David West Read

David West Read is a Canadian television writer, playwright, and producer.[1] He is known for his work as a writer and executive producer on the television series Schitt's Creek, for which he won an Emmy Award. He is also known for writing the multiple award-winning musical & Juliet.[2][3]

David West Read
Read in October 2022
Born1983 (age 39–40)
Scarborough, Ontario
EducationUniversity of Toronto (BA)
New York University (MFA)
Juilliard School (GrDip)
Years active2011 - present

Early life and education

Read was born in 1983 in Scarborough, Ontario, and grew up in Markham. His mother and father, an educational book publisher, both hold Master’s degrees in English.[4] Read also has a sister, who studied drama at the University of Guelph.[1]

Read attended Markham District High School.[5] He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2006, where he studied English literature and semiotics.[1] After graduation, he briefly explored becoming an actor and appeared in a Rogers phone commercial and small roles in television movies.[1] Read received a full scholarship to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated in 2010 with a Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing.[6] He is also a graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at Juilliard School.[7]

Career

Theatre

While studying at New York University, Read began writing a play entitled The Dream of the Burning Boy during one of his playwright courses. His professor passed along the script to his manager and agent.[8] From there, the play was first performed in 2011 at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Black Box Theatre, an off-Broadway theatre in New York City.[9] The play, which deals with themes of grief and loss, follows the aftermath of the death of a high school student named Dane, and how his death affects the people in his life, including his family, friends, and teachers.[10] The play premiered on February 25, 2011 for a limited engagement, and closed on May 15, 2011.[11]

In 2012, Read wrote his second play, The Performers. The play premiered on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on October 23, 2012, in previews, ahead of an official opening night on November 14, 2012.[12] It marked the first time since 1984 that a Canadian playwright opened a show on Broadway that was not a musical.[1] The play, which starred Henry Winkler and Alicia Silverstone, is a comedic exploration of the adult film industry and its effect on personal relationships.[13] Despite strong initial attendance at preview performances, the play closed on November 18, 2013, after only four performances.[14] Producers cited the effect of Hurricane Sandy and lukewarm reviews for the play's early closure.[15]

In 2016, Read was approached with the concept of writing a musical using songs written by Max Martin.[16] This led to him writing the book for a musical that rewrites the tragic ending to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The musical, & Juliet, had its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House in September 2019 before opening at the Shaftesbury Theatre on the West End in November 2019.[17] In 2022, the musical had its North American premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.[18] The musical then transferred to Broadway, where it began playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in October 2022.[19] He was nominated for Best Book of a Musical at the 76th Tony Awards.[20]

In 2022, it was announced that Read was writing In Dreams, a jukebox musical featuring the songs of Roy Orbison.[21] The musical will premiere at England's Leeds Playhouse in July 2023.[21] It will then transfer to the CAA Theatre in Toronto, beginning in September 2023.[22]

Television

In 2015, Read was hired as a writer on the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, after impressing series co-creater Dan Levy in a meeting.[23] He was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his writing on the season 5 episode, Love Letters.[24] For seasons 5 and 6, Read was promoted to executive producer of Schitt's Creek. At the 2020 Emmy Awards, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, and was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for his writing on the season 6 episode, The Presidential Suite.[25]

He adapted The Big Door Prize, based on the M.O. Walsh novel, into a television series.[26] The first season premiered on Apple TV+ in March 2023, and was renewed for a second season the next month.[27]

In 2023, Apple TV announced that Read was creating a comedy television series that will star Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.[28]

Theater

Musicals

Full-length plays

Other works
  • Afterlove (2015) - short play

Filmography
YearTitleActorWriterExecutive
producer		CreatorNotes
2007 A Good Turn Yes No No No Role: "Young Man"
Short film
2008 Of Murder and Memory Yes No No No Role: "Bobby Gordon"
Television movie
2015–2020 Schitt's Creek No Yes Yes No Wrote 17 episodes
2023–present The Big Door Prize No Yes Yes Yes Wrote 2 episodes

