Nicky Silver

Nicky Silver is an American playwright. Formerly of Philadelphia, he resides in New York City.

As a teen, Silver attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York. He began writing after graduating from the New York University (NYU) Theatre program. Many of his early plays were originally produced off-off-Broadway at the Vortex Theatre in New York. Later, his plays premiered at off-Broadway venues such as the Vineyard Theatre and Playwrights Horizons. His plays Pterodactyls and Raised in Captivity received back-to-back Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Play in 1994 and 1995, respectively. Pterodactyls gained additional recognition in the media because the play was produced with large dinosaurs by sculptor Jim Gary in its sets.

In 2002, Mr. Silver wrote the new book for the Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical, The Boys from Syracuse.

Select original plays

• Three Changes
• Beautiful Child
• Fat Men in Skirts
• Pterodactyls
• Raised in Captivity
• The Altruists
• The Agony and the Agony
• The Food Chain
• The Maiden's Prayer
• Philip
• Roger and Miriam
• Claire
• Free Will and Wanton Lust

Critical Analysis

In the preface to his interview with Silver, David Savran locates Silver's work in the tradition of dark farce created by gay playwrights such as Oscar Wilde, Joe Orton, and Christopher Durang. Theatre scholar Jordan Schildcrout has noted the recurring theme of the prodigal son in Silver's plays, and sees Todd in Pterodactyls as a symbolic figure who challenges and subverts homophobic stereotypes of gay men as "evil."

Awards and honors

• (1994) - Pterodactyls - nominated for Outstanding Play by the Drama Desk Awards
• (1995) - Raised in Captivity - nominated for Outstanding Play by the Drama Desk Awards

External links

• Official website
• Nicky Silver at the Internet Movie Database
• Nicky Silver at the Internet Broadway Database
• Nicky Silver at the Internet Off-Broadway Database