Lee Knowlton Blessing (born October 4, 1949) is an American playwright
best known for his 1988 work, A Walk in the Woods. A lifelong
Midwesterner, Blessing continued to work in regional theaters in and
around his hometown of Minneapolis through his 40s before relocating
to New York City.Blessing was born in Minneapolis, and graduated from
Minnetonka High School in 1967. He began his college education at the
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, but later transferred to Reed
College in Oregon where he earned a B.A. in English in 1971. After
Blessing earned his degree, his parents offered the young graduate the
choice between a used car or a trip to Russia. Blessing chose Russia
where he found inspiration to write his best-known work, the
award-winning A Walk in the Woods. According to interviews with
Blessing, the play, which depicts the developing relationship between
a Russian and an American arms limitation negotiator is based on fact.
Apparently, during the 1982 talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Soviet Yuli
Kvitsinsky and American Paul Nitze left the formal discussions to
literally take a walk in the woods. Following its premiere in
Waterford, Connecticut, A Walk in the Woods was nominated for both a
Tony award and a Pulitzer Prize. Though the production won neither
award, it was reprised produced in Moscow in 1989 and later adapted
for television.Upon returning from his tenure abroad, Blessing went on
to study playwriting at the University of Iowa where he received MFA
degrees in English and Speech and Theater. He would later return to
teach at the Iowa's Playwrights Workshop and the Iowa Writers'
Workshop in addition to his time as an instructor at the Playwright's
Center in Minneapolis. He currently serves as Head of the graduate
playwriting program at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers
University.
best known for his 1988 work, A Walk in the Woods. A lifelong
Midwesterner, Blessing continued to work in regional theaters in and
around his hometown of Minneapolis through his 40s before relocating
to New York City.Blessing was born in Minneapolis, and graduated from
Minnetonka High School in 1967. He began his college education at the
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, but later transferred to Reed
College in Oregon where he earned a B.A. in English in 1971. After
Blessing earned his degree, his parents offered the young graduate the
choice between a used car or a trip to Russia. Blessing chose Russia
where he found inspiration to write his best-known work, the
award-winning A Walk in the Woods. According to interviews with
Blessing, the play, which depicts the developing relationship between
a Russian and an American arms limitation negotiator is based on fact.
Apparently, during the 1982 talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Soviet Yuli
Kvitsinsky and American Paul Nitze left the formal discussions to
literally take a walk in the woods. Following its premiere in
Waterford, Connecticut, A Walk in the Woods was nominated for both a
Tony award and a Pulitzer Prize. Though the production won neither
award, it was reprised produced in Moscow in 1989 and later adapted
for television.Upon returning from his tenure abroad, Blessing went on
to study playwriting at the University of Iowa where he received MFA
degrees in English and Speech and Theater. He would later return to
teach at the Iowa's Playwrights Workshop and the Iowa Writers'
Workshop in addition to his time as an instructor at the Playwright's
Center in Minneapolis. He currently serves as Head of the graduate
playwriting program at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers
University.
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