Jeffrey Sweet
Blueberry Pond Theatre Ensemble
Playwright-in-Residence
Professional Lecture Series at Blueberry Pond

Who is Jeff Sweet?
Such a central part of the legend of Chicago theatre boom that they tried to screw a plaque into his shin, Jeffrey Sweet is a playwright, critic, teacher, songwriter and perpetrator of terrible puns. An anthology of nine of his plays will be published in June under the title THE VALUE OF NAMES AND OTHER PLAYS, his book on Second City was first published in 1978 and is considered one of the essential references on American comedy, and he's currently working on a project with Alan Menken and Sir Tim Rice. Some of the leading actors of our time have worked in his scripts for stage TV and radio, including Jack Klugman, William Petersen, Helen Hunt, Nathan Lane, Alan Bates, Jon Cryer, Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker, Lindsay Crouse, Jerry Stiller, Dan Lauria and Ed Asner, and it hasn't seemed to do them much harm. He recently won the Founders' Award from the Educational Theatre Association and received his fifth nomination for the Joseph Jefferson Award for playwriting.

Doolee.com Registration: http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsS/sweet-jeffrey.html

Jeff Sweet wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Sweet

Jeff Sweet Web Site: http://members.aol.com/DgSWEET/index.html

Jeff Sweet Lecture Series

How Second City Changed the Way America Laughs

The Great Comedy Conspiracy
A bunch of kids in Chicago in the 1950s started fooling around with a new way to make comedy in the backroom of a bar. Before long, they had opened a place called Second City and established improvisational comedy at the center of American popular culture. Alumni include Nichols and May, John Belushi, Stephen Colbert, Gilda Radner, Tina Fey, Alan Arkin, Shelley Berman, John Candy, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers and a couple hundred other of the best and funniest in film, theatre and TV. This is the very entertaining story of how that happened with rare video of some of the best sketches and characters

Lecture at Blueberry Pond Laylon Theater on October 6, 2007 & April 26, 2008

Shakespeare vs. THE SOPRANOS
Untangle Shakespeare's series of plays about kings you can't keep straight and find the most thrilling story about power, corruption and intrigue ever written. People who enjoy HAMLET, TWELFTH NIGHT, ROMEO AND JULIET and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING frequently are unfamiliar with the cycle of eight plays from RICHARD II to RICHARD III. Though they're called "history" plays, they're in fact lousy history but rousing entertainment. This lecture is a painless way to be introduced to the epic story. Sweet weaves a clear narrative through video of key scenes. Forget all the minor lords and the names of battles you can't keep straight keep your eye on the main path and be prepared to be thrilled.

Lecture at Blueberry Pond Laylon Theater on May 31, 2008.

How to Make a Musical
Mixing anecdote and example, Sweet explains how musicals entertained millions and contributed to the great national songbook at the same time giving popular expression to the social and political currents of the time. Popularly thought of as being a form to entertain "the tired businessman," musicals in fact often offered the most vigorous representation of the changing American culture. Expect stories, tunes, jokes and a good time.

Lecture at Blueberry Pond Laylon Theater on September 6, 2008.

New lectures by Jeff Sweet
Check our season calendar or receive announcements by mail and email when you become a Member. Membership Patrons receive free tickets to all Jeffrey Sweet Lectures at Blueberry along with many other benefits. Go to Membership to learn more.

Books, Play, TV, Film by Jeff Sweet

THEATRE

Immoral Imperatives -- Victory Gardens Theatre, September-October, 2001, directed by Cal Maclean, starrig Tim Grimm, Linda Reiter, Kristine Thatcher and Dennis Zacek.

The Action Against Sol Schumann -- Victory Gardens Theatre, March-April, 2001, directed by Dennis Zacek. Production scheduled for the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, July 2002.

Bluff -- Victory Gardens Theatre, 1999, starring Jon Cryer, Sarah Trigger, Tim Grimm and Kristine Thatcher, directed by Sandy Shinner. Nominated for the American Theatre Critics Association playwriting award. Reading starring Ed Asner, David Schwimmer, Mina Kolb and Meagen Fay at the Coronet Theatre in Jaunuary, 2000; directed by Joe Cacaci. Produced at Shadowland Theatre in Ellenville, NY in August, 2000, starring John Astin and Christina Zorich. Produced by the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. Other productions at Necessary Theatre in Louisville and at 12 Miles West Theatre in Montclair, NJ.

