Cynthia Whitcomb is an American television screenwriter and teacher. She has been nominated for numerous awards including the Emmy, the Edgar and the Humanitas Prize.[1]
Background
In 1969, Whitcomb graduated from Pasadena High School in Pasadena, California where she studied drama under Abel Franco. While she was a freshman at UCLA, Franco gave her one of her first professional writing assignments. She received $25 in advance and $25 upon completion to write, "Here," a spoof of the musical, Hair. However, the play was never produced due to censorship.[2]
Selected credits
Television
| Year | Production | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Selma, Lord, Selma | ABC | Adaptation of the 1997 book by Sheyann Webb, Rachel West and Frank Sikora. Nominated for the Humanitas Prize |
| 1991 | Mark Twain and Me | Disney Channel | Based on the book by Dorothy Quick. Nominated for the Humanitas Prize |
| 1989 | I Know My First Name Is Steven | NBC | Written with J.P. Miller. Nominated for an Emmy Award |
| 1983 | Jane Doe | CBS | Written with Walter Halsey Davis. Nominated for an Edgar Award |
| 1981 | Leave 'em Laughing | CBS | Credited as Cynthia Mandelberg and written with Peggy Chantler Dick. Nominated for the Humanitas Prize |
Theatre
- Holidazed, Written with Marc Acito
| Year | Production | Theatre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Looking-Glass | Entermedia Theatre | Credited as Cynthia Mandelberg and written with Michael Sutton |
| 2023 | The Ghost of David Belasco | Lakewood Theatre (Lake Oswego, OR) | A farce in the vein of Noises Off and The Play That Goes Wrong |
References
- ^ Stone, Debra. "An interview with Cynthia Whitcomb". The Screenplayers:Writing Tomorrow's Films. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
She has sold more than 70 feature-length screenplays, 25 of which have been filmed. Her scripts have won and been nominated for many awards including the Emmy, Humanitas and Writers Guild of America Awards.
- ^ Beyette, Beverly (1988-01-04). "'Franco's Kids' Pay Tribute". Los Angeles Times
After 26 years as drama teacher at Pasadena High, Franco was retiring to devote full time to acting and writing. For three months, his one-time pupils had planned this tribute, a party Saturday night at the Bel-Air home of scriptwriter Cynthia Whitcomb (class of '69).
External links
- Official website
- Cynthia Whitcomb at IMDb