Personal Profile:

~last updated March 2008~

Bio:  (as a playwright) Gregory Fletcher's Off-Off-Broadway debut was Eight Times Around, followed by Roast Beef and the Rare Kiss, (a 2005 Nominee for Outstanding Original Short Script for the New York IT Awards and a 2004 finalist for the Actors' Theatre of Louisville Heideman Award), then next Edenville, and My Sister the Cow, all produced by Emerging Artists Theatre. Other Off-Off-Broadway productions include Stairway to Heaven at Manhattan Theatre Source, (awarded the 2004 National Ten-Minute Play Award by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and published in the analogies 35 in 10 [Dramatic Publishing] and The Kennedy Center Presents... [Back Stage Books]), and Robert Mapplethorpe's Flowers at Greenwich Street Theatre, which was also included at Miami's Lavender Footlights Festival and Provincetown's Fringe Festival.  Fletcher's Cow-Tipping and Other Signs of Stress was awarded the 2005 Mark Twain Prize for Comic Playwriting as well as 2nd Place for the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award, both presented by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.   Other regional credits include Sirius Idaho Theatre, Boston Theatre Marathon, Edward Albee's Last Frontier Theater Conference, Northwest Playwrights' Association, and Provincetown Theatre Company.  Fletcher earned a BA in Theatre from California State University at Northridge, an MFA in Directing from Columbia University, and an MA in Playwriting from Boston University. A native of Dallas, Texas, a resident of NYC, and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and Actors' Equity Association. For more information, please visit www.gregoryfletcher.com.

Bio:  (as a director) Gregory Fletcher has directed plays at Off-Off-Broadway's American Globe Theater, Center Stage, Creative Acting Company, Intar 53, Latin American Theater Ensemble, and Mint Space.  Regionally, Greg has directed plays for Provincetown Rep, Provincetown Theatre Company, Theatre Downtown in Orlando, and for the following universities:   Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Cal.State University Northridge, Columbia University, Niagara University, NYU, and Wilkes University.  Fletcher earned a BA in Theatre from California State University at Northridge, an MFA in Directing from Columbia University, and an MA in Playwriting from Boston University.   A native of Dallas, Texas, a resident of NYC, and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and Actors' Equity Association.   For more information, please visit www.gregoryfletcher.com.

Birthday and zodiac sign: January 10th, Capricorn

Born and raised: Dallas, Texas

Conferences, Fellowships, and Labs:  Sundance Theatre Lab, Utah, playwriting grantee, July 2005. Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival 2005 nationals, master classes with Mark Bly, Carlye Brown, Wendy Goldberg, Melanie Marnich. Kennedy Center 2004 Summer Playwriting Intensive, master classes with Lee Blessing, Gary Garrison, Arthur Kopit, Heather McDonald, Marsha Norman; seminars with Norman Allen, Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa, Keith Bridges, Tray Graham, Eric Schaeffer, Caleen Sinnette Jennings. Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival 2004 nationals, master classes with Nilo Cruz, Oskar Eustis, Eric Schaeffer, Michael Lupu, Mead Hunter, and Heather McDonald.  Edward Albee Last Frontier Theatre Conference 2003, Valdez, Alaska, master classes with Edward Albee, John Guare, Lloyd Richards, Arnold Wesker, and August Wilson. Pulse Ensemble Theatre Playwrights' Lab, moderated by Lezley Steele. Robert McKee's Story Structure writing course and, later, McKee's Comedy/Thriller writing course.

Education: Boston University, Creative Writing Program, MA in Playwriting (Boston) Columbia University, School of Arts, MFA in Directing (NYC) California State University at Northridge, BA in Theater (LA) Justin F. Kimball High School (Dallas)

Early Years: (very very early) My New Yorker parents did not want to raise a family in New York City. My dad lived in Hell's Kitchen when it really was, and my mom lived in Hicksville, Long Island when it really was. After the honeymoon, and after one last Broadway show, My Fair Lady, my parents moved to Dallas where I was raised with an older brother and a younger sister by "Yankee" parents. Thankfully, my parents brought with them their theater-going habits and did not wait long before including the kids. My first theatrical experience was Brigadoon at the State Fair of Texas. My family and I sat in the upper balcony of the old cavernous State Fair Music Hall and I was truly in Heaven. And I have been an avid theater-goer ever since. Years later, on my very first trip to New York City, my first Broadway experience was Brigadoon.  As a child, I was highly influenced by The Little Rascals, especially by the way they could put on their own shows. Along with my siblings and friends, I, too, started producing my own neighborhood spectaculars, mostly revues but once we produced the Tennessee Williams one-act The Case of the Crushed Petunias--definitely not a crowd pleaser. Outside of the 'hood productions, I was first produced in the fifth grade when I ripped off a children's story but made it my own by changing the spelling of the names, Handzel & Gretall. Thankfully, the Dramatist's Guild was not alerted and the one and only performance was enjoyed by the first and fifth graders of Daniel Webster Elementary School. My first full length play came the following year with Life With A Jewish Papa. Considering the fact that I was raised United Methodist, luckily no Jewish groups voiced any public outrage. Truth be told, the play was a cross between Life With Father, The Sound of Music, and Fiddler on the Roof. Despite many re-writes, the play was never picked up. Soon after, a correspondence began with my beloved great aunt and uncle, Matilde and Theodore Ferro, writers for radio (Lorenzo Jones and His Wife Belle), live television (Robert Montgomery Presents, plus many more) and later in LA for taped television (Peyton Place, Patty Duke, Leave It To Beaver, and many more). They would read anything I dared to send and would always return my plays with tough feedback, usually "write what you know!" Harsh words for a ten year old because what did I know?! Meanwhile, they advised me to know and experience as many aspects of theater as possible. Thereafter, if it was theater, I volunteered: acting, directing, backstage crews, I even worked as the prompter for my high school production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Still mystified that we got away with doing The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in high school, my wonderful drama teacher Brenda S. Prothro (a nurturing supportive inspiring teacher) read a new play of mine and promptly gave me my first playwriting book with the instructions to read and re-write. I read and re-wrote. Then in the fall of my senior year, Ms. Prothro produced my play The Three-Sided Coin. This gripping human drama about a love-triangle during the decline of vaudeville (with period music and choreography) was held over for additional performances and later won awards in a city wide arts competition. Even Mat and Ted flew in from LA for the opening and later had the nerve to advise me to "write what you know!" And ever since then, I have been trying to do just that. And more!

