Richard O'Donnell (playwright)
| Richard “R.” O'Donnell | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 17, 1956 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Actor, Producer, Writer and Stand-up Comic |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Notable work | New Age Vaudeville, TV Dinner Hour, One & One, Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts, New Variety, R. Rated, The Kreep |
Richard O'Donnell (born June 17, 1956 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American playwright, poet, journalist, producer, actor, and stand-up comic. He has worked and lived in New York City and Chicago where he has written and performed for the stage and television. O'Donnell wrote the award-winning Off Broadway show One & One, Radio City Music Hall's Manhattan Showboat, and co-founded the New Age Vaudeville theatre company, the New Variety cabaret, and the R. Rated Chicago television show.
Richard O'Donnell began in the entertainment industry as a professional ventriloquist. He ran away with the Sells & Gray 3-ring tent circus at the age of 15, sleeping in the back of the elephant truck that transported their sole elephant, Bessie. O'Donnell was eventually forced to return home to finish high school, earning a scholarship to attend the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts where he studied theatre alongside classmate Kevin Bacon.
In 1978, at the age of 22 years, Richard O'Donnell co-authored the book (with Fred Bennett) and the music and lyrics (with Dianne Adams) for One & One (musical comedy) that played The Carter Theatre, in the Carter Hotel, 250 West 43rd street. It opened Off Broadway, November 15, 1978 received three ASCAP Awards, and was later recorded by actor Nathan Lane (The Producers) for the Broadway Backers Audition.
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