Heidi Schreck(born September 26, 1971)[1]is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actress fromWenatchee, Washington.[2]Her playWhat the Constitution Means to Me,which she also performs in, was a finalist for the 2019Pulitzer Prize for DramaandTony Awardsfor 2019 Best Play and Best Actress in a Play.[3]
Heidi Schreck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 26, 1971 |
| Occupation | Playwright, screenwriter, actress |
| Education | University of Oregon(BA) |
| Notable works | What the Constitution Means to Me(2017) |
| Notable awards | Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress(2008) |
| Spouse | Kip Fagan |
Career
editSchreck attended theUniversity of Oregonand upon graduation worked inSiberia,teaching English. She then was a journalist inSt. Petersburg,Russia. She next moved toSeattle, Washingtonwhere she started working as an actress and writer.[4]
Schreck's first play, titledCreature,debuted in New York and was directed by Leigh Silverman and produced by New Georges and Page 73.[5]Her following plays includeThere Are No More Big Secrets(directed by Kip Fagan atRattlestick Playwrights Theatre),The Consultant(produced by The Long Wharf), andGrand Concourse(at Playwrights Horizons).[5]Schreck has also written episodes of the TV seriesI Love Dick,Nurse Jackie,andBillions.[6]
She is the writer and star ofWhat the Constitution Means to Me,which opened onBroadwayon March 31, 2019.[7]This play is partiallyautobiographical,relating her real-life experience in participating in debates as a teen.[4]The play was picked up as a movie directed byMarielle Hellerfor streaming by Amazon and released in time for the2020 Presidential elections.[8]The play challenges America's understanding of values and protections as they are outlined in the U.S. Constitution. In particular, Schreck points out how the document does little to ensure the freedoms and wellbeing of women and minority groups.
Schreck has performedOff-Broadwayin, among others,Drum of the Waves of Horikawa(HERE Arts Center,2007)[9][10]andCircle Mirror Transformation(2009) andHow the World Began(Women's Project, 2011)[11]atPlaywrights Horizons.[12]
Schreck is married to director Kip Fagan. As of 2019[update],they live inPark Slope, Brooklyn.[1]They have two children.
Honors and awards
editShe won the 2008Obie Awardfor Distinguished Performance by an Actress forDrum of the Waves of Horikawa.[13]She won the 2010 Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress forCircle Mirror Transformation.[14]Schreck and the cast ofCircle Mirror Transformationreceived a 2010Drama Desk Award,Outstanding Ensemble Performance.[15]
Her playGrand Concourse,performed in 2014–2015 at Playwrights Horizons[16]and Steppenwolf Theatres, received theLilly Awards,the Stacey Mindich "Go Write A Play" Award for best new play in 2015,[17]and was a finalist for the 2014–2015Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.[6]Schreck was a Playwrights Horizons Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence in 2014.[5]Grand Concoursereceived an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays award.[18]
She received a commission from theAtlantic Theatre Companyin conjunction with the Kenyon Institute atKenyon Collegein June 2016. She appeared at the Kenyon Playwrights Conference and taught a master class.[19]
Schreck was a finalist for the 2018–2019 Susan Smith Blackburn prize for her playWhat the Constitution Means to Me.[6]What the Constitution Means to Mewas a finalist for the 2019Pulitzer Prizefor Drama.[20]The play was nominated for the 2019Tony Award for Best Playand Schreck was nominated for the 2019Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[21]
Schreck is the co-winner, withAmy Herzog,of the 2019 Horton Foote Playwriting Award, which includes a $12,500 monetary award.[22]
She is the recipient of the 2018Hull-Warriner Award,presented by the Dramatists Guild of America Council forWhat the Constitution Means to Me.The award is presented to an American author honoring a work "dealing with social, political or religious mores of the time".[23]
In 2019, Schreck won theSmithsonian magazine's American Ingenuity award.[24]
Select Works
editPlays
edit- Creature(2009)
- There Are No More Big Secrets(2010)
- The Consultant(2014)
- Grand Concourse(2014)
- What the Constitution Means to Me(2019)
- Uncle Vanya(2024, adaptation)
Television
edit- Nurse Jackie(2014-2015, 3 episodes)
- Billions(2016, 2 episodes)
- I Love Dick(2017, 1 episode, 1 co-written episode withAnnie Baker)
Support for the Equal Rights Amendment
edit
Schreck is an advocate for theEqual Rights Amendment(ERA).[25]On April 25, 2024 she spoke as part of a pro-ERA panel alongsideGloria SteinemandCarol Jenkinsafter a performance of the musicalSuffs.[26]
References
edit- ^abSoloski, Alexis (February 21, 2019)."Thirty Years Later, Heidi Schreck Has Some Amendments".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 4,2019.
