Annabelle Gurwitch (Dinner and a Movie, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up, Fired!) is adapting her third book, the forthcoming memoir, I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT (Blue Rider Press, March 2014) into a theatrical property, following the success of her past two book to plays: You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up and Fired! A sneak preview of the work in progress is scheduled for Nuyorican Poets Café (236 East 3rd Street) on November 12th at 9pm. For tickets, visit: https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?w=1656f5c23c433dc1fd5ec7a9fa928701&t=tix.
You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up produced by Orin Wolf and OBB is now receiving its third national tour.
Annabelle most recently appeared on stage in the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Donald Margulies adapt of Grace Paley story, A Coney Island Christmas at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in their 2012 season.
Her forthcoming memoir, I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT, compliments, indignities, and survival stories from the edge of 50
http://www.amazon.com/See-You-Made-Effort-Compliments/dp/0399166181 is a collection of essays about turning 50. This new book began as an idea over lunch with talk show host, Bill Maher. When she told him she was writing a new book and he set up a dinner for her to meet his publisher, David Rosenthal at Blue Rider Press, an Imprint at Penguin/Random House. Rosenthal publishes Bill, Penn Gillette, Marisa Silver, James Carville, and Delia Ephron amongst others. Of the book, Maher says, "The stories in Annabelle Gurwitch's book are unexpected, imaginative and her observations just plain cracked me up. It's so great it should be required reading for everyone between the ages of 40 and death. Scratch that-even after death it's a must-read."
The book will launch in March with a book party and star studded reading at Second Stage with performers including Jessica Hecht, Tonya Pinkins, and Jane Kaczmarek. An author talk at the 92nd St Y is scheduled followed by New York media and book tour which will include both author events and performances at venues in DC, Saint Louis, San Fran, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities.
For the theatrical adapt, she is reuniting with You Say Tomato, I Say Shut director, Darren Katz.
Darren Katz is currently Resident Director for THE LION KING on Broadway. He has developed and directed original plays including I GOT SICK THEN I GOT BETTER by Jenny Allen (co-directed by James Lapine; New York Theatre Workshop, Producer). Current new projects in development include LIFT UP YOUR SKIRT, written and performed by Kathy Najimy; SeXcurity, written and performed by Yuval Boim (Joyce Soho, Dixon Place and IRT); ELEANOR & HICK by Tom Wilson Weinberg and Peggy Stafford (starring Lea DeLaria, Cady Huffman and Mary Testa); THE BOYS UPSTAIRS by Jason Mitchell Kahn; and ODI by Beppe Savoni (Caroline Pecoste, Producer). Other directing credits include THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (2nd National Tour), HAPPY SUNSHINE KUNG FU FLOWER (The Zipper Factory Studies/Architecture, Columbia University.
This marks Annabelle's third time out adapting from book to stage. This adaptation will have workshops first in Los Angeles sponsored by The Blank Theatre and Comedy Central Network before the Nuyorican date on November 12th.
Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress and author of three books. Her latest, I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT: compliments, indignities and survival stories from the edge of 50 comes out in MARCH 2014 from Blue Rider Press, an imprint of PENGUIN. Other books: You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up, a self-hurt marital memoir co-written with her husband, Jeff Kahn, now a theatrical play in its third national tour; and Fired! Tales of the Caned, Canceled, Downsized & Dismissed. Her Fired! documentary played film festivals around the world. Gurwitch gained a loyal comedic following during her numerous years co-hosting the cult favorite, Dinner & a Movie; her acting credits include Dexter, Boston Legal, Seinfeld, Melvin Goes to Dinner, The Shaggy Dog and as the news anchor of Not Necessarily The News on HBO. Live appearances include New York Comedy Festival, 92nd St Y, Upright Citizens Brigade and story salons in both New York and Los Angeles. She has served as a regular commentator on NPR and a humorist for TheNation.com. Her writing has appeared in More, Marie Claire, Men's Health, Los Angeles Times and elsewhere. Gurwitch lives in Los Angeles