Awards

David West Read won an Emmy for Executive Director for Outstanding Comedy Series for his work on Schitt's Creek in 2020.[29] He was a part of the show's writing and producing team who won a Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy Series in 2021.[30]

References
  1. Nestruck, J. Kelly (22 October 2012). "Canadian David West Read's Broadway-bound with just his second play". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  2. Friend, David (2022-07-06). "How one Canadian writer turned Max Martin's Top 40 hits into a smashing pop musical". thestar.com. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  3. Thompson, Nicole (2 May 2023). "Canadian writer David West Read on the '& Juliet' Tony nom he was most hoping for". Toronto Star. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  4. Yeo, Debra (13 May 2023). "How '& Juliet' writer David West Read went from grade school screenwriter to Broadway flop to Emmy winner and Tony nominee". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. Ouzounian, Richard (10 March 2011). "Bright light, bigger city". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  6. Lipinski, Jed (25 October 2012). "Pure filth: Playwright David West Read talks about his raunchy Broadway debut". Politico. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  7. Ouzounian, Richard (10 March 2011). "Bright light, bigger city". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. Lipinski, Jed (25 October 2012). "Pure filth: Playwright David West Read talks about his raunchy Broadway debut". Politico. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  9. Jones, Kenneth (25 February 2011). "The Dream of the Burning Boy, About Survivors of a High School Tragedy, Begins NYC Run". Playbill. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  10. Ouzounian, Richard (10 March 2011). "Bright light, bigger city". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  11. "The Dream of the Burning Boy Extends Off-Broadway". Broadway.com. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  12. "Alicia Silverstone Joins Cast of Porn Comedy The Performers, Starring Cheyenne Jackson and Henry Winkler". August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  13. "Alicia Silverstone Joins Cast of Porn Comedy The Performers, Starring Cheyenne Jackson and Henry Winkler". August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  14. Harms, Talaura (25 April 2023). "From Porn Stars to Shakespeare: David West Read Has Had a Wild Broadway Career". Playbill. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  15. Stecker, Joshua (15 November 2012). "Broadway's 'The Performers' to Close After 7 Performances". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  16. Cristi, A.A. (22 November 2022). "Interview: How & JULIET Scribe, David West Read, Created A Shakespearean Heroine for Today". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  17. Bowie-Sell, Daisy (2019-01-25). "Miriam-Teak Lee to star as Juliet in new West End musical about Shakespeare's character". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  18. Wood, Alex (23 August 2021). "& Juliet reveals Broadway plans as Leopoldstadt announces North American premiere". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  19. Huston, Caitlin (7 July 2022). "New Pop Musical '& Juliet' Announces Broadway Run This Fall". The Hollywood Report. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  20. Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent (2 May 2023). "Tony Award Nominations 2023: 'Some Like It Hot' Dominates, Followed by '& Juliet,' 'Shucked,' 'New York, New York'". Variety. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  21. Wiegand, Chris (15 November 2022). "Roy Orbison musical from & Juliet creators to open at Leeds Playhouse". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  22. Gans, Andrew (7 March 2023). "In Dreams, New Musical From & Juliet's David West Read and Luke Sheppard, to Make North American Premiere This Fall". Playbill. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  23. Harms, Talaura (25 April 2023). "From Porn Stars to Shakespeare: David West Read Has Had a Wild Broadway Career". Playbill. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  24. "Schitt's Creek leads nominees for 2020 Canadian Screen Awards". CBC. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  25. "David West Read". Television Academy. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  26. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (28 May 2021). "Apple Orders 'The Big Door Prize' Comedy Series From 'Schitt's Creek' EP David West Read & Skydance". Deadline. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  27. White, Peter (5 April 2023). "'The Big Door Prize' Renewed For Season 2 At Apple". Deadline. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  28. Schneider, Michael (14 March 2023). "Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson to Reunite After 'True Detective' in Apple TV+ Comedy". Variety. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  29. "David West Read". emmys.com. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  30. "NYU Alumni 2021 Golden Globe Honorees". New York University. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
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