Elaine May

Elaine May (born Elaine Berlin April 21, circa 1932) is a U.S. writer, movie director, and performer. Together with Mike Nichols, she founded the trail-blazing comic troupe The Compass Players, which later became The Second City. The duo went on to create one of the most successful comedy acts of the day.

Related Topics:
April 21 - 1932 - U.S. - Movie director - Mike Nichols - The Second City

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Screenplay for the comedy Heaven Can Wait (which she co-wrote with the film's star Warren Beatty) and for her adaptation of Joe Klein's book Primary Colors.

Related Topics:
Academy Award - Heaven Can Wait - Warren Beatty - Joe Klein - Primary Colors

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She also wrote and directed the film Ishtar in 1987. Largely shot on location in the Middle East, the production was beset by internal difficulties, and advance publicity was so terrible that the picture never got off the ground, becoming one of the biggest cinematic failures of its day.

Related Topics:
Ishtar - 1987 - Middle East

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

May has also written stage plays, including Adaptation, Not Enough Rope, Mr. Gogol and Mr. Preen, the one-act play Hot Line, and After the Night and the Music. She also directed the Off-Broadway production of Terrence McNally's Adaptation/Next.

Related Topics:
Hot Line - After the Night and the Music

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and as a child she occasionally performed with her father, Jack Berlin, on stage; he was a Yiddish theatrical actor. At around sixteen she married (and later divorced) and gave birth to her daughter, actress Jeannie Berlin, in 1949 at around the age of 17 if her birth year really is 1932.

Related Topics:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Jack Berlin - Yiddish - 1949 - 1932

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~