Steven Levenson (born May 1984)
[ is an American playwright and screenwriter. He won the ]2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for ''Dear Evan Hansen
''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Pasek and Paul, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important rol ...
''.
Early life
Levenson was raised in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Located just northwest of Washington, D.C., it is a major business and government center of the Washington metropolitan region ...
. He was raised in a Reform Jewish
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous rev ...
family. He attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School and Brown University
Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
. He originally studied theater and English but then turned to playwriting.
In discussing his interests in writing, he said: "...it does seem that a lot of my work tends to move in that amilydirection. I do find the dynamics in the family to be fascinating and endlessly variable. Family is, obviously, among the most universal experiences."[Traiger, Lis]
"Questions & answers with … Steven Levenson"
washingtonjewishweek, July 29, 2015 Although he writes for television as well as the stage, he said: "Theater will always be my first love."[
]
Career
Stage
Levenson wrote the book for the musical ''Dear Evan Hansen'' which opened on Broadway in December 2016, after premiering at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC in 2015.
His stage playwriting credits include ''The Language of Trees'' (2008, Roundabout Theatre Company Black Box Theatre) and '' Seven Minutes in Heaven'' (2009).
''The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin'' was produced Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
by the Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
History
The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...
at the Laura Pels Theatre, opening in June 2013. The play was produced under the Roundabout Theatre's New Play Initiative.
His play ''If I Forget'' opened Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre on February 22, 2017 and closed on April 30, 2017. Directed by Daniel Sullivan the cast featured Jeremy Shamos, Kate Walsh and Maria Dizzia.[''If I Forget'']
lortel.org, retrieved May 7, 2018
His play ''Days of Rage'' opened at the Off-Broadway Second Stage Theater's Tony Kiser Theatre on October 2, 2018 with direction by Trip Cullman. The play concerns activists in the late 1960s. ''Days of Rage'' was earlier presented at the Hartford Stage Brand New Play Festival in a reading in November 2011, directed by Darko Tresnjak.
Television
He was a writer for the Showtime series '' Masters of Sex'', which ran for four seasons, from 2013 to 2016.Bob Fosse
Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, and stage director. Known for his work on stage and screen, he is arguably the most influential figure in the field of jazz dance in th ...
and actor-singer Gwen Verdon. The series premiered in 2019.
Film
Personal life
Levenson is married to Whitney May, who has worked in art history and design history. They have a daughter, born in 2015.[Klug, Lisa]
"This nice Jewish boy just nabbed 9 Tony nominations"
''Times of Israel'', May 3, 2017
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levenson, Steven
1984 births
Living people
21st-century American dramatists and playwrights
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters
American male dramatists and playwrights
American male screenwriters
American male television writers
American musical theatre librettists
Brown University alumni
Jewish American dramatists and playwrights
Jewish American screenwriters
Jewish American television writers
American television writers
Tony Award winners
Writers from Bethesda, Maryland
Writers Guild of America Award winners