City Center, Off-Broadway
2017 The Portuguese Kid YesYesManhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway
2021CandlelightYesNoNew Ohio Theatre, Off-Off-Broadway [40]
2024Brooklyn LaundryYesYes Manhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterRef.
1987 Moonstruck NoYes
Five Corners NoYes [41]
1989 The January Man NoYes [42]
1990 Joe Versus the Volcano YesYes
1993 Alive NoYes [43]
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story NoYes [44]
1995 Congo NoYes
2008 Doubt YesYes
2020 Wild Mountain Thyme YesYes

Television

YearTitleNotesRef.
1993Danny i RobertaTV movie
2002 Live from Baghdad [45]
2018The Portuguese Kid
2019 Great Performances Episode: "Cuomo: Doubt"

Awards, nominations, and honors

In 2002 Shanley was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. [46]

Awards
Nominations

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References

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  2. John Patrick Shanley imdb.com
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  19. "Storefront Church SF Gate". 2 December 2013.
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  21. Isherwood, Charles. "Theater Review. 'Outside Mullingar,' by John Patrick Shanley, Opens" The New York Times, January 23, 2014
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