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Draft:Rachel Sheinkin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rachel Sheinkin
Born1966 [1]
Brooklyn, New York
EducationBrown University (BA)
Yale School of Drama (MFA)
OccupationsLibrettist, Playwright, Lyricist, Professor
Organization(s)Dramatists Guild
Clubbed Thumb Writers Group
Notable workThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Awards

Rachel Sheinkin (1966 – ) is a Tony- and Drama Desk-winning librettist, playwright, and professor.[2] She is best known for writing the books to the The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Striking 12, and Sleeping Beauty Wakes.[3]

Career

[edit]

Sheinkin was born in 1966 in Brooklyn.[4]

She went to Brown University, where she majored in modern literature and society, and Yale School of Drama, where she got her Master of Fine Arts in playwriting.[3] Sheinkin had a fellowship in Graduate Musical Theatre Writing at New York University.[4]

In 2002, Sheinkin began working as an adjunct professor at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.[5]

Sheinkin's first musical was 2003's Blood Drive. Joel Derfner wrote the music.[3]

Also in 2003, Sheinkin wrote the off-Broadway holiday musical Striking 12. Sheinkin collaborated with the trio GrooveLily on the project. Striking 12 would be nominated for Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical.[3][5] The show went on a national tour in 2007.[6]

Sheinkin won the Drama Desk for Outstanding Book of a Musical[7][8] and the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for the book of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.[2]

Sheinkin's first book after her Tony win was Sleeping Beauty Wakes. It was her second collaboration with GrooveLily.[9] She would win a 2007 Ovation Award for the book.[10] The original production was a collaboration with Deaf West Theatre.[11] The show was a modern reinterpretation of the classic Sleeping Beauty.[12]

Also in 2007, Sheinkin wrote the book for the off-broadway musical Serenade. The musical had music written by Nils Olaf Dolven. The duo wrote the show while at NYU together. Serenade premiered at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center in December 2007.[6][13] According to TheaterMania, the "show follows a young silhouette maker on his odyssey of discovery after arriving in the big city."[13]

In 2008, the musical version of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie premiered as Guthrie Theater. Sheinkin wrote the book, while Rachel Portman and Donna DiNovelli wrote the music and lyrics.[14]

Sheinkin met William Finn while at NYU.[4] She would work with him to rewrite his book for Romance in Hard Times in 2014[15][5] and James Lapine's book for The Royal Family of Broadway in 2018.[16] Sheinkin described the plot of the latter for the Times Union: "Our way into the story is through the matriarch. She's looking to pass the family legacy on to her daughter, her son and granddaughter... They make choices to leave the family business and she does desperate things to get them back in it."[16]

Sheinkin is currently writing a new musical with Dolven called Gudrun. She is also working on another musical with Mel Marvin titled An Invisible Drunk in the Suburbs.[3]

Sheinkin is a member of Dramatists Guild and Clubbed Thumb Writers Group. She has been a member of the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Nominating Committee.[3]

Writing Credits

[edit]

Awards

[edit]
Year Nominee / Work Award Result
2004 Striking 12 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical Nominee
2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical Won
2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical Won
2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee BroadwayWorld Awards for Best Book of a Musical Won
2007 Sleeping Beauty Wakes Ovation Award for Book/Lyrics/Music for an Original Musical Won


References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Sheinkin, Rachel". The Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  2. 1 2 "Rachel Sheinkin (Writer)". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rachel Sheinkin". NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  4. 1 2 3 Horwitz, Simi (2005-03-02). "Rachel Sheinkin: Weaving a Spell". Backstage. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  5. 1 2 3 "Rachel Sheinkin - Artist". MacDowell. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  6. 1 2 "Off Broadway: Serenade, a musical by Rachel Sheinkin and Nils Olaf Dolven, at the CSV from 1 - 15 Dec 2007". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  7. ↑ "2005 Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced - TheaterMania.com". TheaterMania.com -. 2005-04-28. Archived from the original on 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  8. ↑ "Doubt, Spamalot, Twelve Angry Men, La Cage Win 2005 Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  9. ↑ "Theater review: 'Sleeping Beauty Wakes' at La Jolla Playhouse". Los Angeles Times. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  10. ↑ "Can-Can, Kaye, Felder, Lewis and Jersey Boys Win 2007 L.A. Ovation Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  11. ↑ Heffley, Lynne (2007-04-03). "Poetry in the hands, waiting to be shared". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  12. ↑ "Sleeping Beauty Wakes: Deaf West's musical take on the classic fairy tale is a truly theatrical experience". TheatreMania. April 6, 2007.
  13. 1 2 "Henry and Larsen Head Cast of New Rachel Sheinkin Musical Serenade". TheaterMania. 2007-10-26. Archived from the original on 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  14. ↑ "New Musical Little House on the Prairie Makes World Premiere July 26 at the Guthrie". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  15. ↑ "William Finn revisits "Romance in Hard Times" with a new book by Rachel Sheinkin at Barrington Stage; Aug. 14-31". Barrington Stage Company. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  16. 1 2 Dalton, Joseph (2018-05-30). "Musical tells story of Barrymore-like theater clan". Times Union. Archived from the original on 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
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