Flyovers -- Victory Gardens Theatre, 1998, starring William L. Petersen, Amy Morton and Marc Vann (Petersen and Morton later succeeded by Gary Cole and Teddi Siddall), directed by Dennis Zacek; recorded for broadcast on Chicago Theatres on the Air for WFMT Chicago; workshop at Naked Angels Theatre (NY); directed by Jace Alexander; winner 1998 Joseph Jefferson Award for "new work," nominated for American Theatre Critics Association playwriting award. Scheduled for New York production.

The Falcon's Pitch -- adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry VI cycle focusing on Margaret, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, 1998.

With and Without -- Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago (November, '95) and Main Street Theatre in Houston (January, '96), 78th Street Theatre Lab (NYC, April '98). Nominated for the American Theatre Critics Association playwriting award. Radio version broadcast by Chicago Theatres on the Air starring Lindsay Crouse, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, May '95; published by Dramatists Play Service.

I Sent a Letter to My Love -- book writer and co-lyricist with composer Melissa Manchester; based on novel by Bernice Rubens; played off-Broadway at Primary Stages, January, '95; directed by Patricia Birch. Recorded as a radio special for LA Theatre Works starring Melissa and Stephen Bogardus, January '98. Released on CD. Recent revised workshop at New Tuners (Chicago), 2000. Scheduled for production at North Shore Music Theatre in September 2002.

American Enterprise -- author and composer of play with music produced by Organic Theatre, Chicago - winner, 1992 American Theatre Critics Association Award for new play premiered regionally; nominated for Joseph Jefferson Award for best new play; recipient Kennedy Center-American Express Fund for New American Plays grant. Played limited run off-Broadway, directed by Patricia Birch, 1994; nominated for Outer Critics Circle Award, '94; published in Dramatics. Also produced by Hillberry Theatre, Detroit, spring '99.

The Value of Names -- Actors Theatre of Louisville (premiere); Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago; Hartford Stage; Buffalo Arena Stage; Vineyard Theatre; Skylight Theatre, L.A.; Penguin Rep, NY; Illinois Theatre Center; the Halle Theatre, Ohio; New Theatre, Miami; Main Street Stage, Pittsfield, Mass.; LA Theatre Works radio production starring Garry Marshall, Hector Elizondo and Sally Murphy, May '95 - winner, Society of Midland Authors Award and Heidemann Award; nominated for American Theatre Critics Association Award; published in Fruitful and Multiplying, a Penguin/Mentor anthology of contemporary Jewish-American plays edited by Ellen Schiff; acting edition, Dramatists Play Service.

Porch -- Arena Stage, Encompass Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre (with Sonja Lanzener, who won the Jefferson Award for her performance), Lamb's Theatre (with Jill Eikenberry), Long Wharf (with Marybeth Hurt), Spectrum Stage, and dozens of other productions - winner, Society of Midland Authors Award. Published in Best Short Plays anthology; acting edition, Samuel French. Scheduled for revival in Portland, Oregon in 2001.

What About Luv? -- book to musical adapted from Murray Schisgal's Luv - off-Broadway (under the title Love) starring Judy Kaye, Nathan Lane and Steve Vinovich; revived off-Broadway at York Theatre starring David Green, Judy Kaye and Austin Pendleton under the direction of Patricia Birch; Orange Tree Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith, London; Cleveland Playhouse; Toronto, Miami, Denver, Hungary and Mannheim, Germany - winner, 1983-1984 Outer Critics Circle Award for best book. Two successful productions in Tokyo; acting edition, Musical Theatre International. CD available.

Other plays include Stops Along the Way, Ties, Holding Patterns and Responsible Parties - produced at Lincoln Center Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, the Body Politic, Vineyard Theatre, The Directors Company, Spectrum Stage and, on TV, by WTTW, Chicago's PBS station.

FILM AND TELEVISION

Pack of Lies - Hallmark Hall of Fame - as "creative consultant" wrote adaptation of Hugh Whitemore's play starring Ellen Burstyn, Alan Bates, Sammi Davis and Daniel Benzali; script, credited to a pseudonym, was nominated for an Emmy; Burstyn and show also nominated for Emmys; show won the Peabody Award.

Hothouse - ABC, executive story editor, working with Jay Presson Allen; cast included Josef Sommer, Michael Learned, Art Malik, Michael Jeter and Kathy Borowitz; wrote two episodes.

Mayflower Madam - rewrite; cast included Candice Bergen, Chris Sarandon and Chita Rivera.

One Life to Live - Script editor; 1993 WGA Award; 1992 Emmy nomination.

Camp Showbiz - pilot proposal for American Movie Classics.

The Value of Names - teleplay for Ellen Krass and HBO (production still pending).

