Paul Rudnick

Last updated

Paul Rudnick
Born (1957-12-29) December 29, 1957 (age 66)
Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation Writer
Genre Humor, drama
PartnerJohn Raftis

Paul Rudnick [1] (born December 29, 1957) is an American writer. His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. He is also known for having written the screenplays for several movies, including Sister Act , Addams Family Values , Jeffrey, and In & Out.

Contents

Early life

Rudnick was born and raised in a Jewish family in Piscataway, New Jersey, [2] where his mother, Selma, was a publicist and his father, Norman, was a physicist. Rudnick attended Piscataway High School. [3] He attended Yale College before moving to New York City, [4] where he wrote book jacket copy and worked as an assistant to his friend, the costume designer William Ivey Long. [5] [6] Rudnick also wrote film criticism under the pseudonym Libby Gelmen-Waxner. [7]

Plays and novels

Rudnick's first play was Poor Little Lambs , a comedy about a female Yale student's attempt to join The Whiffenpoofs, an all-male singing group. Produced in 1982, the play's cast included the young Kevin Bacon, Bronson Pinchot, and Blanche Baker. [8] [9] Rudnick's first novel Social Disease, a satiric tale of New York nightlife, came out in 1986. [10]

In the late 1980s Rudnick moved into the top floor of a Greenwich Village brownstone, which had once been the 1920s home of the actor John Barrymore. This inspired Rudnick's play I Hate Hamlet , about a young TV star who, as he's about to play Hamlet, is visited by the ghost of Barrymore. The play was produced on Broadway and became notorious when Nicol Williamson, the actor playing Barrymore, began attacking his co-star in a far-too-realistic manner during a dueling scene. [11]

In 1993, Rudnick had a breakthrough with his Off-Broadway hit Jeffrey . At first no theater would produce the play, because it was described as a comedy about AIDS. But after a sold-out run at the tiny WPA Theater in New York City, the show transferred for a commercial run. The play ran from December 31, 1992, to February 14, 1993, at the WPA Theatre. [12] The play transferred to the off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theatre, running from March 6, 1993, to January 16, 1994. [13] Frank Rich, in The New York Times , called Rudnick "a born show-biz wit with perfect pitch for priceless one-liners". [14] Stephen Holden, also in the Times, said that Jeffrey was "Just the sort of play Oscar Wilde might have written had he lived in 1990s Manhattan." [15] Rudnick won an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award. [12]

Rudnick's later plays included The Naked Eye, which depicted an extreme photographer along the lines of Robert Mapplethorpe, and in 1998, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, which was inspired by the remark, "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." In Rudnick's revisionist take on the Bible, God makes Adam and Steve, along with the first lesbians, Jane and Mabel. While the play was protested by religious groups, it moved for a commercial run, and the New York Daily News said, "You will find yourself laughing uncontrollably throughout the evening."[ citation needed ]

Rudnick also wrote Valhalla, an epic which entwined the lives of a World War II soldier from Texas with Ludwig, the Mad King of Bavaria; Regrets Only, a drawing room comedy starring Christine Baranski and George Grizzard; and The New Century, a collection of related one-acts, which was produced at Lincoln Center and for which the actress Linda Lavin won a Drama Desk Award. Rudnick has more recently contributed two pieces, The Gay Agenda and My Husband, to the Off-Broadway anthology Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. My Husband was released by Playing on Air as a radio play on podcast and public radio featuring Michael Urie and Harriet Harris, directed by Claudia Weill. [16]

In September 2017, Rudnick's play Big Night opened at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, where it played through October. Wendie Malick starred in this Oscar-themed tragicomedy, described by The Hollywood Reporter as "an often amusing but mostly muddled ensemble piece." [17]

Screenwriting

Rudnick has worked as an uncredited script doctor on films including The Addams Family and The First Wives Club . He was credited as the pseudonym "Joseph Howard" for his work on Sister Act , which was originally intended as a vehicle for Bette Midler; the screenplay went through many changes, and by the time it became re-fashioned for Whoopi Goldberg he refused to have his real name associated with it. He received sole writing credit for Addams Family Values , In & Out , and the screen version of his play Jeffrey.

Rudnick's later screenwriting forays included Isn't She Great and the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives . His script Coastal Elites ––a socially-distanced film about the COVID-19 pandemic––was directed by Jay Roach and stars Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson, and Kaitlyn Dever. It began airing on HBO on September 12, 2020.

