Gretchen Cryer

Gretchen Cryer is an American writer, actress, and lyricist.

Related Topics:
American - Writer - Actress - Lyricist

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Cryer was born on October 17, 1935 in Dunreith, a suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana, and attended DePauw University as an English major. In one of her music classes, she met Nancy Ford, and the two forged a friendship that eventually lead to a number of professional collaborations as the only female composer-lyricist team in New York theater. Their first work, For Reasons of Loyalty, produced by Boston University, was written while the two were graduate students at Yale University, where the women met their future husbands, both of whom were students in Yale's Berkeley Divinity School.

Related Topics:
October 17 - 1935 - Dunreith - Indianapolis, Indiana - DePauw University - New York - Boston University - Yale University

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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 that was panned by the critics. Undaunted, they mounted The Last Sweet Days of Isaac - with Austin Pendleton and Alice Playten - in 1970, winning not only rave reviews, but the Obie, Drama Desk, and Outer Circle Awards as well. From there they moved to Broadway, but Shelter (1973) - despite a few good reviews - was not a success.

Related Topics:
1967 - Obie - Drama Desk - Broadway - Shelter - 1973

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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 on the Square theater, where it ran for three years.

Related Topics:
I'm Getting My Act Together And Taking It On The Road - 1978 - Joseph Papp - Public Theater - Manhattan

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Cryer's additional work as a performer included roles in Little Me (1962), 110 in the Shade (1963), and 1776 (1969).

Related Topics:
Little Me - 1962 - 110 in the Shade - 1963 - 1776 - 1969

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Cryer divorced her husband David Cryer, in 1968; he eventually left the ministry to pursue a career in Broadway musicals.

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She has two daughters - Robin, who has appeared with her in cabaret shows, and Shelley, who is a theatrical make-up artist - and a son, film and television actor, Jon Cryer.

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