Sins of the Father - screenplay for David Picker.

Ratshow - screenplay for David Ullendorff.

We are Rachel Stuart - comedy pilot co-written with Tom Alderman for the Charles Brothers/Paramount.

Bench Birds - drama pilot co-written with Tony Gilroy for Columbia Television.

Apartment 3-G - drama pilot for Hearst Entertainment.

Doing Time - sitcom pilot for Norman Lear.

Another World - staff writer.

Episodes for Working It Out, Tattinger's and Big Brother Jake.

Routed - short film based on one-act broadcast on Showtime and A&E; winner of numerous film festival awards.

ACADEMIC

• Education: BFA in film from NYU, 1971.
• New School for Social Research - dramatic writing, School of Dramatic Arts MFA program administered by the Actors Studio, '96-present.
• Purchase College -- visiting professor, 2001.
• University of Richmond -- guest lecturer, 2001; scheduled as visiting professor, 2002.
• Drexel University -- dramatic writing, '99-'00.
• University of Iowa -- dramatic writing in summer conferences, '97, '98, '99.
• Illinois State University -- dramatic writing, '98.
• Carnegie-Mellon University - -substitute head of dramatic writing program, spring '97.
• Other courses taught at Columbia University and Rutgers.
• Workshops, seminars and lectures for Second City, the Dramatists Guild, the Goodman Theatre, the Victory Gardens Theatre, the National Critics Institute, the O'Neill Center, New Dramatists, Ensemble Studio Theatre, HB Studios, the New Actors Workshop, Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, the Directors Guild of America, North Carolina Playwrights Conference, Key West Playwriting Festival, Marshall University, Rice University Writers Conference, the Brick Theatre, Lehigh Valley Writers Conference, Artistic New Directions' Summer Improv Retreats, Bethesda Writers Center, The Newberry Library, Barnes and Noble, Show Biz Expo, Bay Area Theatre Sports, the Drama Project, Washington Playwrights Forum, New York State Theatre Institute, Association for Theatre in Higher Education convention, the William Inge Festival and others
• Teaches online playwriting workshop for Writers on the Web.

OTHER

Solving Your Script-- playwriting text published in 2001 by Heinemann.

The Dramatist's Toolkit -- playwriting text published in 1993 by Heinemann; currently in sixth printing.

Something Wonderful Right Away-- oral history of Second City (Avon; reprint by Limelight Editions), featuring interviews with Mike Nichols, Alan Alda, Joan Rivers, Barbara Harris, Alan Arkin, Paul Sills, Paul Mazursky, Gilda Radner and a dozen or so other alumni; currently in fifth printing.

• Best Plays annual, co-editor with Otis L. Guernsey of eleven editions (Limelight Editions), 1985-1996.
• Back Stage -- "The Playwrights Corner" column.
• PerformInk--"New York State of Mind" column, '98-'99.
• Dramatics-- column on theatre and playwriting, ongoing.
• Articles for Newsday, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Variety, Chicago Magazine, American Theatre, etc.
• Founder, N.Y. Writer's Bloc -- writing workshop; alumni include Donald Margulies (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Dinner with Friends, Collected Stories and Sight Unseen), Jane Anderson (Baby Dance and ThePositively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheeleader-Murdering Mom), Winnie Holtzmann (My So-Called Life), Anne Meara (After-Play) and Keith Gordon (director of films, Mother Night and A Midnight Clear).
• Served five years on Tony Award nominating committee; current Tony voter.
• Member of Ensemble Studio Theatre.
• Alumnus of New Dramatists.
• Elected Member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild (serving second term); serve on Publications, Membership and Education Committees.
• Blueberry Pond Theatre Ensemble Playwright-in-Residence

Now Available! Jeffrey Sweet’s long-awaited Anthology…

THE VALUE OF NAMES AND OTHER PLAYS BY JEFFREY SWEET
(Northwestern University Press).

At long last, thirty years of Jeffrey Sweet’s enduring works between covers. Aside from the plays themselves, the book contains a bounty of intriguing detail on the research behind some of them and the development process (particularly the influence of improvisation) behind the others.

Details: THE VALUE OF NAMES AND OTHER PLAYS BY JEFFREY SWEET (Northwestern University Press).
 
Paperback: 578 pages
Publisher: Northwestern University Press; 1 edition (June 1, 2008) ISBN-10: 0810123959 ISBN-13: 978-0810123953
Amazon is still offering a terrific pre-publishing discount of almost 40%, which is about my author's discount –

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0810123959/?tag=jeffreysweetsh04