The first screenplay i wrote for steven was the last four months of lincolns life and was 500 pages long. Lincoln writer tony kushners unexpected advice youtube. He had a war of words with tony kushner over acknowledging lincolns orientation in his screenplay for steven spielbergs 2012 biopic of the civil war president. Hes penned the steven spielberg films lincoln and munich, the hbo tvmovie angels in america.
Tony kushner wrote the screenplay for the film lincoln, which focuses on the 16th presidents tumultuous final months in office. The screenplay and millions of other books are available for amazon. The screenplay by tony kushner was loosely based on doris kearns goodwins biography team of rivals. A gay fantasia on national themes tony kushners other plays include a bright room called day. Pulitzerwinning playwright and lincoln screenwriter tony kushner s latest stage epic, intelligent homosexuals guide to capitalism and socialism with a key to the scriptures, opens. Lincoln by tony kushner based in part on team of rivals. And lincoln screenwriter tony kushner by and large got it right. He coauthored the screenplay for the 2005 film munich, and he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film lincoln. Screenwriter tony kushner blows the dust off history by investing it with flesh. Tony kushner shares his insights and inspiration of his work with michael friedman for the legacy project.
This morning, tony kushner received a well deserved nomination for best adapted screenplay for lincoln. My favorite gay jewish intellectual radical playwright, tony kushner, met me at cafe luxembourg on the upper west side of manhattan, looking, at 54, like a slightly anxious student. Tony kushner is one of the most important playwrights of his generation. Dec 03, 2012 having read the responses to lincoln on this blog, tony kushner was kind enough to write me a note and request the right to answer them. Tony kushner is an awardwinning american playwright most famous for his play angels in america, for which he was awarded the pulitzer prize. Jan 29, 20 tony kushner is an awardwinning american playwright most famous for his play angels in america, for which he was awarded the pulitzer prize.
The illusion, adapted from the play by pierre corneille. He won the pulitzer prize in 1993 for angels in america. I tend to be sort of quiet and shy and awkward in social. Nov 15, 2012 tony kushner wrote the screenplay for the film lincoln, which focuses on the 16th presidents tumultuous final months in office. He has collaborated with childrens author and illustrator maurice sendak on several books. How tony kushner made lincoln talk the movies vivid 19thcentury dialogue is an achievement of its own by ben zimmer globe correspondent, december 2, 2012, 12. Kushner wrote the screenplays for lincoln 2012, munich 2005, and angels in america 2004, which he had originally published as a play. Jan 10, 20 tony kushner today received an oscar nomination in the category of best adapted screenplay for lincoln. Kushners lincoln is strange, but also savvy ncpr news. Tony kushner books list of books by author tony kushner.
Tony kushner plans a trump play, and a new west side. The collection includes pieces that first appeared in an amazingly broad range of periodicals as well as interviews not previously published. Tony kushner has 70 books on goodreads with 109627 ratings. Kushner read more than 20 books before writing about lincoln, a man. Whether its downton abbey, mad men, lincoln or argo, nunberg argues. Having just won reelection in a country divided, lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite. When tony kushner and steven spielberg were working on the film lincoln, they had many conversations with historian doris kearns goodwin. He had a war of words with tony kushner over acknowledging lincolns orientation in his screenplay for steven. Tony kushner is an american playwright and screenwriter. In addition to numerous other plays, kushner has written the book for a broadway musical, caroline, or change, and the teleplay for an adaptation of angels in. Tony kushner s other plays include a bright room called day. Kushner grew up in lake charles, louisiana, and attended columbia university and new york university.
See all books authored by tony kushner, including millennium approaches, and angels in america. Lincoln is a superb film, and kushner s script is along with daniel daylewiss performance. No studio had made a movie about the president in 72 years, and when kushner went to hollywood to pitch his idea, he presented a 500page script that alarmed his hopedfor director steven spielberg. A beat, and then, in a tone of admiration and cautious admonishment, reminding lincoln of his promise. Tony kushner, the celebrated playwright who wrote the script for lincoln, told npr that the project had allowed him to look at the obama years through a.
When tony kushner started writing the screenplay for lincoln five years ago, the film hardly had the look of a boxoffice hit. Gayrights activist and awardwinning author larry kramer is 79 and in failing health, but that wont defuse the impact of his latest bombshell project. Now lincoln screenwriter tony kushner has responded to courtneys criticisms. The film also features sally field, david strathairn, joseph gordonlevitt, james spader, hal holbrook, and tommy lee jones in supporting roles. Dow jones, a news corp company news corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news. Tony kushner plans a trump play, and a new west side story the playwright tony kushner, who told the daily beast he was working on a new play about president trump. He received the pulitzer prize for drama in 1993 for his play angels in america. Disney publishing worldwide released several companion books and ancillary literature in anticipation of the film, including lincoln. Tony kushner has never felt completely at ease in the gay community. The tony, emmy and pulitzerhonored, politically outspoken kushner has moved on too.
His other plays include a bright room called day, homebodykabul, and the book for the musical caroline. Lincoln encounters elizabeth keckley, a lightskinned black woman, 38, mary. Seldom has a new work of dramatic literature been discussed by scholars as widely and quickly as tony kushner s pulitzer prize and tony awardwinning angels in america. Tony kushner is not, he emphasizes, in any way related to jared kushner. Tony kushner plans a trump play, and a new west side story. Lincoln writer tony kushner responds to lostcause criticism. When tony kushner and steven spielberg were working on the film. Nick hern books lincoln the screenplay, by tony kushner. Lincoln is based in part on doris kearns goodwins biography of the 16th president, team of rivals which helped convince the actor to accept the part. A gay fantasia on national themes earned him the pulitzer prize, among many other awards.
