Read more about Mr. Schenkkan on his website.
Thornton Wilder wrote much of Our Town during his residency at The MacDowell Colony. In 1960, at the first Medal Day celebration, he became the inaugural recipient of the Edward MacDowell Medal in the Arts. His family and MacDowell's board of directors established this Fellowship in recognition of Mr. Wilder's legacy to the Colony.
About Robert Schenkkan
Robert was born in Chapel Hill, N. Carolina but grew up in Austin, Texas. As a Plan II Honors student he received a B.A. in Drama from the University of Texas (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, Friars' Society, Distinguished Young Alumnus, Lifetime Texas-Ex's Member and Littlefield Society) and an M.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Cornell University.
Robert is the author of The Kentucky Cycle, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama - the first play in the history of the Pulitzer to win before its NY premier. He has written and published fourteen other full-length plays. They include: By the Waters of Babylon, Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates, The Marriage of Miss Hollywood and King Neptune, Handler, Heaven on Earth, Tachinoki, and Final Passages. His most recent play, All The Way, had its world premiere in 2012 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Full-length Children's Plays include:
The Dream Thief, The Devil and Daniel Webster, and A Single Shard.
His Musicals include: The Twelve (book and lyrics) with Neil Berg (music and lyrics) and A Night at the Alhambra Café (book and lyrics).
His One Act plays are published in a collection: Conversations with the Spanish Lady and other plays.
Robert currently has three new play commissions: Docent, for director Warner Shook; The Great Society, the sequel to All The Way for the Seattle Repertory Theater, slated to premier in a co-production with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2014; and a new play, as yet untitled, for The Denver Theater Center.
In addition to the Pulitzer, other theatre awards include: the 2013 Senator Edward M. Kennedy Theater Award, Tony nomination, Outer Critics Circle nomination, LA Critics Best Play Award, the Julie Harris/Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Award, the PEN WEST Award, and the Best of the Fringe (Edinburgh Festival). He has received grants from New York CAPS, Vogelstein Foundation, Arthur Foundation, and the Fund for New American Plays.
Robert is the co-author of the film, The Quiet American. His script for THE CO, (Walden Media, Pandemonium Films) directed by Randy Wallace, is slated to start principal photography in the Fall of 2013. He is currently writing a feature, The Demonologist, for director, Bob Zemeckis, and Universal. Other films in development include: The Indianapolis (Team Downey and Universal), Fall of Saigon (Fox), and Anabasis (SONY).
His television credits include: four episodes of The Pacific -Emmy award winner for Best miniseries. Robert's work was nominated for two Emmys and he won a WGA Award for the same. Other TV work includes The Andromeda Strain (A&E - nominated for six Emmys, including "Best Miniseries"), Crazy Horse (TNT), and Spartacus (USA).
Robert has been in residence at The MacDowell Colony, The Orchard Project, Sundance, The O'Neil Center, Seven Devils, The Gathering at Big Fork, and New Harmony. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, WGA, SAG, AEA, PEN America, the Ensemble Studio Theatre, and is an alumnus of New Dramatists.
