Gretchen Cryer
Encyclopedia
Gretchen Cryer is an American
playwright
, lyricist
and actress.
, the daughter of Louise (née Niven) and Earl William Kiger. She attended DePauw University
as an English major.
and Broadway New York theater
. Their first work, For Reasons of Royalty, was produced at DePauw University and their musical "Rendezvous' was done at Boston University.
Their first professional New York production was Now Is The Time For All Good Men
(1967), a highly political piece about Cryer's pacifist brother, who spent time as a teacher in a conservative mid-western high school, that was panned by the critics. Undaunted, they mounted The Last Sweet Days of Isaac
– with Austin Pendleton
and Fredricka Weber – in 1970, winning not only rave reviews, but the Obie
, Drama Desk
, and Outer Critics Circle Award
s as well. From there they moved to Broadway
, but the musical, Shelter (1973), was not a success, despite a few good reviews. It would prove to be their only Broadway production.
Cryer and Ford's most notable success was I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road
(1978), based on Cryer's life experiences. She not only co-wrote the piece, but performed in it as well. Despite being lambasted by the critics, the show began to find an audience via word-of-mouth, and producer Joseph Papp
moved it from his Public Theater
in lower Manhattan
uptown to the Circle in the Square theater, where it ran for three years. Cryer and Ford's latest musical, Einstein and the Roosevelts, premiered at DePauw University
in October 2008.
Cryer's additional work as a performer included roles on Broadway in Little Me
(1962), 110 in the Shade
(1963) and 1776
(1969).
, one of the stars of the television sitcom Two and a Half Men
; she acted with him in the 1987 film Hiding Out
.
Cryer is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and actress.
Early life
Cryer was born Gretchen Kiger in Dunreith, IndianaDunreith, Indiana
Dunreith is a town in Spiceland Township, Henry County, Indiana, United States. The population was 177 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dunreith is located at ....
, the daughter of Louise (née Niven) and Earl William Kiger. She attended DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
as an English major.
Career
In one of her music classes, she met Nancy Ford, and the two forged a friendship that eventually led to a number of professional collaborations as the only female composer-lyricist team in Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and Broadway New York theater
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. Their first work, For Reasons of Royalty, was produced at DePauw University and their musical "Rendezvous' was done at Boston University.
Their first professional New York production was Now Is The Time For All Good Men
Now Is The Time For All Good Men (musical)
Now Is the Time for All Good Men was a 1967 Off-Broadway musical with music by Nancy Ford, book and lyrics and by Gretchen Cryer. It premiered at the Theatre De Lys on September 26, 1967 and closed on January 16, 1968.-Synopsis:...
(1967), a highly political piece about Cryer's pacifist brother, who spent time as a teacher in a conservative mid-western high school, that was panned by the critics. Undaunted, they mounted The Last Sweet Days of Isaac
The Last Sweet Days of Isaac
The Last Sweet Days of Isaac is an American Off-Broadway rock musical by Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford, which premiered in 1970. It starred Austin Pendleton and Fredricka Weber, and later Alice Playten. It received positive reviews, and won three Obies, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics...
– with Austin Pendleton
Austin Pendleton
Austin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.-Life and career:...
and Fredricka Weber – in 1970, winning not only rave reviews, but the Obie
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
, Drama Desk
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
, and Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
s as well. From there they moved to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, but the musical, Shelter (1973), was not a success, despite a few good reviews. It would prove to be their only Broadway production.
Cryer and Ford's most notable success was I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road
I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road
I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road is an Off Broadway musical, with music by Nancy Ford and book and lyrics by Gretchen Cryer. It was produced by Joseph Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival at The Public Theater, opening on June 14, 1978 and running for 1165 performances...
(1978), based on Cryer's life experiences. She not only co-wrote the piece, but performed in it as well. Despite being lambasted by the critics, the show began to find an audience via word-of-mouth, and producer Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in downtown New York . "The Public," as it is known, has many small theatres within it...
moved it from his Public Theater
Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...
in lower Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
uptown to the Circle in the Square theater, where it ran for three years. Cryer and Ford's latest musical, Einstein and the Roosevelts, premiered at DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in October 2008.
Cryer's additional work as a performer included roles on Broadway in Little Me
Little Me
Little Me was the parody "confessional" self-indulgent autobiography of "Belle Poitrine" , subtitled The Intimate Memoirs of the Great Star of Stage, Screen and Television, by Patrick Dennis, who had achieved a great success with Auntie Mame...
(1962), 110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt.Based on Nash's 1954 play The Rainmaker, it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, and her relationships with local sheriff File, a cautious...
(1963) and 1776
1776 (musical)
1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence...
(1969).
Personal life
Cryer and her husband, actor/singer Donald David Cryer, divorced in 1971. She has two daughters – Robin, who has appeared with her in cabaret shows, and Shelley, who is a theatrical make-up artist. Her son is film and television actor Jon CryerJon Cryer
Jonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink...
, one of the stars of the television sitcom Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
; she acted with him in the 1987 film Hiding Out
Hiding Out
Hiding Out is a 1987 movie starring Jon Cryer as a Wall Street broker "hiding out" as a high-school student as the mob tries to kill him.- Plot :...
.
Cryer is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted that October 13, 1870 should be recognized at the official Founders Day, because no...
.
External links
- Gretchen Cryer at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Gretchen Cryer at FilmReference.com
- Official website