Maria Irene Fornes Biography (1930-)

Born May 14, 1930, in Havana, Cuba; came to the United States, 1945, naturalized citizen, 1951; daughter of Carlos Luis (a public servant) and Carmen Hismenia (Collado) Fornes. Addresses: Agent: Helen Merrill, 435 West 23rdSt. No. 1A, New York, NY 10011.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: playwright, director
Birth Details: May 14, 1930; Havana, Cuba

Famous Works

Credits; Stage Director
The Annunciation, Judson Poets Theater, New York City, 1967.
Dr. Kheal, Festival of Short Plays, American Place Theater, New York City, 1974.
Fefu and Her Friends, American Place Theater, 1978.
Life Is a Dream, INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, New York City, 1981.
A Visit, Theater for the New City, New York City, 1982.
Exiles (musical), INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1982-83.
Promenade, Theatre Off Park, 1983.
The Danube, American Place Theatre, 1984.
Sarita, INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1984.
The Conduct of Life, Theater for the New City, 1985.
Cold Air, INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1985.
Mud, Theater for the New City, 1983, later Westbeth Theatre Center, 1986.
Lovers and Keepers, INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1986.
Abingdon Square, American Place Theatre, 1987.
Going to New England, INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1990.
Also director of productions of The Successful Life of 3: A Skit for Vaudeville, Molly's Dream, Aurora, Cap-a-Pie, Washing, Eyes on the Harem, Evelyn Brown (A Diary), and A Matter of Faith.
Credits; Stage Plays
The Widow, produced in New York, 1961; published as La Viuda in Cuatro Autores Cubanos, Casa de las Americas (Havana), 1961.
There! You Died, first produced at Actor's Workshop, San Francisco, 1963; produced as Tango Palace (also see below) with The Successful Life of 3: A Skit for Vaudeville (double-bill) at Firehouse Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, 1965, later Theatre Genesis, New York City, 1973.
The Successful Life of 3: A Skit for Vaudeville (also see below),first produced with Tango Palace (double-bill) at Firehouse Theatre, 1965, then Sheridan Square Playhouse Theatre, 1965.
Promenade (musical; also see below), first produced at Judson Poets Theater, 1965, later Promenade Theatre, New York City, 1969.
The Office, first produced at Henry Miller's Theatre, 1966 (preview performances; never officially opened); published by Establishment TheatreCo., 1965.
A Vietnamese Wedding (also see below), first produced at Washington Square Methodist Church, New York City, 1967, then La Mama Experimental Theater, 1969.

The Annunciation, first produced with The Successful Life of 3:A Skit for Vaudeville (double-bill) produced at Judson Poets Theater, 1967.
Dr. Kheal (also see below), first produced at Judson Poets Theater, 1968, then New Arts Laboratory, London, 1969.
The Red Burning Light: or Mission XQ3 (also see below), first produced for Open Theatre European Tour, Zurich, Switzerland, 1968, then at La Mama Experimental Theater, 1969.
Molly's Dream (also see below), first produced at Tanglewood Workshop, Boston, MA, 1968, later New York Theatre Strategy, 1973.
Promenade and Other Plays (includes Tango Palace, The Successful Life of 3: A Skit for Vaudeville, Promenade, A Vietnamese Wedding, Dr. Kheal, The Red Burning Light: or Mission XQ3, and Molly's Dream), published by Winter House, 1971, reprinted by Performing Arts Journal Publications, 1987.
The Curse of the Langston House, first produced at Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, 1972.
Aurora, first produced at New York Theatre Strategy, 1973.
Cap-a-Pie, first produced at INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, NewYork City, 1975.
Washing, first produced at Theater for the New City, New York City, 1976.
Lolita in the Garden, first produced at INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1977.
Fefu and Her Friends, first produced at New York Theatre Strategy,1977, then American Place Theater, 1978; published in Wordplays 1, Performing Arts Journal Publications, 1981.
In Service, first produced at Padua Hills Festival, Claremont, CA,1978.
Eyes on the Harem, first produced at INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1979.
Evelyn Brown (A Diary), first produced at Theater for the New City, 1980.
(Adapter) Federico Garcia Lorca, Blood Wedding, produced at INTARHispanic American Theatre, 1980.
(Adapter) Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Life Is a Dream (three-act),produced at INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1981.
A Visit, first produced at Padua Hills Festival, 1981, then Theater for the New City, 1981-82.
The Danube (also see below), first produced at Padua Hills Festival, 1982, then Theater for the New City, 1983, later American Place Theater, 1984.
Mud (also see below), first produced at Padua Hills Festival, 1983, then Theater for the New City, 1983.
Sarita (musical; also see below), first produced at INTAR HispanicAmerican Theatre, 1984.
No Time, first produced at Padua Hills Festival, 1984.
Abingdon Square, produced in Seattle, WA, 1984, later American Place Theater, 1987.
The Conduct of Life (one-act; also see below), first produced at Theater for the New City, 1985.
(Adapter and translator) Virgilio Pinera, Cold Air, produced at INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1985; published by Theatre Communications Group, 1985.
(Coauthor of lyrics and music) Carmines Sings Whitman Sings Carmines, produced at Playwrights Horizons, New York City, 1985.
Maria Irene Fornes: Plays (includes Mud, The Danube, Sarita, and The Conduct of Life), published by Performing Arts Journal Publications, 1986.
The Trial of Joan of Arc on a Matter of Faith, first produced at Theater for the New City, 1986.
Lovers and Keepers (three one-act musicals), first produced at INTAR Hispanic American Theatre, 1986; published by Theatre Communications Group, 1987.
Drowning (adapted from Anton Chekhov's story of the same title; one-act; produced with six other one-act plays under collective title Orchards), first produced at Lucille Lortel Theater, New York City, 1986; published in Orchards, Knopf, 1986.
Art, first produced at Theater for the New City, 1986; published in Box Plays.
The Mothers (title changed to Charlie; also see below), first produced at Padua Hills Festival, 1986.
(Adapter) Chekhov, Uncle Vanya, produced at Classic Stage CompanyTheatre, New York City, 1987.
Hunger (also see below), first produced by En Garde Productions, 1989.
And What of the Night? (includes Hunger, Springtime, Lust,and Charlie [previously The Mothers]), first produced at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, 1989.
Also author with Remy Charlip of Dance, produced in London, 1972,and of lyrics for Lines of Vision, produced in New York, 1976.

Further Reference

Books

Betsko, Kathleen, and Rachel Koening, Interviews with Contemporary Women Playwrights, Beech Tree Books, 1987.
Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, Volume 28, Gale, 1990,pp. 174- 180.
Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 7: Twentieth-Century American Dramatists, Gale, 1981.
Marranca, Bonnie, Theatre Writings, Performing Arts Journal Publications, 1984.

Periodicals

American Theatre, September, 1985.
Bomb, fall, 1984.
Chicago, April, 1990, p. 89.
Drama Review, December, 1977.
New York, March 18, 1985, p. 28.
Nuestro, June-July, 1980, p. 65.
Theater, winter, 1985.
Theatre Times, March, 1984.

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