Tina Howe was a playwright whose “Coastal Disturbances” was nominated for the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play.
- Died: August 28, 2023 (Who else died on August 28?)
- Details of death: Died at a New York City hospital of complications from a hip fracture at the age of 85.
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Tina Howe’s legacy
Howe began writing plays as a student at Sarah Lawrence College, where her play “Closing Time” was put on as a student-directed production. Her first professionally produced play was “The Nest,” debuting Off-Broadway in 1970, though it was not a success. She went on to greater success with mid-career plays such as “The Art of Dining,” which premiered Off-Broadway in 1978, and 1982’s “Painting Churches,” a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 1997’s “Pride’s Crossing” was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
“Coastal Disturbances” premiered Off-Broadway and moved to Broadway in 1987, starring Annette Bening and Tim Daly in a love story set on a Massachusetts beach. Howe’s other works included “Birth and After Birth” and “Chasing Manet,” as well as translations of plays by Eugène Ionesco. Her inspirations included the works of Ionesco.
Notable quote
“Writing plays, you write over your own soul, and you have to disguise it.” —from a 2017 interview for The New York Times
Tributes to Tina Howe
Full obituary: The New York Times