Other writing

In 2011, HarperCollins published I Shudder, a collection of Rudnick's autobiographical essays, some covering his work on stage and screen, interspersed with fictional pieces depicting Elyot Vionnet, a fictional alter-ego. [18] Since 1998, Rudnick has been a frequent contributor to The New Yorker , mostly of over 50 short humor pieces. His work appears in the collections Fierce Pajamas and Disquiet, Please.

In 1988, Rudnick began producing satiric film criticism for Premiere Magazine under the name Libby Gelman-Waxner, a deranged Manhattan wife, mother and "Assistant Buyer of Juniors Activewear." A collection of Libby's columns was published in 1994 under the title If You Ask Me, and Janet Maslin, in The New York Times, wrote that, "Mr. Rudnick weaves many a trenchant thought into Libby's comic screeds." Premiere folded in 2007, but Libby resumed writing a monthly column for Entertainment Weekly in 2011 and occasionally contributes reviews to The New Yorker .

Rudnick's first young adult novel, Gorgeous was published in 2013. [19] Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, said that the book included "writing that's hilarious, profane and profound (often within a single sentence.)" [20] Scholastic also published his second Young Adult novel, It's All Your Fault, which Booklist called "A laugh-out-loud, irreverent tale built on as much snarkiness as sweetness. A riotously good read." His latest novel, Playing The Palace, was published by Berkley on May 25, 2021. In 2023, Simon & Schuster published Rudnick's novel Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style. In a starred review, Publisher's Weekly called the book "dazzling and funny."

Personal life

Rudnick is openly gay. [21]

Bibliography

Plays and musicals

Novels

Memoirs

Essays and reporting

———————

Notes
  1. ↑ Online version is titled "Taylor Swift and your taxes".
  2. ↑ Online version is titled "The gaydar of modern science".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Barrymore</span> American actor (1882–1942)

John Barrymore was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly attempted a career as an artist, but appeared on stage together with his father Maurice in 1900, and then his sister Ethel the following year. He began his career in 1903 and first gained attention as a stage actor in light comedy, then high drama, culminating in productions of Justice (1916), Richard III (1920), and Hamlet (1922); his portrayal of Hamlet led to him being called the "greatest living American tragedian".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liev Schreiber</span> American actor (born 1967)

Isaac Liev Schreiber is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s after appearing in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films. He has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award as well as nominations for nine Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Chamberlain</span> American actor (born 1934)

George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor and singer who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961–1966). He subsequently appeared in several miniseries, such as Shōgun (1980) and The Thorn Birds (1983) and was the first to play Jason Bourne in the 1988 television film The Bourne Identity. Chamberlain has also performed classical stage roles and worked in musical theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raul Julia</span> Puerto Rican actor (1940–1994)

Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay was a Puerto Rican actor. He was known for his intense and varied roles on stage and screen. He started his career in the Public Theatre before transitioning to film. He received numerous accolades including a Drama Desk Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for four Tony Awards. In 2017, The Daily Telegraph named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.

Jack Handey is an American humorist. He is best known for his "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey", a large body of surrealistic one-liner jokes, as well as his "Fuzzy Memories" and "My Big Thick Novel" shorts, and for his deadpan delivery. Although many assume otherwise, Handey is a real person, not a pen name or character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Rees</span> Welsh actor (1944–2015)

Roger Rees was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. He also received Obie Awards for his role in The End of the Day and as co-director of Peter and the Starcatcher. Rees was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in November 2015.

Peter Bartlett is an American actor.

Jane Adams is an American actress and screenwriter. Known for her work in independent cinema, her acting credits include Light Sleeper (1992), Happiness (1998), Mumford (1999), Songcatcher (2000), The Anniversary Party (2001), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Little Children (2006), All the Light in the Sky (2012), and She Dies Tomorrow (2020).

<i>Jeffrey</i> (1995 film) 1995 American film

Jeffrey is a 1995 American romantic comedy film directed by Christopher Ashley, based on the play of the same name by Paul Rudnick, who also wrote the screenplay adaptation. The film stars Steven Weber, Michael T. Weiss, Patrick Stewart, and Bryan Batt.

