Anton Piatigorsky (born 24 February 1972) is an American Canadian writer of plays, fiction and librettos[1]. He is known primarily as a playwright.
Life and Education
editAnton Piatigorsky was born in Washington, D.C. to Joram Piatigorsky and Lona Shepley[1]. He grew up with older brother named Auran[1]. In high school, Piatigorsky began acting and writing plays[2]. He continued his study of theatre and became interested in religion at Brown University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies[3]. In 1998 Piatigorsky married Ava Roth, and one year later, they gave birth to their son Sivan Piatigorsky-Roth[4]. Piatigorsky now lives in Toronto, Canada, and teaches an upper-level course in Research and Creative Writing at McMaster University[5]. He holds dual American and Canadian citizenship[3].
Career
editMost of Piatigorsky's work is inspired by historical-political events, cultural traditions, and religion, specifically those related to Judaism[6]. His writing has been called "provocative" by more than one source[7][8]. Piatigorsky has said that his work is inspired by avant-garde novelist Samuel Beckett and fantasy fiction writer China Miéville[2]: two writers who are well-known for challenging normative beliefs in their work.
Throughout his career, Piatigorksy has received several writing awards and distinctions across all three genres he specializes in, and his plays and librettos have been produced internationally[3].
Plays
editPiatigorsky is the recipient of the Summerworks prize, two Dora Mavor Moore awards for best play, and nominations for the Floyd S. Chalmers award [3][7]. His play Eternal Hydra, one of the Dora Mavor Moore winners, was commissioned to premiere at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre in 2002 and has since received commissions from Soulpepper Theatre, Crow's Theatre and Factory Theatre[5]. In 2005, John Mighton selected Piatigorsky to be the protégé recipient of the Elinore & Lou Siminovitch Prize[7].
| Productions | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| The Kabbalistic Psychoanalysis of Adam R. Tzaddik | 1998, 2000 |
| Easy Lenny Lazmon and the Great Western Ascension | 1999 |
| Mysterium Tremendum | 1999 |
| Eternal Hydra | 2002, 2011, 2012 |
| Breath in Between | 2012 |
| Adaptation of S. Anksy's The Dybbuk | 2015 |
| Publications | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Lenny Lazmon and the Great Western Ascension | Playwrights Canada Press | 2000 |
| The Kabbalistic Psychoanalysis of Adam R. Tzaddik & The Offering (two plays) | Playwrights Canada Press | 2001 |
| Eternal Hydra | Coach House Books | 2009 |
Librettos
editPiatigorsky worked with music composer Brian Current to write two chamber operas, Airline Icarus and Inventory[2]. The operas were performed at the VOX festival in New York City. Current and Piatigorsky's wives attended high school together, and the pair met as their wives reconnected their high school friendship[6]. At the time, Piatigorsky had just completed a poem about air travel and Current had read about an airplane crash in the newspaper. The coincidental combination of these events began the production of Airline Icarus[6]. Airline Icarus won the Italian Primo Fedora award in 2011 and a Juno award in 2015 [3].
Fiction
editMost recently, Piatigorsky has become a fiction writer. He authored a collection of short stories titled The Iron Bridge, which was published by Goose Lane Editions in Canada in 2012 and Steerforth Press in the United States in 2013[9]. It was named runner-up for the Danuta Gleed Literary award[10]. His first novel, Al-Tounsi, is set to be published by Ankerwycke Books in February 2017[11].
References
edit- ^ a b c "Information about Joram Piatigorsky". Genealogy.com. Retrieved November 9 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b c Halpe, Aparna (May 29 2015). "Anton Piatigorsky in Conversation with Aparna Halpe". Plays to See. Retrieved November 9 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e "Biography". Anton Piatigorsky. Retrieved November 9 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Information about Anton Piatigorsky". