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Howe's grandfather wins a Pulitzer Prize
In 1925, Howe's grandfather, Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe, won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. In addition, throughout his life, he published over 50 books. -
One of Howe's biggest inspirations, Glenn Gould, is born
On this day, one of Howe's most inspirational figures in her life was born--Glenn Gould, a classical pianist. While I'm not sure how his work influenced hers exactly, she has said of him, "I write my plays to Glenn Gould. I cook the kids spaghetti dinners to Glenn Gould. I pay the bills to Glenn Gould" (Source 5). -
Howe is born
On this day, Howe was born in New York City to a family that was very involved in literature. The reason there's points before this on the timeline is to give context to how far back her family goes in the literary world, and how notable they were. -
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Howe's father's notable works
In addition to her grandfather being a writer, Howe's father also wrote and broadcast the evening news on CBS radio during this time, which no doubt had an influence on her view of being a writer. -
Graduation from college
In 1959, Howe graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, where she got a B. A. During her time here, she wrote her first play, "Closing Time." -
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Time in Paris
For around a year after Howe graduated from Sarah Lawrence, she spent time in Paris writing and studying at Sorbonne University. During this time, her love for playwriting was cemented, since she spent most of her time in Paris writing and watching plays. -
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Women's Movement in America
While this is a very rough time period, and this is still an ongoing movement, the rise of support for women and their rights in the 1960's and 1970's no doubt had an impact on Howe's writing as well as her advancements in her career, since later in her life, it's stated that, "She writes as no one else does about women" (Source 4). -
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Art movements of the era
In addition to the women's movement, the art movements of the 1960's and 1970's no doubt had an effect on Howe's writing and style, since her plays greatly reflected the minimalist and conceptual art movements of the time. -
Marriage to her husband
In 1961, Tina married historian Norman Levy, who she is still married to today! In addition, they have two children. -
First Play Premieres
In the summer of 1969, Howe's first full-length play premiered at the Act IV Theater, and this play was called "The Nest." It later transferred to Off-Broadway in New York. -
"Museum" Premieres
Howe's next major play, "Museum," which featured 55 characters played by 18 actors, premiered on this day at the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre, and again, it later moved to Off-Broadway. -
"The Art of Dining" Premieres
Howe's play, "The Art of Dining," premiered at the Off-Broadway Public Theater in December of 1979, and it featured Kathy Bates, Ron Rifkin, and Dianne Wiest. The premise of this play is just observing the different lives of people in a restaurant, and the play uses symbolism and imagery through the food presented to talk about the etiquette in "fine dining" restaurants, and the relationship these people have with food. -
Howe wins an Obie Award
In 1983, Howe won an Obie Award for her playwriting for "The Art of Dining," "Museum," and "Painting Churches." -
Premiere of "Painting Churches"
On this day, Howe's play "Painting Churches" premiered at the Second Stage Theatre, and it starred Marian Seldes, Frances Conroy, and Donald Moffat. This play is about an elderly couple who are packing to move, and their daughter comes to visit them and help them pack, and as she does so she realizes that their dynamic is changing and her parents are aging and beginning to forget things. During the play, she is painting a portrait of them in the style of Renoir. -
Finalist for a Pulitzer Prize
Just like her grandfather, Howe was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for Drama with "Painting Churches," and even though she didn't win, making it that far was still quite an achievement. -
"Coastal Disturbances" original production
One of Tina Howe's most critically-acclaimed plays was "Coastal Disturbances," which first premiered at Second Stage. The play's setting is a New England beach, and the set for this original production included six tons of sand. This version featured Annette Benning and Tim Daly, and it followed the story of four generations of vacationers on a Massachusetts beach, and it focused on a love story between a lifeguard and a photographer. -
Second Production of "Coastal Disturbances" and Tony Nomination
After a few months at the Second Stage Theatre, "Coastal Disturbances" was then moved to the Circle-in-the-Square Theatre. In addition, this production went on to earn a Tony nomination for Best Play, and it also earned nominations for Best Direction and Best Actress. -
Member of the Dramatists Guild of America--1990 to now
Since 1990, Howe has been a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and she still is--the fact that she's been a part of this for so long shows her commitment to theatre. -
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Production of "Pride's Crossing"
During this time, Howe's play "Pride's Crossing" was produced at the Off-Broadway Lincoln Center. This was one of the last of Howe's plays to become well-known, though there were a few more minor plays throughout the 2000's and early 2010's. -
Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2012, Howe received the 3rd Annual Lilly Award Lifetime Achievement Award, which have been held to celebrate the contributions women have made to the theatre world. -
Induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame
In November of 2017, Howe was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame, and at the ceremony, she was introduced by her long-time friend, Jane Alexander. The picture is the official list of people inducted that year, since I couldn't find a photo of her at the ceremony. -
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Howe
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/howe-tina
- https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/687/coastal-disturbances
- https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2017/11/21/On-the-scene-for-the-Theater-Hall-of-Fame-Audra-McDonald-Matthew-Broderick-and-more/stories/201711210076
- Hafner, Katie, "A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano," Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2010