View source for Jeff Whitty

{{short description|American screenwriter, playwright, performer (born 1971)}}
{{for|the educational theorist|Geoff Whitty}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox writer
| name         = Jeffrey Whitty
| image        = JeffWhittyLead.jpg
| caption      = 
| alt          = Jeff Whitty
| birth_name   = Jeffrey Daniel Whitty
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1971|9|30}}
| birth_place  = [[Coos Bay, Oregon]], United States
| occupation   = [[Screenwriter]], [[playwright]], actor
| education    = [[University of Oregon]] {{small|([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])}}<br>[[New York University]] {{small|([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])}}
| notableworks = ''[[Avenue Q]]'', ''The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler'', ''[[Can You Ever Forgive Me?]]''
| awards       = [[Tony Award for Best Book]] of a Musical, [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]], the [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay]], [[AARP]]'s Movies for Grownups, the [[Satellite Awards]], and the [[Film Independent Spirit Awards]]. Nominations: [[BAFTA]] and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]]
}}
'''Jeffrey Daniel Whitty''' (born September 30, 1971) is an American [[playwright]], actor, and [[screenwriter]].

For the stage musical ''[[Avenue Q]]'', he won the [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical]].

For his work on the [[Fox Searchlight]] film ''[[Can You Ever Forgive Me?]]'' (2018), he was nominated for the [[BAFTA]] and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]] and won numerous awards including the [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]], the [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay]], [[AARP]]'s Movies for Grownups, the [[Satellite Awards]], and the [[Film Independent Spirit Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Film - Adapted Screenplay in 2019 |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2019/film/adapted-screenplay |website=Awards.BAFTA.org |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |access-date=15 January 2019}}</ref>

''Avenue Q'' was his first produced musical and ''Can You Ever Forgive Me'' his first produced screenplay.

==Early life and education==
Whitty was born September 30, 1971, in [[Coos Bay, Oregon]], where he was raised as the fifth of six children. After graduating from the [[University of Oregon]] in 1993, he moved to [[New York City]] and received a master's degree from [[New York University]]'s [[Tisch School of the Arts#Graduate Acting Program|Graduate Acting Program]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web | title=NYU Graduate Acting Alumni | url=http://gradacting.tisch.nyu.edu/object/ga_alumbios.html | year=2011 | access-date=2011-12-08 | archive-date=2012-07-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705121632/http://gradacting.tisch.nyu.edu/object/ga_alumbios.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> After two decades in New York he moved to Los Angeles in 2013.

==Career==
He won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Book of a musical for ''[[Avenue Q]]'', written with composers [[Robert Lopez]] and [[Jeff Marx]], which opened at Broadway's [[John Golden Theatre]] in 2003 and ran commercially in New York City for sixteen years. Among dozens of international productions and two national tours, the musical ran for six years on London's [[West End theatre|West End]], as produced by [[Cameron Mackintosh]].

Whitty wrote the [[libretto]] to the musical adaptation of [[Armistead Maupin]]'s ''[[Tales of the City]]'' novels, with music by [[Jake Shears]] and John Garden of the musical group [[Scissor Sisters]].<ref>[https://ew.com/article/2008/03/21/tales-city-heads-broadway/ Article]  Entertainment Weekly March 2, 2001</ref> The musical was workshopped at the [[Eugene O'Neill Theater Center]]'s 2009 National Music Theater Conference. It opened in a limited run at [[American Conservatory Theater]] in San Francisco on May 18, 2011, and, after extending twice, closed on July 10. It was directed by [[Jason Moore (director)|Jason Moore]] with a cast that featured [[Judy Kaye]], Betsy Wolfe, [[Mary Birdsong]] and [[Wesley Taylor]].<ref>Hetrick, Adam.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/148903-Tales-of-the-City-Musical-Will-Star-Judy-Kaye-Betsy-Wolfe-Mary-Birdsong-and-Wesley-Taylor "'Tales of the City' Musical Will Star Judy Kaye, Betsy Wolfe, Mary Birdsong and Wesley Taylor"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321175626/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/148903-Tales-of-the-City-Musical-Will-Star-Judy-Kaye-Betsy-Wolfe-Mary-Birdsong-and-Wesley-Taylor |date=2011-03-21 }} playbill.com, March 18, 2011</ref> Whitty won the 2011 Bay Area Critics Circle award for his work.<ref>Kenneth Jones [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/164773-Rita-Moreno-Jeff-Whitty-Seussical-Bill-Cain-Among-Winners-in-SF-Bay-Area-Critics-Awards Rita Moreno, Jeff Whitty, Seussical, Bill Cain Among Winners in SF Bay Area Critics Awards April 11, 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102002342/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/164773-Rita-Moreno-Jeff-Whitty-Seussical-Bill-Cain-Among-Winners-in-SF-Bay-Area-Critics-Awards |date=January 2, 2013 }}</ref>

