Willy Holtzman (born 1951) 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 ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, often focusing on theatrical representations of actual historical events. Holtzman has received two

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

nominations, a

Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an American award for film and television writing, presented to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful manner. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of ...

, a

Writers Guild Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility The ...

, a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

, as well as an HBO Award at the

National Playwrights Conference The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company founded in 1964 by George C. White. It is commonly referred to as The O'Neill, seating just over 1,000 guests. The center has received two T ...

Personal life

Willy Holtzman was born and raised as the second of three children in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. Holtzman moved to

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles (25.749504 km) south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. Middletown is the largest city in the L ...

in 1969 to attend

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

, where he majored in American Studies. After graduation, he moved to

Wilton, Connecticut Wilton is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Wester ...

, where he lives with his wife, Sylvia Shepard.

Career

Many of Holtzman's plays have been developed through the PlayPenn New Play Conference. Holtzman's plays have been produced in New York at

Primary Stages Theater Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company. In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years at Davenport Theatre, 354 West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theate ...

Theatre for a New Audience The Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) is a non-profit theater in New York City focused on producing William Shakespeare, Shakespeare and other classic dramas. Its off-Broadway productions have toured in the U.S. and internationally. History Thea ...

, and the Working Theater. He has been produced regionally at the

Long Wharf Theatre Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared. Fo ...

, City Theatre,

People's Light and Theatre Company People's Light and Theatre Company is a professional non-profit theatre company in Malvern, Pennsylvania. History People's Light, a professional non-profit theatre company, was founded in 1973 by Dick Keeler, Ken Marini, and Megan and Danny Fr ...

, Baltimore Center Stage,

Portland Stage Company Portland Stage Company is a professional LORT (League of Resident Theaters) theater company in the state of Maine. Founded as the Profile Theatre in 1974 as a touring theater company, the company made Portland its permanent location in 1976. In 1 ...

,http://www.portlandstage.org/Page.201.The+Morini+Strad the

Alliance Theatre The Alliance Theatre is a theater company in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center. The company, originally the Atlanta Municipal Theatre, staged its first production (''King Arthur'') at the Alliance in 1968. The ...

Geva Theatre Geva Theatre Center is a regional, not-for-profit, professional theatre company based in Rochester, New York. It is housed in an 1868 building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, located in Rochester at 75 Woodbury Boulevard near ...

, the

Cleveland Play House Cleveland Play House (CPH) is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1915 and built its own noted theater complex in 1927. Currently the company performs at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square ...

Berkshire Theatre Festival The Berkshire Theatre Festival is one of the oldest professional performing arts venues in the Berkshires, celebrating 100 years of theatre in 2028. History The main building of the Berkshire Theatre Festival was originally the Stockbridge Casin ...

, The Colony Theatre, and

Northlight Theatre Northlight Theatre is a professional, non-profit theater company located in Skokie, Illinois. Established in 1974, it has become a recognized regional theater in the Chicago area, presenting a variety of contemporary and classic works. The theater o ...

. In 2007 he helped Bonnie Dickinson and her Wilton High School Theatre Arts students create ''

Voices in Conflict Wilton High School is a public high school in Wilton, Connecticut, U.S., considered "one of Connecticut's top performers" in various measures of school success in 2007,Cowan, Alison Leigh, "Play About Iraq War Divides a Connecticut School", ''The ...

'', a play about returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans which ran at the

Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...

, the

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is a 120-seat Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Founded in 1981 by Barbara Zinn Krieger, the Vineyard states that its goal is "to give ...

and the

Culture Project Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

. In his 2011 work ''The Morini Strad'', a play inspired by a true story that rocked the classical music world, Holtzman dramatizes the concert violinist Erica Morini's hiring of an unassuming violin maker to restore her legendary Stradivarius.The play received its European premiere in March of 2024 at Die Freie Buhne Wieden in Vienn
Morini Strad Dazzles Theater Goer
He taught as a visiting artist at Bronx Regional High School in the South Bronx, 1987–89, and was Resident Playwright at

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

, 1990–92. He has worked with the 52nd Street Project in New York's Hell's Kitchen and on the Navajo Reservation. Holtzman is a former member of

New Dramatists New Dramatists is an organization of playwrights founded in 1949 and located at 424 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Hell's Kitchen (Clinton) neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The members of New Dramatists par ...

and now serves on its board of directors. He is also on the board of

Harlem Stage Company. Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

Writing credits

Plays: * ''Sabina'' (2022 musical with Louise Beach and Darrah Cloud) * ''Trauma Queen'' (2019 musical with Crystal Bowersox and Marty Dodson) * ''Smart Blonde'' (2014) * ''The First Mrs. Rochester'' (2014) * ''G.O.B.'' (2013) * ''The Morini Strad'' (2011) published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc. * ''The Real McGonagall'' (2011) * ''Something You Did'' (2008) published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc. * ''Hearts'' (2000) (Barrymore Award, Arthur Miller Award) * ''Sabina'' (1996) * ''Bovver Boys'' (1991) * ''The Closer'' (1991) * ''Blanco'' (1989) * ''San Antonio Sunset'' (1989) * ''Inside Out'' (1987) Film: * ''

Edge of America ''Edge of America'' is an American culture and travel show on the Travel Channel, hosted by and starring Geoff Edgers. The show features Edgers, an arts and entertainment reporter for ''The Boston Globe'', on a journey through America in search ...

'' (2004) ** Accolades: (Sundance Film Festival, 2004 Opening Night Selection, Tribeca Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, Hampton Film Festival, American Indian Film Festival - Best Picture) TV: * ''"Lifestories: Families in Crisis" (3 episodes, 1992–1994) ** ''Brotherly Love: The Trevor Ferrell Story'' (1994) ** ''A Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story'' (1994) (Emmy Nomination) ** ''Blood Brothers: The Joey DiPaolo Story'' (1992) (Cine Golden Eagle Award, Cable Ace Award)

Awards

* 2006

Humanitas Award The Humanitas Prize is an American award for film and television writing, presented to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful manner. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of ...

Winner, Children's Live-Action Category (''Edge of America'') * 2006

Winner, Children's Script Long Form (''Edge of America'') * 2005

Winner

References

External links

Willy Holtzman
at the Playwrights Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Holtzman, Willy 1952 births Wesleyan University alumni 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male screenwriters Living people Writers Guild of America Award winners American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers