Hoffman, Richard Lee

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Richard Lee Hoffman, the Brooklyn-based theater collector and bookdealer, built a number of literary collections around American and British playwrights over a period of many years.

From the description of Richard Hoffman collection of American and British theater and film scripts, 1958-2006. (University of Delaware Library). WorldCat record id: 495700483

Richard Lee Hoffman, the Brooklyn-based theater collector and bookdealer, built a number of literary collections around American and British playwrights over a period of many years.

Hoffman has said that he entered the United States Army in the 1950s as an actor and left as a writer. His military experience led to an assignment to create a television program titled “Your Army in View,” which consisted of interviews and live drama. After his discharge from the service in 1955, Hoffman taught in the drama department of The City University of New York. During this period he was awarded a Eugene O'Neill fellowship for playwriting. He also seriously began to collect rare books and first editions of contemporary American dramatists, notably the playwrights Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, and Neil Simon. Richard Hoffman’s interest in collecting first editions led to his career as an antiquarian bookdealer.

"Richard Hoffman." Literature Resource Center. http:/galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC (accessed February 2009).

From the guide to the Richard Hoffman collection of American and British theater and film scripts, 1958–2006, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)

"Richard Hoffman." Literature Resource Center. http:/galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC (accessed January 2010). "Beth Henley." The Mississippi Writers Page. http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english/ms-writers/dir/henley_beth/ (accessed December 21, 2006). "Elizabeth Becker Henley." Biography Resource Center. http://galenet.group.com/servlet/BioRC (accessed March 30, 2007).

Richard Hoffman, the Brooklyn-based theater collector and book dealer, built a number of literary collections around American playwrights over a period of many years. Hoffman has said that he entered the United States Army in the 1950s as an actor and left as a writer. His military experience led to an assignment to create a television program titled "Your Army in View," which consisted of interviews and live drama. After his discharge from the service in 1955, Hoffman taught in the drama department of The City University of New York. During this period he was awarded a Eugene O'Neill fellowship for playwriting. He also seriously began to collect rare books and first editions of contemporary American dramatists, notably the playwrights Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, and Neil Simon. Richard Hoffman's interest in collecting first editions led to his career as an antiquarian book dealer.

American playwright and screenwriter Beth Henley was born May 8, 1952, in Jackson, Mississippi. An aspiring actress, Henley earned a B.F.A. from Southern Methodist University. Her first play, Am I Blue , was written and produced at SMU in 1973. She joined actor/director Stephen Tobolowsky in Los Angeles in 1976, where they collaborated on the screenplay True Stories .

In 1978 her black comedy, Crimes of the Heart, won the Great American Play Contest sponsored by the Actors Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky. Crimes of the Heart debuted on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on November 4, 1981, and was later awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best new American play and the Pulitzer Prize for drama (1981). Henley wrote the screenplay for the movie version which appeared in 1986 and was nominated for an Oscar as best adapted screenplay.

Henley's next play, The Miss Firecracker Contest, was produced in Los Angeles and off-Broadway in New York in 1980. Again Henley adapted the play for the screen; with the movie produced in 1993.

Beth Henley has continued to live in California and write plays, including her latest, Ridiculous Fraud, which played at the McCarter Theatre in June 2006.

From the guide to the Richard Hoffman Beth Henley collection, 1981–1984, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Richard Hoffman Beth Henley collection, 1981–1984 University of Delaware Library - Special Collections
creatorOf Hoffman, Richard Lee. Richard Hoffman collection of American and British theater and film scripts, 1958-2006. University of Delaware Library, Hugh M Morris Library
creatorOf Richard Hoffman collection of American and British theater and film scripts, 1958–2006 University of Delaware Library - Special Collections
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Ableman, Paul person
associatedWith Baitz, Jon Robin, 1961- person
associatedWith Bogosian, Eric person
associatedWith Bolotin, Craig person
associatedWith Bolt, Robert person
associatedWith Bowen, John person
associatedWith Brady, Michael person
associatedWith Brooks, James L. person
associatedWith Brooks, James L. person
associatedWith Brown, William F. person
associatedWith Budberg, Moura person
associatedWith Cacoyannis, Michael person
associatedWith Coburn, D. L. person
associatedWith Cristofer, Michael person
associatedWith England, Barry person
associatedWith Gay, John person
associatedWith Gialanella, Victor person
associatedWith Gilroy, Frank Daniel, 1925- person
associatedWith Glennon, John person
associatedWith Goldberg, Dick person
associatedWith Guare, John person
associatedWith Hailey, Oliver, 1932- person
associatedWith Hare, David person
associatedWith Harrison, Paul Carter, 1936- person
associatedWith Heims, Jo, 1930-1978 person
associatedWith Hellman, Lillian, 1905-1984 person
associatedWith Henley, Beth. person
associatedWith Herbeck, Bobby person
associatedWith Herrington, Robert person
associatedWith Hoffman, William M., 1939 Apr. 12- person
associatedWith Hwang, David Henry, 1957- person
associatedWith Jones, Tom, 1928- person
associatedWith Kessler, Lyle. person
associatedWith Koslow, Ron person
associatedWith Langen, Todd W. person
associatedWith Lee, Spike person
associatedWith Leonard, Hugh. person
associatedWith Leonard, Hugh. person
associatedWith Leone, John person
associatedWith Levin, Ira person
associatedWith Levy, Jacques, 1935-2004 person
associatedWith Long, Sumner Arthur, 1921- person
associatedWith Mann, Emily person
associatedWith Marasco, Robert person
associatedWith May, Elaine, 1932- person
associatedWith McIntyre, Dennis person
associatedWith Medoff, Mark Howard person
associatedWith Mercer, David, 1928-1980 person
associatedWith Meyers, Patrick person
associatedWith Miller, Jason, 1939-2001 person
associatedWith Mitchell, Adrian, 1932-2008 person
associatedWith Moore, Edward J. person
associatedWith Nichols, Peter, 1927- person
associatedWith Osborne, John, 1929-1994 person
associatedWith Packard, William person
associatedWith Price, Lonny person
associatedWith Reisman, Philip H., 1916-1999 person
associatedWith Riesner, Dean, 1918-2002 person
associatedWith Rothenberg, Jerome person
associatedWith Rourke, Mickey person
associatedWith Sargent, Alvin person
associatedWith Schisgal, Murray, 1926- person
associatedWith Schweitzer, S. S. person
associatedWith Shaffer, Peter, 1926- person
associatedWith Sherman, Stanford person
associatedWith Shue, Larry person
associatedWith Slade, Bernard, 1930- person
associatedWith Speirs, Ruth person
associatedWith Stallone, Sylvester person
associatedWith Stinson, Joseph C. person
associatedWith Stitt, Milan person
associatedWith Vogel, Paula person
associatedWith Wade, Kevin person
associatedWith Werner, Michael person
associatedWith Wilson, Lanford, 1937- person
associatedWith Winn, Marie person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
American drama
American drama
American drama
English drama
Motion picture plays, American
Motion picture plays, English
Women and literature
Occupation
Collector
Playwrights
Screenwriters
Activity

Person

Active 1958

Active 2006

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SNAC ID: 38769139