David Cale

DAVID CALE is an English-American performance artist, playwright, songwriter and actor based in New York City.

His solo musical memoir "We’re Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time", for which he wrote the book, lyrics, co-composed the music with Matthew Dean Marsh, and starred, premiered at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago and The Public Theater, New York City and was the recipient of the 2019 Jeff Award for Best New Musical, a NY Times Critics Pick, a 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, a 2020 Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Solo Show, a 2020 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance and a 2020 Obie Award.

Cale’s solo play "Harry Clarke", starring Billy Crudup, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre, NYC and transferred to the Minetta Lane Theatre produced, and recorded, by Audible, receiving a NY Times Critics Pick and a 2018 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show. His follow-up solo play "Sandra", starring Marjan Neshat, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre.

Cale’s earlier works for which he was both writer and performer include "The History of Kisses", "Palomino", "A Likely Story", "Lillian" (Obie Award), "Deep in a Dream of You" (Bessie Award), "Smooch Music" and "The Redthroats" (Bessie Award).

His self-performed solo shows have been presented throughout the U.S. including at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater, Second Stage, New York Theatre Workshop and The New Group and regionally at venues including the Kirk Douglas Theatre and the Goodman Theatre, where six of his solos have been presented.

Cale wrote the book, lyrics, co-composed the music for and starred in the musical "Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky" (Playwrights Horizons, Goodman Theatre, Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Best New Off-Broadway Musical), inspired by his experience portraying Floyd Duffner in Alex and Andrew Smith’s film, "The Slaughter Rule". He composed the songs for 600 Highwaymen’s "Employee of the Year" (Bessie Award nomination), lyrics for Debbie Harry’s recordings with The Jazz Passengers, as well as many songs with his musical collaborator Matthew Dean Marsh.

His stage acting credits include "The Threepenny Opera" (The Roundabout at Studio 54), Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s "The Total Bent" (Public Theater), "The Seagull/Woodstock, NY" (The New Group). Film acting credits include "Winter in the Blood", "Two Lovers", "Private Life" and "Light From Light".

He was the first recipient of the Sun Valley Playwright’s Residency, to live and work in Ernest Hemingway’s home in Ketchum, Idaho, where he wrote his newest solo show "Blue Cowboy". "Blue Cowboy", with Cale performing, was recently developed at Berkeley Rep’s 2023 Ground Floor Residency directed by Les Waters. "Harry Clarke", starring Billy Crudup, directed by Leigh Silverman, ran at Berkeley Rep in Fall 2023 and will transfer to London’s West End, to the Ambassadors Theatre, in the Spring 2024., marking Cale's U.K. debut.