-
Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel was born on Nov 16, 1951, in Washington, D.C. Her mother was a Roman Catholic, and her dad was Jewish. She was raised by her mother after her parent's divorce.
Vogel is about 72 years old as of 2024, in this time she has written 11 plays. She received the Pulitzer Prize and was nominated for two Tony Awards. Paula Vogel's age
Early Life -
Education
She started college at Bryn Mawr but lost her scholarship and finished undergraduate education at Catholic University in Washington, where she earned her B.A. She had hoped to attend graduate school at Yale but was rejected.
Biography -
1977 American College Theater Festival award
Vogel’s first success came with Meg, a three-act play examining the life of the Catholic saint Sir Thomas More, as seen from the perspective of his daughter Margaret. The play won the 1977 American College Theater Festival award for best new play and was produced at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. -
Cornell
From 1979 to 1982, Vogel was a lecturer in Women Studies and Theater Arts at Cornell, but she was eventually fired in 1982 for political reasons.
Her story -
Period: to
Longtime Teacher
Vogel spent a majority of her career at Brown University. She served as Seaver Professor in Creative Writing. She oversaw its playwriting program and helped found a non-profit regional theater.
Career -
Obie Award 1992
Vogel won the 1992 Obie Award for best play with her AIDS related seriocomedy 'The Baltimore Waltz'.
Obie Award -
The Baltimore Waltz
“The Baltimore Waltz” is a play by Paula Vogel that revolves around a brother and sister, Anna and Carl. Vogel wrote this play as a way to process her grief after losing her brother Carl, who died from complications due to AIDS before they could enjoy their planned European vacation -
Sexual Orientation
By the time she wrote The Baltimore Waltz (1992), She had publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation and begun to discuss the ways in which it influenced her writing. -
How I Learned to Drive
The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1997 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1998. It addresses pedophilia, victim blaming, and misogyny, as well as the complex structure of love and family. The play tells the story of a young girl who grows up in a sexually abusive relationship with her uncle.
How I Learned to Drive -
Pulitzer Prize
Vogel is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'How I Learned to Drive'.
Pulitzer Prize -
-
-
First female playwright to be included in the library's Yale Collection of American Literature
In 2015 Paula Vogel's literary archive was obtained by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. -
Indecent
Indecent was first produced in 2015. It had an Off-Broadway run in 2016, followed by a Broadway run in 2017 at the Cort Theatre. “Indecent” dramatizes Asch’s struggles to get the play produced and to preserve its artistic, emotional, and cultural integrity.
Indecent -
Defended her doctoral thesis
Vogel successfully completed and defended her Doctoral thesis at Cornell University 40 years after she began her graduate studies.
Comes back to school -
-
Paula Vogel’s Bard at the Gate
She founded "Paula Vogel’s Bard at the Gate", a virtual reading series designed to become an accessible platform for overlooked plays by BIPOC, female, LGBTQIA+, and disabled artists.
Paula Vogel’s Bard at the Gate -
Feminist Perspectives
Vogel’s plays often center on women’s experiences, challenging traditional gender roles and expectations. Her work shines the light on the struggles faced by women. -
Styles and Themes
Although no particular theme or topic is assigned her work, she often talks about controversial issues such as sexual abuse and prostitution. Vogel says, "I only write about things that directly impact my life". Vogel's family, especially her late brother 'Carl Vogel', influence her writings. -
Mother Play
The play was announced in 2023 to make its world debut as part of Second Stage Theater's for the 2023-2024 Broadway Season. Tina Landau directed the play. Previews were held on April 3, 2024, and the play officially opened on April 25, 2024. During this play, the 'Herman Family' faces evictions and changing societal norms while dealing with their own struggles and connections.
Mother Play
