Isaac Oliver (writer)

Isaac Oliver (born in Baltimore, Maryland) is an author, playwright and on-stage comic known for his debut humor collection.[1]

This article is about the playwright, author and humorist. For English portrait and miniature painter, see Isaac Oliver.

Isaac Oliver
OccupationPlaywright, author, performer
NationalityAmerican
EducationBachelors
Alma materSarah Lawrence College
Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Fordham University
GenreComedy, Collection of stories
SubjectLife
Notable worksIntimacy Idiot
Notable awardsNew York Innovative Theatre
Website
www.IsaacOliver.com

Early life and education

Oliver studied playwriting at Sarah Lawrence College and graduated from the Carver Center for Arts and Technology,[1][2] which he later called "a magical place, a haven for weird, expressive kids who like to sob in stairwells."[3] He was a 2013 McDowell Colony fellow.[4]

Career

After college, Oliver moved to Manhattan, worked at a theatre box office and started a blog about his daily life, ultimately performing material from the blog for his friends. He then performed live at midtown theatre Ars Nova's variety-show gala "Showgasm."[1] New York magazine called Oliver "a monstrous new talent."[5] He has written for HBO's "High Maintenance",[6] Netflix's "GLOW," Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and the upcoming "Etoile." He has also been a frequent contributor to The New York Times.[7]

After the release of Oliver's book Intimacy Idiot, writer Sarah Larson wrote in The New Yorker that actor Jonathan Groff, to practice each day for the play "Hamilton," read a page from Intimacy Idiot in a King George accent.[1]

In 2017, Oliver began performing in residence at Joe's Pub in The Public Theatre, in a show titled "Isaac Oliver Sits Down" and directed by Jason Eagan.[1]

In December 2017, he premiered a holiday special, "Isaac Oliver's Lonely Christmas," on the West Coast at the Diversionary Theatre in San Diego.[8]

Book

Oliver's book, Intimacy Idiot, released by Scribner in June 2015, is a collection of essays about dating, living, working, and being single in New York City, about which Kirkus Reviews Features, in an interview with the author, wrote, "The material breathes with sharp honesty and boasts an assured authorial voice... ."[9]

NPR named Intimacy Idiot one of its Best Books of 2015.[10]

Stephan Lee in a book review for Entertainment Weekly, wrote, "Like any young memoirist worth reading, Oliver has mastered the art of self-deprecation."[11] Kirkus Reviews, in its review, described Oliver's writing as "in-your-face funny but with surprisingly moving moments,"[12] while Publishers Weekly wrote, "His chatty style and candor about sex is entertaining."[13]

In a feature article about Oliver, Metro, an international daily newspaper, called his book "a collection of essays, vignettes, poems, lists and diary entries that document the poignant, hilarious and awkward moments of intimacy between humans."[14]

Awards

In 2020, Oliver was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for his episode "Trick" from the fourth season of "High Maintenance."[15] In 2011, Oliver took home a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Original Short Script for his short play Come Here.[16]

Personal life

Oliver, who is homosexual, has said, "I'm very proud to be gay. I'm very thankful to be gay. If it were a choice, I'd choose it."[1]

References
  1. Larson, Sarah (August 22, 2016). "Isaac Oliver: Reading as Cabaret". New Yorker magazine – via www.newyorker.com.
  2. "The Rumpus Interview with Isaac Oliver". August 14, 2015.
  3. Boyd, Betsy (August 18, 2015). "How Happy are we?". Baltimore Style. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  4. Colony, The MacDowell. "The Portable MacDowell". The Portable MacDowell. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  5. "An Evening with Isaac Oliver - Creative Alliance". www.creativealliance.org.
  6. BWW News Desk. "HBO Comedy Series HIGH MAINTENANCE Returns for Season 2 on 1/19".
  7. "Isaac Oliver Lonely Christmas One Night Stand". October 9, 2017.
  8. "Isaac Oliver's Lonely Christmas". KPBS Public Media.
  9. James McDonald (June 2, 2015). "Isaac Oliver". Kirkus Reviews Feature.
  10. "NPR's Book Concierge".
  11. Lee, Stephan (June 8, 2015). "'Intimacy Idiot' by Isaac Oliver: EW review". Entertainment Weekly.
  12. "INTIMACY IDIOT by Isaac Oliver - Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews.
  13. "Nonfiction Book Review: Intimacy Idiot by Isaac Oliver. Scribner, $24 (288p) ISBN 978-1-4767-4666-1". Publishers Weekly.
  14. Matthew Lee (June 19, 2015). "Isaac Oliver talks 'Intimacy Idiot,' PrEP and the strangest thing to hit his face recently". Metro.
  15. "2020 Nominees - Writers Guild Awards". awards.wga.org. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  16. "2011 Honorees - New York Innovative Theatre Awards". www.nyitawards.com.
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