Richard Foreman

About Richard's Work

Richard Foreman, a director, a playwright, and a theorist of experimental theater, founded the Ontological-Hysteric Theatre in 1968.

Foreman’s original vision and commitment to developing new theatrical vocabularies have influenced the direction of American avant-garde theater. He has written and directed over fifty plays, including Rhoda in Potatoland (1975), Film Is Evil: Radio Is Good (1987), My Head Was a Sledgehammer (1994), I’ve Got the Shakes (1995), King Cowboy Rufus Rules the Universe! (2004), and The Gods Are Pounding My Head: AKA Lumberjack Messiah (2005). He has also directed and designed numerous classical productions for major theaters around the world. His many publications include Unbalancing Acts: Foundations for a Theater (1993), My Head Was a Sledgehammer: Six Plays (1995), No-Body (1996), Paradise Hotel and Other Plays (2001), and Bad Boy Nietzsche! and Other Plays (2005).

Biography

Foreman is the founder and artistic director of the Ontological-Hysteric Theatre and has instituted a project there to train young playwrights and directors. His plays have been co-produced by such organizations as the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Wooster Group, the Festival d'Autumn in Paris, and the Vienna Festival.

Foreman received a B.A. (1959) from Brown University and an M.F.A. (1962) from Yale University.