As a revival wows audiences at the national, he talks about how the. Kushner was quoted in the 2010 book it all changed in an instant. The political genius of abraham lincoln, and covers the final four months of lincoln s life, focusing on his efforts in january 1865 to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude by having the thirteenth amendment to the united states constitution passed by the united states house of. Tony kushner is an american playwright, screenwriter and essayist. Tony kushners 1991 play angels in america broke the silence about aids. His sevenhour epic play, angels in america, explores the aids epidemic in reaganera new york city, and has won numerous awards, including the 1993 pulitzer prize for drama and the 1993 and 1994 tony awards for best play. Kushners lincoln is strange, but also savvy wbur news. Tony kushner celebrity profile check out the latest tony kushner photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. For tony kushners information, the north did reconcile with the south in 1877, when federal troops were withdrawn from the south and the klan.
He is also coauthor, along with eric roth, of the screenplay of the 2005 film munich, which was directed by steven spielberg and earned kushner along with roth an academy award nomination for best. Tony kushner, born july 16, 1956, new york, new york, u. Working from doris kearns goodwins lincoln biography, team of rivals, kushner s script looks at just the few months leading up to the end of the war and, more importantly, to the difficult. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading lincoln.
Clark looks up, salutes lincoln and, turning smartly, walks toward his unit. Doris kearns goodwin on lincoln and his team of rivals. Green salutes lincoln as well and glances at clark, who remains, looking down. Jul 19, 2017 tony kushner is not, he emphasizes, in any way related to jared kushner. Oct 01, 2010 my favorite gay jewish intellectual radical playwright, tony kushner, met me at cafe luxembourg on the upper west side of manhattan, looking, at 54, like a slightly anxious student. Then he stops, turns back, faces lincoln, who watches him.
Anthony robert kushner born july 16, 1956 is an american playwright and screenwriter. Sendaks longtime friend tony kushner describes the books origins and sendaks literary heroes. Easy chair team america, by thomas frank harpers magazine. The screenplay kindle edition by kushner, tony, kearns goodwin, doris. Tony kushner and composer jeanine tesori have created a story that addresses contemporary questions of culture, community, race and class through the lens and musical pulse of the 1960s. This sweeping chronicle of playwright tony kushner examines his plays angels in america and homebodykabul alongside all of kushners fulllength, oneact and adapted works to illuminate his progressive politics, his techniques and themes and his place in american and international drama.
Having read the responses to lincoln on this blog, tony kushner was kind enough to write me a note and request the right to answer them. Davies of npr that he read approximately 20 books on the subject. In this episode of epiphany, the pulitzer prizewinning playwright gives his thoughts on how a writer should approach a topic. He received the pulitzer prize for drama in 1993 for his play angels in america, then adapted it for hbo in 2003. Of course, that is something of a misery, he says of sharing the surname of trumps soninlaw. Jan 10, 20 but when playwright tony kushner said in an interview with npr that he checked every word in his script that sounded out of place, it piqued my curiosity. The first screenplay i wrote for steven was the last four months of lincoln s life and was 500 pages long. The screenplay by tony kushner was loosely based on doris kearns goodwins. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. I was fascinated to read that when he was already grown, lincoln, you know, we have a list of books that we know he read when he was a kid and that when he was in his 30s i think. How tony kushner made lincoln talk the boston globe.
Kushner read more than 20 books before writing about lincoln, a. Lincoln reclines on a french chair, too small for his lengthy frame. But when playwright tony kushner said in an interview with npr that he checked every word in his script that sounded out of place, it piqued my. Jul 19, 2017 tony kushner plans a trump play, and a new west side story the playwright tony kushner, who told the daily beast he was working on a new play about president trump. I feel outside just by temperament and nerdishness, he says. Lincoln is a 2012 biographical historical drama film directed and produced by steven spielberg. Dont have time to experience tony kushners angels in. Lincoln is a 2012 historical drama film directed and produced by steven spielberg, starring daniel daylewis as united states president abraham lincoln. Anthony robert kushner born july 16, 1956 is an american playwright, author and screenwriter. No studio had made a movie about the president in 72 years, and when kushner went to hollywood to pitch his idea, he presented a 500page script that. By the spring of 1993, millennium had come to broadway and won its highest honor, the tony award for best play, and the distinguished pulitzer prize for drama as well. Tony kushner today received an oscar nomination in the category of best adapted screenplay for lincoln.
Kushner has also written several plays, books and essays, including a childrens book adaptation of brundibar 2003, which was illustrated by maurice sendak. These are the best audiobooks for readers on the move. In the fall of 1992, millennium approaches, the first part of tony kushners angels in america, won englands prestigious evening standard award as the seasons best play. A gay fantasia on national themes, a 6hour play in two parts centered on the aids crisis in new york city. Tony kushner in conversation is the first book to compile kushners most significant interviews of the past decade, tracing his career from its early years to his maturing artistic and political visions. Tony kushner in conversation is the first book to compile kushner s most significant interviews of the past decade, tracing his career from its early years to his maturing artistic and political visions. His other acclaimed plays include slavs, homebodykabul and caroline, or change.
Tony kushner wrote the screenplay for the film lincoln, which focuses. Sedaris got his big break after reading an early story on npr in 1992, so he. Tony kushner is best known for the twopart masterwork, angels in america, recently produced by hbo as a sixhour television event, directed by mike nichols to. He received the pulitzer prize for drama in 1993 for his play angels in.
6 621 1472 284 1017 1084 505 1555 837 644 410 848 1127 223 72 9 1491 670 1321 1299 1403 1359 1425 184 1060 663 960 286 893 1151 1023 933 411 1176 422 1099 661 627 1477 457 887 264 132 1392 1106 279 1389