RIP Wendy Wasserstein
January 30, 2006 11:12 PM Subscribe
American Playwright Wendy Wasserstein died today of cancer at the age of 55. She was the author of plays such as The Heidi Chronicles (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Drama), The Sisters Rosenzweig, Old Money, and several books, including, Shiksa Goddess.
She gave the best graduation speech I've ever heard at her alma mater (and mine), Mt. Holyoke, in 1991. She started by schlumping up to the podium, hood falling off her shoulders and mortarboard falling off her head, and saying, "God, this is like having a paper due 19 years after you graduate!"
We gave her 3 standing ovations. She deserved more.
We used to put on bootleg productions of "Uncommon Women and Others" every few years. The unofficial motto of MHC, at least when I was there, was "Uncommon Women".
She was and uncommon woman. And she both made us want to be one, and showed us part of the way.
posted by QIbHom at 11:24 AM on January 31, 2006
We gave her 3 standing ovations. She deserved more.
We used to put on bootleg productions of "Uncommon Women and Others" every few years. The unofficial motto of MHC, at least when I was there, was "Uncommon Women".
She was and uncommon woman. And she both made us want to be one, and showed us part of the way.
posted by QIbHom at 11:24 AM on January 31, 2006
She was *an* uncommon woman.
She probably proofread better than I do, too.
posted by QIbHom at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2006
She probably proofread better than I do, too.
posted by QIbHom at 11:25 AM on January 31, 2006
.
posted by jennanemone at 1:25 PM on January 31, 2006
posted by jennanemone at 1:25 PM on January 31, 2006
I was not crazy about her as a playwright.
There, I said it, knowing that it will come back to haunt me somebody.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:49 PM on January 31, 2006
There, I said it, knowing that it will come back to haunt me somebody.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:49 PM on January 31, 2006
.
posted by ArsncHeart at 7:17 PM on January 31, 2006
posted by ArsncHeart at 7:17 PM on January 31, 2006
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NPR’s memorial;
Michael Kuchwara on Wasserstein in the Washington Post;
Bomb Magazine Interview with Wasserstein;
Older NPR piece
posted by kosem at 11:13 PM on January 30, 2006