- ^Horwitz, Andy (October 19, 2009)."Five Questions for Heidi Schreck".Culturebot.RetrievedMarch 31,2019.
- ^Murphy, Hannah (October 18, 2020)."RS Recommends: Heidi Schreck's 'What the Constitution Means to Me'".Rolling Stone.RetrievedOctober 28,2020.
- ^abLarson, Sarah (June 26, 2017)."In Heidi Schreck's New Play, Teen Girls Talk About the Constitution".The New Yorker.RetrievedApril 1,2019.
- ^abc"Heidi Schreck".Playwrights Horizons.RetrievedMarch 5,2022.
- ^abc"The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize: Finalist 2018–19 Heidi Schreck".blackburnprize.org.RetrievedMarch 31,2019.
- ^Paulson, Michael (January 14, 2019)."'What the Constitution Means to Me' to Open on Broadway in March ".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 31,2019.
- ^"Heidi Schreck On Her Evolving Play, 'What The Constitution Means To Me'".NPR.RetrievedOctober 28,2020.
- ^Drum Of The Waves Of Horikawahere.org. Retrieved April 1, 2019
- ^Cote, David.Drum of the Waves of HorikawaTime Out,November 1, 2007
- ^Simmons, Paulanne."Review.How the World Began"curtainup, January 4, 2011
- ^"Schreck Off-Broadway"lortel.org. Retrieved April 1, 2019
- ^"Obie 2008"obieawards. Retrieved April 1, 2019
- ^"Obie 2010"obieawards. Retrieved April 1, 2019
- ^Gans, Andrew."Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced; 'Ragtime' and 'Scottsboro' Top List"Playbill,May 3, 2010
- ^Grand Concourselortel.org. Retrieved April 1, 2019
- ^"Lilly Awards 2015"the-lillys.org. Retrieved April 2, 2019
- ^Grand Concourseplaywrightshorizons.org. Retrieved April 4, 2019
- ^"Atlantic Theater Commissions New Works by Simon Stephens, Jennifer Haley & More"broadwayworld, May 23, 2016
- ^"Drama. Heidi Schreck"pulitzer.org, retrieved April 15, 2019
- ^McPhee, Ryan."2019 Tony Award Nominations: Hadestown and Ain't Too Proud Lead the Pack"Playbill, April 30, 2019
- ^Gans, Andrew."Heidi Schreck and Amy Herzog Named Winners of 2019 Horton Foote Playwriting Award"Playbill,March 19, 2019
- ^"Heidi Schreck Wins 2018 Hull-Warriner Award"americantheatre.org, May 9, 2019
- ^"Heidi Schreck".Concord Theatricals.RetrievedMarch 5,2022.
- ^Coalition, E. R. A. (April 22, 2024)."Creatives Unite for the Equal Rights Amendment: Shaina Taub, Alyssa Milano, and Suffs Cast Shine for sex equality".ERA Coalition.RetrievedApril 30,2024.
- ^Rabinowitz, Chloe."Photos: See Gloria Steinem, Heidi Schreck & More at SUFFS ERA Night".BroadwayWorld.RetrievedApril 30,2024.