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Gail Merrifield
Latest News on Gail Merrifield:
Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon & More Will Reprise Roles in HELL'S KITCHEN on Broadway (Feb 7, 2024)
Profile Theatre Announces Lauren Yee Festival And 2024 Season Changes (Jan 12, 2024)
Alicia Keys' HELL'S KITCHEN Will Transfer to Broadway (Dec 4, 2023)
Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon & More Will Reprise Roles in HELL'S KITCHEN on Broadway (Feb 7, 2024)
Profile Theatre Announces Lauren Yee Festival And 2024 Season Changes (Jan 12, 2024)
Alicia Keys' HELL'S KITCHEN Will Transfer to Broadway (Dec 4, 2023)
Gail Merrifield BIO
GAIL MERRIFIELD PAPP was born in San Francisco into a family with a deep theater lineage. Inspired by parents who were editors and writers, Gail originally began a career in publishing, but then decided to reinvent herself by looking for a job in the theater.
Gail’s sole inspiration for this course correction was the fact that in the 19th and early 20th centuries five generations of women in her family had been actors – Aunt, Great-aunt, Grandmother, Great-grandmother, and Great-great-grandmother. She wasn’t an actor herself, but Gail felt that identifying in some way with their theatrical profession could restore her spirits after a traumatic year during which she’d been divorced by the young man she married in college.
New Beginning
With a bit of good luck, Gail managed to land a position with the new Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center that was due to open in 1965. Her very first job was reading and evaluating new plays for the experimental Forum Theater. It led to Director Harold Clurman enlisting Gail’s services on his production of Incident at Vichy.
After a year, when the entire staff at the Lincoln Center Theater was let go, it was on to the New York Shakespeare Festival in April, 1965, hired by Hilmar Sallee to write the biographies of dancers in the Rebekah Harkness Dance Festival. “They change their program every night,” he said, “so you’ll have to deliver your copy to the printer every day.”
Later that first week, Gail met the Founder-Producer of the New York Shakespeare Festival: Joseph Papp.
At the Shakespeare Festival and then at The Public Theater over the next years Gail’s role grew – finding writers for the new theater, working with Joe to launch The Public Theater, helping playwrights develop their ideas, watching Joe work so successfully with creative people at this ambitious start-up enterprise, knowing she had arrived at the right place: a theater led by a charismatic Founder-Producer inspired by social and artistic goals. As Assistant to the Producer in a one-person office, Gail’s work included every aspect of Producer Joseph Papp’s activities at the brand new Public Theater when they opened their first production, Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, a show which would go on to change musical history, but did meet a bit of blowback at first.
Gail was made Director of New Plays and Musicals Development for the Public Theater, and was responsible for some of its best-remembered productions. These include The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer’s Tony-Award play about the AIDS crisis in 1985, for which she received the Human Rights Campaign Arts and Communication Award, and Rupert Holmes’ Tony-Award-winning Best Musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
In 2017, the remarkable history of musicals at The Public was celebrated with a special “From Hair to Hamilton” gala with excerpts not only from those two shows, but also from A Chorus Line, Runaways, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Caroline or Change, Fun Home, and Here Lies Love.
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Gail Merrifield News
Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon & More Will Reprise Roles in HELL'S KITCHEN on Broadway
AKW Productions has just announced the Broadway premiere of the new musical HELL’S KITCHEN and we have the full list of stars and newcomers!
Profile Theatre Announces Lauren Yee Festival And 2024 Season Changes
PROFILE THEATRE, has announced the Lauren Yee Festival of new works February 23-25. The weekend festival will consist of three enhanced staged readings of new plays from Lauren Yee and will take place at Imago Theatre.
Alicia Keys' HELL'S KITCHEN Will Transfer to Broadway
HELL’S KITCHEN, conceived by the innovative mind of 15-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, will make its Broadway premiere this spring! We have all the details on the show's transfer!
Alicia Keys' HELL'S KITCHEN Extends Additional 2 Weeks
Don't miss out on the extended run of HELL'S KITCHEN featuring Alicia Keys! Find out where and when you can catch the popular show as it adds 2 more weeks to its run. Discover all the details and mark your calendars today.
Gail Merrifield Papp Will Discuss Her New Book with George C. Wolfe at Joe's Pub
More than half a century after the Public Theater opened its doors with Hair, Gail Merrifield Papp will speak for the first time about her vivid and fascinating behind-the scenes memoir, Public/Private: My Life with Joe Papp at The Public Theater. The event will be held on Monday, September 18 at 6pm at Joe’s Pub – the Public Theater venue named for Joseph Papp.
Cast and Creative Team Set For Alicia Keys' HELL'S KITCHEN, Plus Two Week Extension!
Complete casting and a two-week extension have been announced for the world premiere of HELL'S KITCHEN, a new musical with music and lyrics by 15-time Grammy Award winner Keys. Learn more about the musical, find out who will star, and get tickets here!
The Village Trip Presents PUBLIC/PRIVATE Featuring Gail Papp In Conversation With George C. Wolfe
Why does someone start a theater? What is its purpose? Who's it for? Who creates it? How is it kept afloat? Why should anyone care? Also, why am I alive? What is the meaning of existence?
