Marsha Lee Sheiness’ plays have been produced in community, regional, and university theaters across the United States . Other productions include Japan , Canada and England .

 As a playwright-in-residence at New York ’s Playwrights Horizons, (1971-1977) she participated in eleven productions of her plays, including her first directorial assignment. Other New York productions include:

 CSV Cultural Center for the Out on the Edge Together Festival, AMAS Musical Theatre, Perry Street Theater, Westbeth Theater Center , Actor’s Outlet, 18th Street

Playhouse , New York Stage Works, Queens Theatre in the Park, Devine Theatre, and the Avalon.

 The Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut, first presented PROFESSOR GEORGE and THE SPELLING BEE both directed by Harold Scott.

 The PBS WNET/13’s television series, “Theater in America ” produced MONKEY, MONKEY BOTTLE OF BEER, HOW MANY MONKEYS HAVE WE HERE? following its production at Cincinnati Playhouse in the park directed by Harold Scott. The play received a London production in July 2001 produced by the South London Theatre at the Bell Theatre.

 GREAT EXPECTATIONS, book, Marsha Lee Sheiness; music and lyrics, Robert Bendorff, was a 1997 Finalist for The Richard Rodgers Award, 1997 Finalist for The Family Opera /Music Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference in Waterford Connecticut and a 1997 finalist for the Festival of Contemporary Musical Theatre. GREAT EXPECTATIONS was first presented at the 1995 ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop and again at the 1995 AMAS fall ‘6 O’clock Series, and again in March 1996; Gabriel Barre directed both readings. Other Bendorff/Sheiness collaborations: AKA, HENRY SUGAR, adapted from Roald Dahl’s THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR, and an original, STOP THE PARADE.

 THE GENDER NET (book), a musical review based on global gender bias had its first public reading in December 1999 under the title of LIPSTICK POLITICS, produced by AMAS Musical Theatre in New York City . It received another staged reading in June 2000.  

 BECOMING ELEANOR, a two-act play based on the early life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, opened to excellent reviews on February 15, 2001 at the Theatre Conspiracy (Non-Equity) in Fort Myers , Florida directed by Robert Kalfin. BECOMING ELEANOR opened in November 2002 at the Long Beach Playhouse (equity waiver) in Long Beach California to more excellent reviews and was produced at the Dayton Theatre Guild in March 2003.

Commissions:

The Actors Theater of Louisville , RECEPTION and BERNIE AND THE BEAST

Earplay, FLOATERS (radio).   

Screen:

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND (Dialogist), THE FALL, Co-screenwriter

Television:

THE DOCTORS (Soap, Dialogist), The Electric Company.

TWO SWALLOWS IN NO TIME illustrated by Meg Crane, Chelsea House Publishing.

Awards:

National Endowment for the Arts.

Published:

Samuel French, Inc.

Member:

The Dramatist Guild, Writers Guild East, PEN, SAG, and AEA.

Current Projects:

OUT OF HIDING, musical based on the bible’s Book of Esther

THE TREASURE, musical adapted from early 20^th Century play, same title

THE SPIT, one-act musical for children’s theatre

SAFE HAVEN, two act play

SATURN, an autobiographical fictitious memoir

Contact:

Leo Bookman Agency

Leo Bookman

(212) 308-0044

(212) 308-1851 FAX