Michael Hollinger
Encyclopedia
Michael Hollinger is an American
playwright
who is currently an assistant professor of Theatre at Villanova University
and a resident playwright at New Dramatists. He received a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from Oberlin Conservatory in 1984 and a Master of Arts in theatre from Villanova in 1989. He has been married to Megan Bellwoar since 1990.
Because of his background as a musician, Hollinger considers his plays compositions. He is quoted as saying, “Plays are music to me; characters are instruments, scenes are movements; tempo, rhythm and dynamics are critical; and melody and counterpoint are always set in relief by rests—beats, pauses, the spaces in between” (Baker 2007).
Hollinger has written three short films for PBS and co-authored the feature-length Philadelphia Diary. His awards include the Roger L. Stevens Award from the Fund for New American Plays, a Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play, the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Theatre Artist, a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award, a commission from The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science and Technology Project, and fellowships from the Independence Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
PLAYS FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES:
TEN-MINUTE PLAYS:
SCREENPLAYS:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
who is currently an assistant professor of Theatre at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
and a resident playwright at New Dramatists. He received a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from Oberlin Conservatory in 1984 and a Master of Arts in theatre from Villanova in 1989. He has been married to Megan Bellwoar since 1990.
Because of his background as a musician, Hollinger considers his plays compositions. He is quoted as saying, “Plays are music to me; characters are instruments, scenes are movements; tempo, rhythm and dynamics are critical; and melody and counterpoint are always set in relief by rests—beats, pauses, the spaces in between” (Baker 2007).
Hollinger has written three short films for PBS and co-authored the feature-length Philadelphia Diary. His awards include the Roger L. Stevens Award from the Fund for New American Plays, a Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play, the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Theatre Artist, a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award, a commission from The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science and Technology Project, and fellowships from the Independence Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Works
FULL-LENGTH PLAYS:- Ghost-Writer (2010)
- A Wonderful Noise (musical), co-authored with Vance Lehmkuhl
- Opus (play)Opus (play)Opus is a 2006 play written by Michael Hollinger- Plot :The play involves the Lazara Quartet, a foursome at the top of their field but with a sudden need to replace violist Dorian, who was just fired. Dorian is a mix of an emotionally unstable man who needs medication and a musical genius who...
(2006) - Tooth and Claw (2004)
- Red Herring (2000)
- Tiny Island (1997)
- Incorruptible (1996)
- An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf (1994)
PLAYS FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES:
- Eureka!
- Hot Air
- Boxheads
- Clean Getaway (musical), co-authored with Beth Dannenfelser
TEN-MINUTE PLAYS:
- Battle of the Backyard
- Senior Moment
- Truth Decay
- Naked Lunch
- Serviette
- Two-Part Invention
SCREENPLAYS:
- Incorruptible
- Pipe