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BAY STREET MOURNS LOSS OF LANFORD WILSON

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tim Kofahl
631-725-0818/ email: tim@baystreet.org

BAY STREET MOURNS THE LOSS OF
PLAYWRIGHT LANFORD WILSON

March 29, 2011 (Sag Harbor, NY) – Bay Street Theatre was sad to hear that Sag Harbor resident and playwright Lanford Wilson died last week. Wilson had a wonderful history with Bay Street Theatre. As part of the 2010 Mainstage Season, Bay Street presented the last in his Talley trilogy, FIFTH OF JULY, which the playwright attended on opening night. Last October, Bay Street staged a workshop performance of RAINDOGS, a new musical based on Wilson's BALM IN GILEAD. Other productions of Wilson's work at Bay Street included TALLEY'S FOLLY; BY THE SEA, BY THE SEA, BY THE BEAUTIFUL SEA; and VIRGIL IS STILL THE FROGBOY.

“The loss of Lanford Wilson will be felt very deeply not only at Bay Street Theatre, but also in our community in Sag Harbor,” said Sybil Christopher, Artistic Director at Bay Street Theatre.

  “Lanford was a wonderful fixture here in town and we were fortunate and privileged to have been able to collaborate with him over the past 20 years," said Murphy Davis, Artistic Director at Bay Street Theatre. "We will miss him greatly but his work and his art will always be an inspiration to all of us here at Bay Street.”

Wilson was co-founder and resident playwright of the Circle Repertory Company along with director Marshall W. Mason, director Rob Thirkield and actress Tanya Berezin. The plan was to establish a pool of actors, directors, playwrights and designers who would collaborate in the creation of plays. The company ran from 1969-1996.

The funeral service for Wilson was held at The Whaler’s Church in Sag Harbor, NY on March 29.

Posted: March 29, 2011