21 Theater Books for Your Fall 2023 Reading List
We're falling into fall with a great Broadway read! This season, Broadway's best have put pen to paper to turn out theatre page-turners of every kind. From theatre biographies to theatre fiction; theatre books for kids to theatre history; check out our collection of 21 new Broadway books for every theatre lover's fall reading list.
American Blues Theater Celebrates Kristoffer Diaz, Winner of 2023 Blue Ink Festival of New Plays
Discover the talented playwright, Kristoffer Diaz, as he is honored as the winner of the 2023 Blue Ink Festival of New Plays by American Blues Theater. Learn more about the festival and the exciting future of Diaz's work in this insightful article.
American Blues Theater Names Kristoffer Diaz The Recipient Of The 2023 Blue Ink Award For His Play THINGS WITH FRIENDS
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the recipient of the 2023 Blue Ink Award is Kristoffer Diaz for his play Things With Friends. As part of the award, Diaz receives a $2,500 cash prize, a staged reading at American Blues Theater, and the opportunity to further develop his script with American Blues Theater.
Santino Fontana, Celia Keenan-Bolger & More to Take Part in KEEN ON NEW WORK Reading Series
Keen Company has announced details for Keen On New Work. Launched in October of 2013, The Keen Playwrights Lab brings together three playwrights in mid-career to develop new work through an environment of camaraderie and support. Santino Fontana, Celia Keenan-Bolger and more will be taking part.
American Blues Theater Presents BLUE INK PLAYWRIGHTING FESTIVAL Digitally
American Blues Theater presents the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival digitally, May 1-4, 2020. For the first time ever, audiences around the world can access the scripts of the Blue Ink Playwrighting Festival online, free of charge.
American Blues Theater Names 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Award Recipient, Announces 2020 Blue Ink Festival
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the winner of the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Award is Recent Unsettling Events by Andrea Stolowitz. A staged reading of the play will be presented as part of the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival, along with new work by finalists Football Football Football Football (or I Love Lave Dash) by Kristoffer Diaz, The Mermaids' Parade by Gina Femia, and Crying on Television by R. Eric Thomas. The Blue Ink Playwriting Festival runs May 2-4, 2020 at 4809 N Ravenswood, Suite #126, in Chicago.
Inaugural YIDDISHFEST Announces Full Lineup of Events
The Yiddishkayt Initiative (YI) (Avi Hoffman, Producing Artistic Director) and Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Artistic Director) have announced the full lineup of events for the inaugural YI Love New York YiddishFest. This selection of performances, screenings, and discussions centered around Jewish culture and Yiddish entertainment will play several New York City venues from December 21-29. Reservations are required for all events and can be made at www.yiddishfest.org.
Inaugural YIDDISHFEST Comes to NYC for Chanukah 2019
Over nine days in Decembera?"coinciding with Chanukah 2019a?"Jewish cultural organizations from across New York will come together for YI Love New York YiddishFest. Produced by the Yiddishkayt Initiative (YI) (Avi Hoffman, Producing Artistic Director) and Theatre for the New City (Crystal Field, Artistic Director), the inaugural festival features a curated lineup of theatrical presentations, concerts, film screenings, lectures, panel discussions, and famous personalities in the world of Jewish culture from December 21-29. Tickets for all events are available online at www.yiddishfest.org.
BWW Exclusive: Des McAnuff Pens Tribute to Late Collaborator Robert Blacker
On Friday, August 30, the theatre community lost dramaturg Robert Blacker, who passed away suddenly at the age of 71. Longtime collaborator Des McAnuff, who worked with Blacker at La Jolla Playhouse and Stratford Shakespeare Festival, writes a tribute to his friend below:
Mosaic's Third Season Concludes With Epic World Premiere Starring Hadi Tabbal
The final production of Mosaic Theater Company of DC's third season will be the world premiere staging of The Vagrant Trilogy, written by Mona Mansour and directed by Mark Wing-Davey. The Vagrant Trilogy is comprised of three different one-act plays: The Hour of Feeling, The Vagrant, and Urge for Going. These three plays, combined for the first time in one epic performance, follows Palestinian scholar Adham and his family over multiple generations and in multiple continents.
Emmy Nominee Polly Draper and More to Star in 20TH CENTURY BLUES Off-Broadway
Producer Lida Orzeck and Executive Producer Eva Price have announced the cast of the New York premiere of the new play, 20TH CENTURY BLUES, from Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winner and two-time OBIE Award-winning playwright Susan Miller (MY LEFT BREAST).
Red Theater presents THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY
Red Theater Chicago announces the start of their 6th season with their upcoming production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz, directed by Jeremy Aluma. Performances run August 15 through September 16, 2017. Press opening is Friday, August 18, 2017 at 8:00 PM at Strawdog Theatre, 1802 W Berenice Ave, Chicago, IL 60613.
Red Theater presents THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY
Red Theater Chicago announces the start of their 6th season with their upcoming production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz, directed by Jeremy Aluma. Performances run August 15 through September 16, 2017. Press opening is Friday, August 18, 2017 at 8:00 PM at Strawdog Theatre, 1802 W Berenice Ave, Chicago, IL 60613.
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