PHIL BOSAKOWSKI
NIXON APOLOGIZES TO THE NATION
Born November 1, 1946, Passaic, New Jersey
1946-65 Grew up in Garfield, Clifton, and Trenton, New Jersey; parents Frank Bosakowski and Emily Pirog, brothers Paul and James, sister Mary. Early visits to Ukrainian and Polish grandparents in Manhattan's Lower East Side, setting for his film script
How I Got My Apartment; and subject for his unfinished play POLACKS ON PARADE; Sixth grade Phil played George Washington at St Brendan's School, Clifton, NJ. In Trenton public high school he starred in DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, wrote for school paper.
1969 BA in English, Villanova University
1970 MA in Theater, Villanova University
Shubert Fellowship 1970
1969-72 Director of Theater at Harcum Junior College, PA
GENESIS! at Cafe LaMama
1972 BIERCE TAKES ON THE RAILROAD! First produced at College of Marin's Theater III with Robin Williams playing William Randolph Hearst. Published by Arthur H Ballet in anthology
Playwrights for Tomorrow, Volume II (U of Minnesota Press)
1972-75 M F A in Playwriting, University of Iowa
Editor Daily Iowan
Norman Felton Fellowship 1973
1976-1984 New Dramatists; Teaching Playwriting for Actors
LEADING OFF AND PLAYING SHORTSTOP at Berkeley Stage Company, CA
1980 N E A Award
Director, Playwrights Workshop, University of Iowa
THE FLOOD produced at Wilkes College Center, PA
1981 MINSTREL SHOW at Bay Area Playwrights, Marin Co., CA
1982 PALM 90 at Bay Area Playwrights in collaboration with Sherry Kramer, Jeff Jones and Gilbert Girion
KIDS AND DOGS reading at New Dramatists
1983 Midwest Play Labs, Minneapolis, MN
Two weeks in Poland through auspices of New Dramatists
DISAPPEARING ACTS reading at Florida Studio Theater
DISAPPEARING ACTS production at Raft Theater, N Y C
1983-1992 Dramaturg and Moderator/Teacher for Florida Studio Theater's New Play Festivals
1984 CHOPIN IN SPACE, Yale Repertory, January
CHOPIN published in Word Plays 4, P A J
CHOPIN published in Yale Theater
University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop Festival
Professor/Resident Playwright for Perserverence Theater and University
of Alaska, Juneau
Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Co-director
Playwright in Residence, Florida Studio Theater
DOUGLAS ON FIRE (later titled BUSTER COMES THROUGH!) reading at Playwrights Horizons
1984-1991 Playwriting Teacher, Warren Hills Arts Symposium, Washington, NJ (high school and junior high students)
1984-1990 Phil helps Casey Childs found Primary Stages
He teaches Playwriting Workshops for Primary Stages
KIDS AND DOGS and other P B scripts read at Primary Stages
1985 CHOPIN IN SPACE at Ark Theater, N Y C
Reading of CHOPIN at Theater Works, L A
Playwright in Residence, New West Productions, Boise, Idaho
1986 HOME STREET HOME, Theater for a New Audience, N Y C
New York Foundation for the Arts Award
Collaboration on screen play with Adam Holender
CHOPIN IN SPACE published by Dramatists Play Service
1987 OUR GOD'S BROTHER, Phil's adaptation of Karol Wojtyla's (Pope John Paul II) play, reading at Detroit's Attic Theater
Director, Playwrights Workshop, University of Iowa
CROSSIN' THE LINE at Delaware Theater Company, commissioned by Delaware State Bar Association
Elected to Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences
S W A P reading (later titled WHEEL AND DEAL), New Arts at The Knitting Factory
1987-93 Professor of Screen Writing, Film Department, School for the Visual Arts
1988 CROSSIN' THE LINE published by Dramatists Play Service
NORMAL-C at Cal State University at Chico; Professor/Playwright in Residence
WHEEL AND DEAL, New Arts Theater Co. at the Garage
N E A Award
Volunteer, East Harlem Tutorial Program
1989 CROSSIN' THE LINE at Lamb's Theater, N Y C
Teacher/Director of Dramatic Writing, Cal State University Summer School for the Arts
Professor/Resident Playwright, Dartmouth College
Volunteer, Harlem Hospital Border Babies
1990-91 Writer for Garrison Keillor's American Radio Company
1990 BUSTER COMES THROUGH! staged reading at the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
1991 Three months residence in Paris, France
HOW I GOT MY APARTMENT screen play reading at the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
Winner of Herbert and Patricia Brodkin Award at the O'Neill Conference
BETTY AT THE KOOL KLUB, book for one-act opera about Betty Boop, music Catherine Stone; Overtone Theater, Mill Valley, CA
McKnight Fellowship, Playwrights Center, Minn., reading of first draft of NIXON APOLOGIZES TO THE NATION
52nd Street Project. Ensemble Studio Theater
U S O PLAYS THE SANDS; Cabaret Salute to the Kids in Khaki Fighting the Iraqui, New Arts, Samuel Beckett Theater, N Y C
1992 BUSTER COMES THROUGH! staged reading at Denver Center Theater Company's US West Theater Fest
Professor/Resident Playwright, Princeton University
52nd Street Project, Ensemble Studio Theater
Dramaturg for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
1993 NIXON APOLOGIZES TO THE NATION staged reading at Denver Center Theater Co.'s US West Theater Fest
Marries Gay (Manifold) Smith at the O'Neill Theater Center, residence in Portland, CT and N Y C
Director of W P A, Wesleyan University Playwrights Advancement
Dramaturg for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
1994 Professor/Playwright, Wesleyan University
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May
Died September 11, 1994, Middletown, CT
1995 NIXON APOLOGIZES TO THE NATION produced at Wesleyan University.
Benefit performance for Hospice Unit at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT
September 18th,1995, PHIL BOSAKOWSKI THEATER dedication at Primary Stages, New York City
Annual BUG N' BUB PLAYWRIGHTS SCHOLARSHIP FUND AWARD in memory of Phil to a playwright with a daring comic voice and sense of anarchy and play: Mark Eisner 1995, Kira Obolensky 1996, Gordon Dahlquist 1997, David Abaire 1998, Kelly Stuart 1999