Arthur Laurents
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Arthur Laurents (born July 14, 1918) is an American playwright, novelist, screenwriter, librettist and stage director.
He was born in New York City to a Jewish family. After studying at Cornell University and a stint in the Army, he began writing scripts for radio, and in 1945 wrote his first play, Home of the Brave, a drama set during World War II.
During McCarthyism, Laurents was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses and for several years none of his work was used in film. Other plays by Laurents include Time of the Cuckoo, Invitation to a March, The Enclave, and Jolson Sings Again. He also has written the books for several musicals, including West Side Story, Gypsy, Anyone Can Whistle, and Do I Hear a Waltz?, which was based on his play Time of the Cuckoo. Laurents has directed several Broadway productions as well, including the musicals I Can Get It for You Wholesale and La Cage Aux Folles.
Laurents has also written two novels, The Way We Were, and The Turning Point, both of which became successful films for which Laurents wrote the screenplays. He also wrote the screenplays for The Snake Pit, Anastasia, and the Alfred Hitchcock film Rope.
In 2000 Laurents published a memoir, Original Story By. In it, the author reveals that he is homosexual and had relationships with Farley Granger and Tom Hatcher. The latter relationship endured for over five decades until Hatcher's death on October 26, 2006.
[edit] Libretti
- Nick & Nora - 1991
- The Madwoman of Central Park West - 1979
- Hallelujah, Baby! - 1967 - Tony Award for Best Musical
- Do I Hear a Waltz? - 1965
- Anyone Can Whistle - 1964
- Gypsy - 1959 - Tony Nomination for Best Musical
- West Side Story - 1957 - Tony Nomination for Best Musical
[edit] Direction
- Nick & Nora - 1991
- Anyone Can Whistle - 1964
- La Cage aux Folles - 1983 - Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
- The Madwoman of Central Park West - 1979
- Gypsy - 1974 - Tony Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical
- I Can Get It for You Wholesale - 1962
- Invitation to a March - 1960
[edit] Plays
- Invitation to a March - 1960
- A Clearing in the Woods - 1957
For a master's thesis dealing with "A Clearing in the Woods" including an interview of Mr. Laurents, see: [1]
- The Time of the Cuckoo - 1952
- The Bird Cage - 1950
- Home of the Brave - 1945