Whitty wrote the libretto for ''[[Bring It On (musical)|Bring It On: The Musical]]'', a "free adaptation" of the popular film series with an original story by Whitty, with music by [[Tom Kitt (musician)|Tom Kitt]] and [[Lin-Manuel Miranda]] and lyrics by [[Amanda Green]] and Miranda. Direction was by [[Andy Blankenbuehler]] with music direction by [[Alex Lacamoire]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2009/legit/news/bring-it-on-set-for-stage-adaptation-1118008980/|title=Variety, September 22, 2009|date=23 September 2009 }}</ref> The musical premiered at the [[Alliance Theatre]], [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] on January 16, 2011.<ref>Jones, Kenneth; Hetrick, Adam.  [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/146718-Something-to-Cheer-About-Bring-It-On-The-Musical-Begins-Atlanta-Run-Jan-16-After-Ice-Delay "Something to Cheer About: Bring It On: The Musical Begins Atlanta Run Jan. 16 After Ice Delay"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202131746/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/146718-Something-to-Cheer-About-Bring-It-On-The-Musical-Begins-Atlanta-Run-Jan-16-After-Ice-Delay |date=2011-02-02 }}  playbill.com, January 16, 2011</ref> The musical subsequently went on a multi-city national tour beginning at the [[Ahmanson Theater]] in Los Angeles on October 30, 2011. A revised version opened for a limited run at Broadway's [[St. James Theatre]] on August 1, 2012, and was nominated for the 2013 [[Tony Award]] for Best Musical.

In 2015, Whitty premiered his original vision of ''[[Head Over Heels (musical)]]'' at the outdoor 1100-seat [[Allen Elizabethan Theatre]] at the [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]]. His co-writer and music supervisor was Carmel Dean. Whitty devised the [[jukebox musical]] as a hybrid of Sir [[Philip Sidney]]'s [[The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia]] and the back catalog of 80's pop stars [[The Go-Go's]]. After it opened on June 13, Whitty's version of the musical sold out its five-month run within two weeks. [[New York Times]] drama critic [[Charles Isherwood]] praised Whitty's book as "deliciously witty, bawdy and full of loopy appeal — and written mostly in skillfully wrought iambic pentameter yet."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Isherwood |first=Charles |date=2015-08-17 |title=Review: In 'Head Over Heels,' Jukebox Musical Meets Elizabethan Romance |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/theater/review-in-head-over-heels-jukebox-musical-meets-elizabethan-romance.html |access-date=2022-09-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In 2016, Whitty left the production when director [[Michael Mayer (director)|Michael Mayer]] took over directing duties, installing [[Tom Kitt (musician)|Tom Kitt]] as music supervisor and firing all of Whitty's collaborators. A statement from the producers read: “Jeff Whitty’s original book was tied to specific language and arrangements of the Go-Go’s music. Incoming director Michael Mayer had a different vision for ‘Head Over Heels’ and Whitty chose to leave the production. All concerned wish one another success in their future endeavors.”<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vincentelli |first=Elisabeth |date=2018-07-11 |title=How Broadway Got the Beat: The Go-Go's in 5 Songs |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/11/theater/broadway-go-gos-head-over-heels.html |access-date=2022-09-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Mayer and Kitt's quite different version of ''Head Over Heels'' opened at the [[Curran Theatre]] in [[San Francisco]], bound for a Broadway run that opened July 26th, 2018, with a script "substantially revised" by [[James MacGruder]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paulson |first=Michael |date=2018-11-26 |title='Head Over Heels' to Close in January |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/theater/head-over-heels-broadway-closing.html |access-date=2022-09-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In March 2023, Whitty published an essay entitled "Grand Theft Musical" alleging severe mistreatment on the part of the producers of ''Head Over Heels'', his agent, and his lawyer, including—variously—exploitation, threats, harassment, and theft of royalties.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Culwell-Block |first=Logan |date=2023-03-22 |title=Playwright Jeff Whitty Details 'Exploitation' During Development of Broadway's Head Over Heels in Online Tell-All |work=[[Playbill]] |url=https://playbill.com/article/playwright-jeff-whitty-details-exploitation-during-development-of-broadways-head-over-heels-in-online-tell-all |access-date=2023-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Grand Theft Musical: Introduction |url=https://heygwyneth.substack.com/p/intro |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Grand Theft Musical |date=19 December 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2018, Fox Searchlight Pictures released ''Can You Ever Forgive Me'', with a screenplay by Whitty and [[Nicole Holofcener]], adapted from a memoir by [[Lee Israel]]. The film was directed by [[Marielle Heller]] and starred [[Melissa McCarthy]] as Israel and [[Richard E. Grant]] as Jack Hock, Israel's accomplice. The movie, its creative team and cast won a multitude of awards, with Whitty and Holofcener's screenplay garnering awards from the Writers Guild of America, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Satellite Press Association, the Los Angeles Critic Circle and many more, as well as BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Whitty's plays include ''The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler'' which was commissioned by and received its world premiere at [[South Coast Repertory]] in January, 2006; ''The Plank Project'' (a parody of documentary theater pieces like ''[[The Laramie Project]]''); the multi-play cycle ''Balls''; ''The Hiding Place,'' a romantic [[Manhattan]] comedy which received its New York debut at the [[Atlantic Theater Company]]; the dark comedy ''Suicide Weather.''

