John Belluso
Encyclopedia
John Belluso was an American
playwright
best known for his works focusing on the lives of disabled people.
He also directed a writing program for disabled people.
Born in Warwick, Rhode Island
, he began using a wheelchair at the age of 13 due to a bone disease, Camurati-Engelmann syndrome. He completed both Bachelors
and Masters
degrees at New York University
's Tisch School of the Arts
Dramatic Writing program.
In 2001, he wrote The Body of Bourne, based on the life of Randolph Bourne
, a World War I
pacifist and author. It was produced in Los Angeles
by the Mark Taper Forum
. He also directed the Forum's Other Voices program for writers with a disability. After that, he wrote Pyretown, which criticises America's managed care
health system through a romance between a divorced mother and a young, wheelchair-using man.
A stream of other works also emerged, including:
Belluso joined the crew
of the HBO western drama Deadwood
as a writer for the first season in 2004, writing "The Trial of Jack McCall".
He died in February 2006 in New York City
, where he was writing a play for New York's Public Theater
about a disabled veteran returning from Iraq. In March, 2008 was directed by his friend Lisa Peterson as an unfinished work in the Public's "Lab" series.
Season 1, episode 17, of Ghost Whisperer
is dedicated to his memory.
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...
best known for his works focusing on the lives of disabled people.
He also directed a writing program for disabled people.
Born in Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
, he began using a wheelchair at the age of 13 due to a bone disease, Camurati-Engelmann syndrome. He completed both Bachelors
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Masters
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts is a high academic degree offered at many universities in Europe and the United States.A Master of Arts, Magister Artium, or Magister in Artibus may also refer to:...
degrees at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
Dramatic Writing program.
In 2001, he wrote The Body of Bourne, based on the life of Randolph Bourne
Randolph Bourne
Randolph Silliman Bourne was a progressive writer and "leftist intellectual" born in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and a graduate of Columbia University...
, a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
pacifist and author. It was produced in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by the Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739 seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center built by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles...
. He also directed the Forum's Other Voices program for writers with a disability. After that, he wrote Pyretown, which criticises America's managed care
Managed care
...intended to reduce unnecessary health care costs through a variety of mechanisms, including: economic incentives for physicians and patients to select less costly forms of care; programs for reviewing the medical necessity of specific services; increased beneficiary cost sharing; controls on...
health system through a romance between a divorced mother and a young, wheelchair-using man.
A stream of other works also emerged, including:
- The Rules of Charity, in which the resentful caregiverCaregiverCaregiver may refer to:* Caregiver or carer - an unpaid person who cares for someone requiring support due to a disability, frailty, mental health problem, learning disability or old age...
adult daughter of a wheelchair user with cerebral palsyCerebral palsyCerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
tries to rebel against the care-giving, and pursue her own desires, with variously disastrous consequences; - Gretty Good Time, about a 32-year-old disabled woman living in a nursing home;
- Travelling Skin, about a waitress with cerebral palsy;
- Henry Flamethrowa, about a comatose woman who is believed to cause miracles; and
- A Nervous Smile, about the parents of a severely disabled child who consider abandoning her.
Belluso joined the crew
Crew of Deadwood
Deadwood is an American western drama that aired on the HBO network from 2004 to 2006. The crew received awards recognition and critical acclaim.-Producers:...
of the HBO western drama Deadwood
Deadwood (TV series)
Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
as a writer for the first season in 2004, writing "The Trial of Jack McCall".
He died in February 2006 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he was writing a play for New York's 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...
about a disabled veteran returning from Iraq. In March, 2008 was directed by his friend Lisa Peterson as an unfinished work in the Public's "Lab" series.
Season 1, episode 17, of Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
is dedicated to his memory.