Sarah Ruhl

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Sarah Ruhl BIO

Sarah Ruhl is an American playwright, essayist, and poet known for her unique and poetic style of writing. She was born on January 24, 1974, in Wilmette, Illinois, and grew up in a family of artists and writers. Ruhl attended Brown University, where she studied under Paula Vogel and earned her MFA in playwriting.
Ruhl's plays often explore themes of love, loss, and the human experience. Her first play, "The Dog Play," was produced in 2001 at the Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre. Her breakthrough play, "The Clean House," premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 2004 and went on to receive the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and a Pulitzer Prize nomination.
Ruhl's other notable plays include "Eurydice," a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which premiered at the Madison Repertory Theatre in 2003; "In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)," a comedy about the invention of the vibrator, which premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2009 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; and "Stage Kiss," a romantic comedy about two ex-lovers who are cast in a play together, which premiered at the Goodman Theatre in 2011.
In addition to her work in the theatre, Ruhl has also written essays and poetry. Her essay collection, "100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write," was published in 2014 and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism. Her poetry collection, "44 Poems for You," was published in 2021.
Ruhl has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including a MacArthur Fellowship, a PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award, and a Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award. She has also been a finalist for the Tony Award for Best Play.
Ruhl's most recent work includes "Becky Nurse of Salem," a play about one of the women accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials, which premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2019. She is currently working on a new play, "Letters from Max," which is based on her correspondence with the poet Max Ritvo, who died of cancer in 2016.

Sarah Ruhl Photos

Sarah Ruhl Awards and Nominations

The Pulitzer Prize - 2010 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Sarah Ruhl, In the Next Room or the vibrator play

The Pulitzer Prize - 2010 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Sarah Ruhl, In The Next Room or the vibrator play

Tony Awards - 2010 - Best Play

Sarah Ruhl, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)

Sarah Ruhl Videos

Sarah Ruhl News


Paige Evans to Step Down as Signature Theatre Artistic Director

Signature Theatre Artistic Director Paige Evans will step down in June, having led the company since 2016. Learn more about the transition.

Tickets Exclusively On Sale For Young Vic Theatre's New Season

Tickets are exclusively on sale for the Young Vic Theatre's new season! Learn more about the season lineup and find out how to get tickets here!

Inland Valley Repertory Theatre to Present SCRIPTFEST Weekend Play Festival

Inland Valley Repertory Theatre will open its season with a new live theatre experience called Scriptfest-a weekend-long reading festival of four plays. See the lineup and learn how to purchase tickets.

Theatre Communications Group Announces Recipients For PLAYS FOR THE PEOPLE: IN THE STACKS

Theatre Communications Group reveals the recipients of the Plays for the People: In the Stacks initiative, an effort to support and promote new theatrical works.

Interview: Playwright Sarah Ruhl chats about adapting EURYDICE Into a Libretto

By telephone recently from a Buddhist retreat in Dublin, Ireland, Ruhl spoke about “Eurydice” and more.

Theatre Communications Group Announces Recipients For PLAYS FOR THE PEOPLE: IN THE STACKS

Theatre Communications Group has announced the recipients of Plays for the People: In the Stacks. With funding from the Mellon Foundation, TCG has provided $25,000 total in book credits to the fifty recipient organizations, helping to expand and diversify their drama collections.

Bennett Leak Will Be Second Stage Theater's Interim Artistic Director

Second Stage Theater has announced that Bennett Leak, Second Stage Theater's Director of Artistic Production, has been named Interim Artistic Director for the 2024-25 Season.

FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY Comes to Possum Point Players in June

For Peter Pan On Her 70th Birthday by Sarah Ruhl comes to Possum Point Players in June. Performances run June 7-16, 2024.

Taylor Mac, Janice Amaya & More to Star in Sarah Ruhl's ORLANDO at Signature Theatre

Signature Theatre has revealed the cast of Spotlight Resident Sarah Ruhl’s Orlando, adapted from Virginia Woolf’s novel and directed by Will Davis.

Return Engagement of Liza Birkenmeier's GRIEF HOTEL is Coming to The Public

Clubbed Thumb and New Georges announce the return engagement of GRIEF HOTEL, a collaboration that soars to new heights with an intimate and gentle ensemble play.

Kwame Kwei-Armah Will Step Down From the Young Vic; Final Season Lineup Revealed!

Kwame Kwei-Armah has announced his final season at the Young Vic Theatre. His final production as Young Vic Artistic Director will be the world premiere of A Face in the Crowd, a new production based on the classic ‘50s Hollywood film, with music and lyrics by Elvis Costello and book by Sarah Ruhl. Learn more here!

Wake Up With BroadwayWorld February 5, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is February 5, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

Sara Bareilles and Sarah Ruhl Are Adapting Meg Wolitzer's THE INTERESTINGS Into a Musical

Sara Bareilles and Pulitzer Prize finalist and Sarah Ruhl will team up for a new musical - The Interestings – based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Meg Wolitzer.

DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE Comes to Milford in February

Eastbound Theatre, a division of the Milford Arts Council, will present the winter show of its 29th season, the complex Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Rob Nichols.

EastLine Theatre Brings Pulitzer Winner THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK To Lindenhurst

EastLine Theatre will open their season this February at the BACCA Center in Lindenhurst with The Diary of Anne Frank. Based on the remarkable true story and the beloved bestseller The Diary of a Young Girl, The Diary of Anne Frank was the 1956 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Wake Up With BroadwayWorld January 24, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is January 24, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours: 

New Mexico Actors Lab Will Host its Third Annual Benefit in April

To inaugurate its 10th anniversary season, New Mexico Actors Lab has announced that Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross will return for a third benefit production, this time performing a staged reading of Lanford Wilson's endearing love story, Talley's Folly.

Second Stage to Present the World Premiere of Alexis Scheer's BREAKING THE STORY

Second Stage Theater will present the world premiere production of a new play by Alexis Scheer, BREAKING THE STORY.

LAURA BENANTI: NOBODY CARES to Begin Performances at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in February

Audible Inc. will present Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a three-night-only comedy show starring Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, featuring all original music co-written with Todd Almond live at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre. See performances dates and learn how to purchase tickets!

New Dramatists Will Honor Michael Greif At Annual Spring Luncheon This May

New Dramatists will honor Michael Greif, the acclaimed director of this season's Days of Wine and Roses, The Notebook and Hell's Kitchen at its Annual Spring Luncheon Tribute on Tuesday, May 14.

Sarah Ruhl FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Sarah Ruhl has written 11 shows including The Clean House (Playwright), eurydice (Playwright), Dead Man's Cell Phone (Playwright), In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) (Playwright), Orlando (Playwright), Stage Kiss (Playwright), The Oldest Boy (Author), Dear Elizabeth (Author), How to Transcend a Happy Marriage (Playwright), For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday (Author), Becky Nurse of Salem (Playwright).

Sarah Ruhl has been nominated for several prestigious awards throughout her career. These include The Pulitzer Prize for Drama for "In the Next Room or the vibrator play," "In The Next Room or the vibrator play," "The Clean House," and "The Clean House." She was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play for "In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)" and received The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical at the Helen Hayes Awards for "Passion Play, A Cycle."

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