Oral History

The Oral History Project was conceived and founded by Betty Corwin, which she produced for 26 years. This ongoing program, produced in partnership with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, chronicles and documents the contributions of significant theatre women across all disciplines who represent a broad array of ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds. Currently, Oral History is produced by director/producer and former LPTW Co-President Ludovica Villar-Hauser.


Recent Oral History Below:

Theresa Rebeck is a widely produced writer for stage, film, television and novels, whose work can be seen and read throughout the United States and internationally. With five plays produced on Broadway, Rebeck is the most Broadway-produced female playwright of our time.


Rebeck’s Broadway credits include I Need That (starring Danny DeVito),Bernhardt/Hamlet (starring Janet McTeer), Dead Accounts (starring Norbert Leo Butz); Seminar (starring Alan Rickman); Mauritius (starring F. Murray Abraham).


Other New York productions of her work include Dig (Outer Critic’s Circle

nomination), Seared (starring Raul Esparza, DramaLeague Award) at MCC Theater, Downstairs (starring Tim Daly and Tyne Daly); The Scene (starring Tony Shalhoub), The Water’s Edge, Loose Knit, The Family of Mann and Spike Heels at Second Stage; Bad Dates, The Butterfly Collection and Our House at

Playwrights Horizons; The Understudy at Roundabout Theatre Company; and View of the Dome at New York Theatre Workshop. Other notable plays include Poor Behavior, What We’re Up Against, and Omnium Gatherum (co-written), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2013.


As an author, Rebeck has written three novels: Three Girls and Their Brother (Random House/Shaye Areheart Books, 2008), Twelve Rooms with A View (Random House/Shaye Areheart Books, 2010) and I’m Glad About You (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2016), along with Free Fire Zone, a book of comedic essays about writing and show business.


Rebeck made her NYC Directorial debut with Rob Ackerman’s play Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson at The Working Theatre and directed the World Premiere of her new play Dig at Primary Stages in NY and Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont. Her new podcast play, “Nightwatch” (starring Norbert Leo Butz), was released in 2023.


In television, Rebeck created the NBC showbiz drama “Smash,” and has written for “Canterbury’s Law,” “LA Law,” NYPD Blue,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Dream On,” Brooklyn Bridge,” and many more. Her produced feature films include the big-budget all-female spy thriller 355 (co-written with Simon Kinberg for Jessica Chastain’s production company); Trouble (writer/director), starring Angelica Huston and Bill Pullman; Harriet the Spy; Gossip and the independent features Sunday on the Rocks and Seducing Charlie Barker, an adaptation of her play, The Scene.


Theresa lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jess Lynn.

Robyn Goodman founded Aged In Wood Productions in 2000 and on Broadway has developed and produced Avenue Q (Tony Award 2004), In The Heights (Tony Award 2008), Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Drama Desk Award), Metamorphoses, (Drama Desk Award), Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo starring Robin Williams, Steel Magnolias; among several others. Off Broadway: Bat Boy, Altar Boyz, and Tick, Tick…Boom! by Jonathan Larson. She also Co-produced Marianne Elliot’s versions of Tony Kushner’s Angels In America (Tony Award 2018) and Company (Tony award) by Stephen Sondheim. For 4 years she was Supervising Producer of ABC’s One Life to Live. She was Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Second Stage Theater for the first 13 years and now is Artistic Consultant to the Roundabout Theater Company where she was Artistic Producer of the Underground Theater for emerging playwrights for the first 10 years.She continues to develop plays and musicals for NYC and London with Josh Fiedler her partner and Nicole Kramer. Currently we are Co-Producer of the Who’s TOMMY on Broadway.
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Interview with

Lynn Nottage

Playwright Lynn Nottage discusses her career with interviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli. She tells of her early years and education, how she came to write plays, and talks about what inspired her to create such works as Fabulation, Intimate apparel, Sweat, etc.

Interview with

 Tyne Daly

Tyne Daly discusses her career as an actor on stage and television with theater professional John V. Fahey. She talks about her family's theater background and her early experiences on stage, the 1989 revival of Gypsy.

Interview with

Carmen de Lavallade

Dancer, choreographer and actress Carmen de Lavallade discusses her life and career with Deborah Jowitt. She begins with her early years as a performer, and talks about her cousin Janet Collins, the first African American ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera, and the influence Collins had upon her.

Interview with

Billie Allen

Veteran actress and director Billie Allen discusses her early years with interviewer Phylicia Rashad. Topics include Allen's education and influences, how she came to theater as a dancer, her transition to acting, and her early experiences on stage and television.


Interview with Linda Winer


Award-Winning performer Lois Smith in conversation with drama critic Linda Winder. During the interview, Ms. Smith discussed her long and fulfilling career, her first job in the theatre (which just happened to be on Broadway), and the types of roles that she looks forward to taking on next.

Interview with

Laura Linney

Laura Linney discusses her stage and screen career with fellow actor James Naughton. Topics include her decision to pursue acting, her education at Juilliard, how she researches and prepares for a role, and her experiences on projects such as the film You can count on me, and the 2017 stage revival of The little foxes.

Interview with

Judith Light

Stage and television performer Judith Light discusses her life and career with director Leigh Silverman. Topics include her education, professional associates, early stage work, and transition to television for such programs as "One life to live" and "Who's the boss?" She also discusses recent stage appearances, "All the ways to say I love you," in which she was directed by Silverman.

Interview with

Bebe Neuwirth

Bebe Neuwirth discusses her career with journalist Patrick Pacheco. She talks about her early stage training, and her Broadway roles in such shows as A Chorus Line, Sweet Charity, and Chicago, and her work with colleagues such as Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse. She also discusses her regular role on the TV series Cheers, and takes questions from the audience.

The LPTW Professional Development and Heritage Programs are made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by Public Funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.