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Seth Zvi Rosenfeld

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Seth Zvi Rosenfeld
Born (1961-11-16) November 16, 1961 (age 63)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Playwright, screenwriter, director
Years active1985–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 2001)​

Seth Zvi Rosenfeld is an American playwright, screenwriter and director whose work often deals with the collision of cultures in urban environments. Early on in his career, Rosenfeld broke fresh ground by incorporating hip hop culture into his theatre works like Writing on the Wall (1985).[1] This caught the attention of hip hop pioneer Russell Simmons, Andre Harrell, and producer George Jackson who opened the doors for much of Rosenfeld's early work.

His plays, films and teleplays have been performed and broadcast all over the world. He has taught Screenwriting and the History of Urban Film at Columbia University's MFA Film School.[2] He is a member of the Dramatist's Guild.

Early life

Rosenfeld was born in New York City and was raised between the Bronx and Manhattan. His early interests included graffiti, poetry, and basketball, all of which figure prominently in Rosenfeld's work.[3]

Career

Theatre

Rosenfeld began his career as a playwright with the Ensemble Studio Theatre and the now defunct Double Image and Angel Theatre companies. His first project was the play entitled The Writing on the Wall (1985), produced by the Westbeth Theatre Center and for which New Line Cinema purchased the rights.[4] Other plays include The Blackeyed Brothers, which won the Samuel French short play award and was produced by Double Image Theatre;[5][6] A Brother's Kiss (1988) and After the Marching Stopped (1988), produced by Angel Theatre at Intar and retitled Brothers Mothers and Others; Servy-n-Bernice 4ever (1991), directed by Terry Kinney and produced commercially Off-Broadway at the Provincetown Playhouse; A Passover Story, commissioned by the late Joseph Papp for The Public Theater; The Flatted Fifth (1997) and Everything is Turning Into Beautiful (2006) produced by The New Group; and the tiny plays La Familia (1997), My Starship, and PS: I'm glad you sent your hair for Naked Angels[7] and the Hip-Hop Theatre festival. Many of his plays have been published by Samuel French.[8] In 2011, his play Handball was produced by New York Stage and Film and was featured in their 2011 Powerhouse Theatre Workshop. Currently, his musical-play Super Fly is being directed by Bill T. Jones and produced by Tommy Mottola and The Dodgers, aiming for Broadway in 2013.[9] He is a member of the New York Playwright's Lab.[10]

Film

His directorial debut, A Brother's Kiss (1997), was based on the Off-Broadway play he wrote in 1988 and tells a gritty tale of sibling love and loyalty set in East Harlem. Reviews praised the performances and attributed Rosenfeld's upbringing and knowledge with the language of the streets as creating "a realistic sense of street life with hardly a false note."[11] His films have appeared in many national and international festivals including Venice and Deauville. He was invited to participate in the Sundance Institutes Writers and Directors labs. His award-winning short Under the Bridge (1995) ran for several years on BRAVO.[12] He wrote the feature film Sunset Park (1996) for Jersey Films/TriStar[13] and has worked extensively as a writer and script doctor in film and television for most of the major studios.[14][15] In 2000, Rosenfeld wrote and directed King of the Jungle starring John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez.[16] Rosenfeld is currently adapting the book The Wrecking Crew for screen with Artie Nelson. It is to star Philip Seymour Hoffman and Indian Paintbrush is attached to produce.

Television

In 2001, Rosenfeld directed ten episodes of an internet series called We Deliver (2001), partnered with Geebee Dajani, which followed the travails of a marijuana delivery service. This project was an early pioneer using the internet as a delivery platform for episodic dramas.[17] Rosenfeld just completed work as a Writer/Producer on the second season of HBO's comedy How to Make it in America (2010).[18] He has developed TV shows for Fox, A&E, FX, HBO, SHOWTIME, The CW and CBS. He wrote and Executive Produced with Danny Hoch the HBO pilot Wyclef Jean in America starring Wyclef Jean and featuring Mary J. Blige. Rosenfeld wrote and directed "The Listener", executive produced by Jonathan Demme as a segment for his award-winning film Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground for HBO.

Filmography

Writer

Under the Bridge (1995) (short)

Sunset Park (film) (1996)

A Brother's Kiss (1997)

"The Listeners" from Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (1997)

King of the Jungle (2000)

Wyclef Jean in America (2006)

How to Make it in America (2010)

Director

Under the Bridge (1995) (short)

A Brother's Kiss (1997)

"The Listeners" from Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (1997)

King of the Jungle (2000)

We Deliver (2001)

Producer

Under the Bridge (1995) (short)

References

  1. ^ Hamill, Denis, "Direct Route From The City With Gritty `Brother's Kiss,' Zvi Rosenfeld Proves That Mean Streets Can Lead To Powerful Career", NY Daily News, May 4, 1997
  2. ^ "Columbia University School of the Arts 2009–2010 Film Program Book"
  3. ^ Hamill, Denis, "Direct Route From The City With Gritty `Brother's Kiss,' Zvi Rosenfeld Proves That Mean Streets Can Lead To Powerful Career", NY Daily News, May 4, 1997
  4. ^ Hamill, Denis, "Direct Route From The City With Gritty `Brother's Kiss,' Zvi Rosenfeld Proves That Mean Streets Can Lead To Powerful Career", NY Daily News, May 4, 1997
  5. ^ "Seth Zvi Rosenfeld Bio and Play Details"
  6. ^ Hamill, Denis, "Direct Route From The City With Gritty `Brother's Kiss,' Zvi Rosenfeld Proves That Mean Streets Can Lead To Powerful Career", NY Daily News, May 4, 1997
  7. ^ NAKED ANGELS: The Democracy Project 10 September 2004
  8. ^ New York Public Library Listing: Servy-n-Bernice 4Ever
  9. ^ "Vassar & New York Stage and Film announce complete casting for Inside Look play workshops at Powerhouse Theater this summer."
  10. ^ "'Brother's' A Keeper Strong Performances Give 'Kiss' Its Passion"
  11. ^ Dominguez, Robert, "'Brother's' A Keeper Strong Performances Give 'Kiss' Its Passion", NY Daily News, April 25, 1997
  12. ^ "Seth Zvi Rosenfeld Bio and Play Details"
  13. ^ Klady, Leonard, "Sunet Park", Variety, 22 April 1996.
  14. ^ "Seth Zvi Rosenfeld Bio and Play Details"
  15. ^ Witchell, Alex, "On Stage, and Off", New York Times, 13 September 1991.
  16. ^ FILM REVIEW; Toughen Up, Little Guy, But Not Too Tough Mitchell, Elvis, 9 November 2001, New York Times.
  17. ^ TRICKY'S ON HIS WAY WITH HIS ATTACHE: sputnik7 and Palm Pictures Make Money From Selling Pot Eddy Moretti, March 2001. Interview, Vice Magazine
  18. ^ "Vassar & New York Stage and Film announce complete casting for Inside Look play workshops at Powerhouse Theater this summer."
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