John O'Keefe (born 1940) is an American playwright, director and solo performer. Notable awards include the 2002 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Times Like These, and a Bessie Award for Shimmer, which was also made into a motion picture by American Playhouse.[1]
Born in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1940, O'Keefe was raised in a series of Catholic orphanages and juvenile homes.[2] He began singing in church choirs at the age of five and pursued his musical interests, subsequently receiving a vocal scholarship at the University of Iowa, where he earned a BA degree in philosophy and an MFA in theater.[3]
O'Keefe moved to San Francisco in the early 1970s, beginning an affiliation with the Magic Theatre that continues to this day. O'Keefe also co-founded the Blake Street Hawkeyes, a performance-lab ensemble based in Berkeley. He wrote the libretto for Chrysalis, a new opera written with Clark Suprynowicz for the Berkeley Opera in 2006.[3]
Major works
editReferences
edit- ^ Koehler, Robert (November 28, 1992). "Playwright Makes Art Out of 'Dark Memories'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (July 14, 1989). "Stories of a Detention Farm, From One Who Lived There". The New York Times.
- ^ a b BWW News Desk (August 13, 2018). "John O'Keefe's ALL NIGHT LONG Gets Southern CA Premiere". BroadwayWorld.
- ^ Greenman, Ben (December 4, 1991). "John O' Keefe Feature". Miami New Times.
- ^ Whiting, Sam (February 13, 2000). "O'Keefe Dissects Literary Family / 'Bronte' tells story of three sisters whose novels captured the Victorian era". SFGate.
- ^ Hirschhorn, Joel (October 22, 2002). "Times Like These". Variety.
External links
edit- Official site
- Hawk-Eyed Optimist at Backstage Magazine
- John O’Keefe at KQED Arts
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