Family: In Dallas, Joseph & Linda Fletcher (parents); in Atlanta, Tom & Carrie Fletcher (brother & sister-in-law); in Converse, Texas, Allison, Kevin, John & Linda Lanty (sister, brother-in-law, nephew & niece); in San Antonio, Philip & Pam Ferro (uncle & aunt); and cousins Jewel Bacyk, Lillian Baldissard & Robert Hodge, Casey Cason, Joey Cason, Tiffany & John Curnutt, Bill Ferro, Danielle Ferro, Mia Ferro, Sam Ferro, Heather & Bruce Fichtman, Taylor Fichtman, Debbie Law, George & Elaine Law, Blake Law, Sam Law, Monica & Wade May, Collin May, Isabella May, Harry & Jana Post, Roger Gerace, Kate Post & Margaret Rodriquez, Tracy Jr. & Claire Post, Kelly Post, Kyle Post, Mark Post, Melissa Post, Tracy Sr. & Teresa Post, Sebastian Lipka, Ed & Kim Sauer, Britney Sauer, Holyn Sauer, Beth & Everett Smith, Crystal Smith, Shane Smith, Dorothy & Dan Weinstein, Emma Weinstein, Samuel Weinstein; great aunt Lillian Sauer; God-child Brittney Johnson; Big Brother/Little Brother match Timothy Dolan.

Memberships: Actors Equity Association, since 1987 Dramatists Guild of America, since 2000 Riverside Church, since 1992

Outstanding Teachers:  Stefan Haves, Bobbi Holtzman, Robert McKee, Brenda S. Prothro, Howard Stein

Publishing: Eenakters van tien minuten (The Best of Boston's Ten Minute Plays) Volume One Anco Entertainment (the Netherlands and Belgium), translated into Dutch, Frisian, and Flemish, includes my short play Roast Beef and the Rare Kiss Kennedy Center Presents:  Award-winning Plays from the American College Theater Festival Back Stage Books, includes my short play Stairway to Heaven 35 in 10: Thirty-Five Ten-Minute Plays Dramatic Publishing Company, includes my play Stairway to Heaven

Residence: New York City

Survival Job: Part time personal assistant to Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara (since 1995)

Theaters where I have worked: (at a glance) As a playwright:  Off-Off-Broadway:  Emerging Artists Theatre, Intar 53, Greenwich Street Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Source.  Regionally: Boston Playwrights' Theatre, Edward Albee's Last Frontier Theater Conference, Kennedy Center Theater Lab, Miami Lavender Footlights Festival, Northwest Playwright's Association at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Provincetown Fringe, Provincetown Theater Company, Sirius Idaho Theatre, and SlamBoston. As a director:  Off-Off Broadway's American Globe Theater, Center Stage, Intar 53, Latin American Theatre Ensemble, The Mint Space, and regionally at Provincetown Repertory Theatre, Provincetown Theatre Company, Orlando's Theatre Downtown.   University credits:  Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, California State University at Northridge, Niagara University, NYU Tisch School of Arts, Wilkes University.  As assistant-to-the-director: Dallas Theater Center, Fort Worth Shakespeare-in-the-Park, Broadway's Golden Theater, La Mama E.T.C., Metropolitan Opera, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Trinity Rep. As a stage manager:  Actors Theater of Louisville, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Carnegie Hall, Dallas Theater Center, D∙R∙2, Ensemble Studio Theater, Gene Dynarski Theater, Irish Arts Center, Jewish Repertory Theater, Joe Papp Public Theater, La Mama E.T.C., Lamb's Theatre, Long Island Shakespeare, Manhattan Theater Club, The New Group, national tour of Albee's Three Tall Women, Paper Mill Playhouse, Players Theater, Provincetown Repertory Theatre, Roundabout, Second Stage, Theater Four, Willow Cabin Theater at Theater St. Clement's, The Working Theater, Yankee Stadium. As an actor:  Dallas Theater Center, Last Frontier Theatre Festival, national tour of Three Tall Women (went on at the Kennedy Center), Provincetown Theatre Company, Theater Three (Dallas).