A new writer for the Arden Family – Stephen Belber
By Ed Sobel, Associate Artistic Director
The Arden is pleased to announce the addition of a new writer to our family of artists. Following on Wendy MacLeod’s introduction through our Writers’ Room program, we have recently commissioned Stephen Belber to craft a new play for the Arden.
Stephen is a New York based playwright, >capsule screenwriter and director. He is the author of Tape, which received its premiere at the Actors Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival and was subsequently made into a film starring Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, directed by Richard Linklater. He was one of the writers, with Tectonic Theater Project, of The Laramie Project, and its sequel, The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. His play Match ran on Broadway with Frank Langella. He also wrote and directed the film Management with Jennifer Anniston and Steve Zahn.
Stephen’s most recent play, Don’t Go Gentle opens October 15th at Off-Broadways’ MCC Theater. Click here for a recent interview with him.
I have been a fan and follower of Stephen’s work since I first read a draft of Drifting Elegant back in 1999. His plays, though varied in subject, demonstrate a unique gift for muscular, theatrical dialogue and an affinity for using the stage to explore complex moral issues through visceral events and suspenseful storytelling. We could not be more pleased to have him as a new member of our artistic community.
At the Arden, commissioning is an expression of support and interest in developing an ongoing relationship with a writer. Stephen will spend some time over the coming months getting to know more deeply the Arden, our work, and artists with whom we frequently collaborate. He will then write a play which we hope to program in a future season.