Whitty is an occasional actor, having appeared in New York productions of plays by [[Amy Freed]], including ''[[The Beard of Avon]]'' and ''Freedomland'', as well as small roles in the films Garmento, [[Lisa Picard is Famous]], and a cameo in ''[[Shortbus]]''. Among his theatrical credits include stints at the [[Goodman Theater]] in Chicago, [[Philadelphia Theatre Company]], and [[Playwrights Horizons]] and [[New York Theatre Workshop]] in New York City. In 2012 for a 25-performance run he played the title role in his own ''The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler'' in a production by New York company Exit, Pursued by a Bear, with [[Billy Porter (entertainer)|Billy Porter]] playing the co-leading role of Mammy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hifibri.blogspot.com/2012/03/dinner-great-theatre-at-further.html|title=Hi-Fi Bri: Dinner & Great Theatre At THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF HEDDA GABLER|first=Hi-fi|last=Bri|date=March 21, 2012}}</ref> Both roles had been created for and played by women until this production.

== Personal life ==
His older brother [[George Whitty]] is a noted jazz musician and producer, and the winner of multiple [[Grammy]] and [[Emmy]] Awards.

Jeff Whitty now lives on [[Cape Cod]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Jeff Whitty: Personal |url=https://www.jeffwhitty.com/ |access-date=31 December 2024 |quote=After he left Oregon on a hippie bus bound for NYC (sight-unseen) with two grand in his pocket, Jeff lived in Manhattan for two colorful decades. After spending the next decade in Los Angeles, Mr. Whitty pulled up stakes for the vagabond lifestyle. He currently resides on Cape Cod.}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Broadway musical]]
* [[LGBT culture in New York City]]
* [[List of LGBT people from New York City]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|nm1036221}}
* [http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2008/06/jenny_grahamoregon_shakespeare.html Finding his purpose: Jeff Whitty's road to 'Avenue Q']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070320140231/http://www.americantheatrewing.org/seminars/detail/avenue_q_09_03 Production: Avenue Q] - ''Working in the Theatre Seminar'' video at [[American Theatre Wing|American Theatre Wing.org]], September 2003
*[http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid53039.asp Advocate.com]: Jeff Whitty's Broadway-bound Tales of the City musical: Just how gay will it be?

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Jeff Whitty
|list =
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Screenwriter}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Satellite Award Best Adapted Screenplay}}
{{TonyAward MusicalBook 2001–2025}}
{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}
{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitty, Jeffrey}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century American dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American gay writers]]
[[Category:University of Oregon alumni]]
[[Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:People from Coos Bay, Oregon]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:American male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Male actors from Oregon]]
[[Category:Best Screenplay Independent Spirit Award winners]]