Heather McDonald (born 1959) is an American

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

, and

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

Early life

Mcdonald is originally a Canadian citizen. She graduated from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

with a BFA in English. She is an MFA graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Career

Heather McDonald has published eight plays, two screenplays, and a libretto. Her plays have been performed nationally and all over the world. She has attended the Sundance Institute twice, first as a director, and most recently as a playwright for the 2010 Playwrights Retreat at Ucross. McDonald has been a regular teacher at the Kennedy Center Intensive at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The program is a two-week session of writing workshops and discussions about the business of playwriting.

George Mason University

McDonald is a full-time professor at

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

. Her courses include playwriting workshop, advanced playwriting, the screenplay, and advanced playwriting workshop. McDonald pioneered the Ten-Minute Play Festival, where students produce, direct, and act in ten-minute plays written by students.

Theater of the First Amendment

Heather McDonald was an artistic associate of the Theater of the First Amendment. "Since 1990, TFA has produced 44 full productions and numerous staged readings of new work. Our productions have won 12 Helen Hayes Awards (DC’s equivalent of the Tony Awards) out of 37 nominations. Many plays originating at TFA have been published, produced nationally and internationally, televised and broadcast, or recorded as award-winning original soundtrack CDs". In June 2011, TFA hosted Playwrights in Mind: A National Conversation, a playwrights conference. It was sponsored by the Dramatists Guild and featured many celebrated playwrights, including David Ives, Stephen Schwartz, Mame Hunt, Molly Smith, Christopher Durang, Emily Mann, and Julia Jordon.

Personal life

She resides in Baltimore.

Bibliography

Produced plays

*''Rain and Darkness: Hitting for the Cycle'' *''Available Light'' *''The Rivers and Ravines'' *''Faulkner's Bicycle'' *''Dream of a Common Language'' *''When Grace Comes In'' *''An Almost Holy Picture'' *''The Two Mary's'' *''Stay''

Screenplays

*''Rocket 88'' *''Walking After Midnight''

Opera

*''

The End of the Affair ''The End of the Affair'' is a 1951 novel by British author Graham Greene, as well as the title of two feature films (released in 1955 and 1999) that were adapted from the novel. Set in London during and just after the Second World War, the no ...

'' (libretto)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Heather American librettists American dramatists and playwrights American theatre directors American women theatre directors Florida State University alumni Place of birth missing (living people) George Mason University faculty Living people Tisch School of the Arts alumni Women librettists 1959 births