PERFECT CRIME Playwright Warren Manzi Dies at 60

The ticker on the website for Warren Manzi's Perfect Crime says the playwright's best-known work has logged in 11,829 New York performances since premiering at Greenwich Village's Courtyard Playhouse in 1987. Since then, the murder mystery/thriller that claims the title of the city's longest running straight play has occupied eight Off-Broadway homes before settling into its present location, The Theater Center, in 2005, when the new space had just been christened as The Snapple Theater Center.

The New York Times reports that Manzi, 60, died of pneumonia on Thursday in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was 60.

Born in in Manchester, New Hampshire, Manzi graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 1980 and by the end of that year was making his Broadway debut in the ensemble of AMADEUS, understudying Tim Curry's Mozart. During that time he began his work on Perfect Crime, which was optioned by producer Morton Gottlieb for a Broadway production that never came about.

Manzi then went to Hollywood, where Universal Studios hired him to pen the screenplay for the film CLUE, though his bio on Perfect Crime's website says he " takes no responsibility or credit for the finished product that was eventually released."

As artistic director of the non-profit Actors Collective, Manzi had his play premiere in 1987 in a production directed by Jeffrey Hyatt. Producer Armand Michael Hyatt then signed on for its current commercial production.

PERFECT CRIME's endurance comes despite overwhelmingly negative critical reception, with reviewers pointing out the confusing nature of the complicated plot. Early in the run, Manzi kept making revisions.

The play has also achieved a certain amount of fame because its leading lady, Catherine Russell, has appeared in all but four of Perfect Crime's New York performances, only taking time off to attend family weddings.

Russell plays psychiatrist Margaret Brent, accused of murdering her husband in a case being investigated by a handsome detective who may be falling in love with her.

Manzi's additional playwrighting credits include New York productions of CLEO LIBERMAN'S ALL GIRL REVUE, THE AWARD AND OTHER PLAYS and STAGES, all of which he also directed.

His additional New York directing credits include Matt Cutugno's INCOMMUNICADO, Chekhov's THREE SISTERS, the world premieres of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s BETWEEN TIME AND TIMBUKTU and Samm-Art William's CORK as well as lonesco's RHINOCEROS, George Kaiser's FROM MORNING TO MIDNIGHT, Keither Reddin's RUM & COKE, Heathcote Williams' THE LOCAL STIGMATIC and Durrenmatt's THE VISIT.

In addition to Catherine Russell, the cast of PERFECT CRIME currently includes Richard Shoberg, Jack Koenig, Hugh Hysell, and Patrick Robustelli, who appears on video tape.

Tickets for Perfect Crime are available by calling the box office at (212) 921-7862 or online atwww.Ticketmaster.com. Student rush tickets ($26) are also available by calling or visiting the box office.

The Theater Center is located at 210 West 50th Street at Broadway. Visit perfect-crime.com.