Rob Ackerman (playwright)

Rob Ackerman

Ackerman in 2011
Born Rob Ackerman
(1958-12-01) December 1, 1958
Columbus, Ohio
Occupation Playwright
Nationality American
Notable works Tabletop, Volleygirls, Call Me Waldo
Spouse Carol Weston

Rob Ackerman (born December 1, 1958) is a contemporary American playwright. His plays include Tabletop, which won the 2001 Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble Performance,Volleygirls, and Call Me Waldo.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Ackerman was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He is a graduate of Middlebury College, where he majored in Theater and Spanish. He earned his M.F.A. in Stage Directing at Northwestern University.

Career

Ackerman's first success was Tabletop, staged at the American Place Theatre in 2000.[4][5] John Simon, writing for New York Magazine, called it "acidly funny" and "spot-on about the making of a T.V. commercial."[6] Ackerman has since written Disconnect (2005, Working Theater, Classic Stage Company), Icarus of Ohio (2008, NYU Tisch School of the Arts), Volleygirls (2009, American Conservatory Theater), and Call Me Waldo (2012, Working Theater, Off Broadway and Kitchen Theater, Ithaca).[7] His debut play, Origin of the Species, became a movie starring Amanda Peet, Michael Kelly, and Jean Louisa Kelly, and directed by Andrés Heinz, who wrote the original screenplay that became Black Swan.[8] Ackerman won an award for Screenwriting at the Huntington International Independent Film Festival.[9]

Monica Raymund and Sisu Theatricals are currently developing a musical version of Volleygirls, now called "Ladyhawks," under the direction of Neil Patrick Stewart with songs by Sam Forman and Eli Bolin.[10] In July 2013, it was staged as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival where it won Best of Fest, Outstanding Ensemble, and Most Promising New Musical. It was workshopped at the University of Florida in the summer of 2015.[11]

Ackerman's work has been published by Dramatists Play Service, Smith and Kraus, Vintage Books, and Playscripts, Inc. It has been nurtured and performed at Yaddo, Flux Theatre Ensemble, Access Theatre, At Hand Theatre, and Dorset Theatre Festival. For 25 years, he has also worked as a property master for the film unit of Saturday Night Live.[12] He is represented by Ben Izzo of Abrams Artists Agency.

Personal life

He currently lives in Manhattan with his wife, author Carol Weston. They have two daughters and a cat named Mike.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "High-Stakes Drama of High School Sports Centerstage in World Premier of Volleygirls: Artist Biographies". American Conservatory Theater. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  2. ↑ "Rob Ackerman". Dollee. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  3. ↑ Titus, Tom. "Playhouse Will Lift the Curtain on Tabletop". Coastline Pilot. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  4. ↑ Sommer, Elyse. "Tabletop, a CurtainUp Review". CurtainUp. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Bruckner, D. "A Tyrannical Boss Meets More Than His Match". New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Simon, John. "Ad Glib". New York Magazine. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  7. ↑ "Call Me Waldo: Meet the Creative Team". The Working Theater. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Origin of the Species Credits". New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Origin of the Species Screening". Origin of the Species Movie. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  10. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Andrea Burns, Joseph Cassidy, David Hess Set for Reading of New Musical Volleygirls". Playbill. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "Hit New York Musical". Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  12. ↑ Weston, Carol. "Rob Ackerman". CarolWeston.com. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "25th Anniversary Season Bios". Working Theater. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
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