Harriet Sansom Harris is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on Frasier and Felicia Tilman on Desperate Housewives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Hibbert</span> British actor

Edward Hibbert is an American-born British actor and literary agent. He played Gil Chesterton in the TV series Frasier. He also voiced Zazu in several installments in The Lion King franchise, replacing Rowan Atkinson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethel Barrymore Theatre</span> Broadway theater in Manhattan, New York

The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theater at 241 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1928, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp in the Elizabethan, Mediterranean, and Adam styles for the Shubert family. The theater, named in honor of actress Ethel Barrymore, has 1,058 seats and is operated by the Shubert Organization. Both the facade and the auditorium interior are New York City landmarks.

Patricia Marx is an American humorist and writer. She currently works as a staff writer for The New Yorker, and teaches at Columbia University, Princeton University and 92nd Street Y.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Rich</span> American humorist, novelist, and television writer

Simon Rich is an American humorist, novelist, and screenwriter. He has published two novels and six collections of humor pieces, several of which appeared in The New Yorker. His novels and short stories have been translated into over a dozen languages. Rich was one of the youngest writers ever hired on Saturday Night Live, and served as a staff writer for Pixar. On January 14, 2015, Man Seeking Woman, a television comedy series created by Rich premiered on the cable channel FXX.

I Hate Hamlet is a comedy-drama written in 1991 by Paul Rudnick.

Christopher Ashley is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody Allen bibliography</span>

The following is a list of published works by or about the American film director Woody Allen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teddy Wayne</span> American novelist and short story writer (born 1979)

Teddy Wayne is an American novelist and short story writer whose books include The Love Song of Jonny Valentine (2013) and Loner (2016). He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, McSweeney's, and many other publications.

I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey is a 2009 collection of comedic essays written by Paul Rudnick.

<i>The Inheritance</i> (play) 2018 play by Matthew Lopez

The Inheritance is a play by Matthew López that is inspired by the 1910 novel Howards End by E. M. Forster. The play premiered in London at the Young Vic in March 2018, before transferring to Broadway in November 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Birnbach, Lisa (2010). True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World. New York City: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p.  33. ISBN   978-0-307-59398-6.
  2. ↑ Bruni, Frank (September 11, 1997). "AT HOME WITH: Paul Rudnick; You Want Gay Role Models? How About a Joke First". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331.
  3. ↑ Grzella, Paul C. "'Shudder' Big; Comedy will out in Rudnick's latest", Asbury Park Press , September 27, 2009. Accessed February 23, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "LaDonna Racyk was a sexy, "sort of white," teenaged Tina Turner who was a classmate of writer Paul Rudnick at Piscataway High School several decades ago."
  4. ↑ Szewczyk, Elaine (March 21, 2023). "Paul Rudnick Keeps On Writing with 'Style'". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  5. ↑ Rudnick, Paul (January 10, 2014). "Embarrassing Moments in Gayness". paulrudnick.com. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  6. ↑ Witchel, Alex. "William Ivey Long Keeps His Clothes On". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Screenwriter Paul Rudnick on Why the World Needs Libby Gelmen-Waxner". freshairarchive.org. Fresh Air. January 26, 1995. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  8. ↑ "I Hate Hamlet - Paul Rudnick 1991". Encyclopedia.com . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. ↑ Rich, Frank (March 16, 1982). "Theater: Rudnick's 'Poor Little Lambs' of Yale". The New York Times . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ Mankiewicz, John H. (June 8, 1986). "Social Disease by Paul Rudnick". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ Witchel, Alex (May 4, 1991). "I Hate Hamlet' Co-Star Walks Out". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Jeffrey". Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  13. ↑ " Jeffrey Minetta" lortel.org, retrieved January 27, 2017
  14. ↑ Rich, Frank (February 3, 1993). "Critic's Notebook; Laughing at AIDS Is First Line of Defense". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  15. ↑ Holden, Stephen (January 21, 1993). "Review/Theater; Laughs That Mask the Fears of Gay Manhattan". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  16. ↑ "MY HUSBAND by Paul Rudnick". Playing on Air. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  17. ↑ Riefe, Jordan (September 18, 2017). "'Big Night': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  18. ↑ Becker, Alida (September 17, 2009). "Jersey Boy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  19. ↑ Rachel Martin (May 2, 2013). "Paul Rudnick On His 'Gorgeous' Adventure". Weekend Edition Sunday . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Gorgeous - Paul Rudnick". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  21. ↑ Gross, Larry P.; Woods, James D. (1999), The Columbia Reader on Lesbians and Gay Men in Media, Society, and Politics, Columbia University Press, p. 328, ISBN   0-231-10447-2
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.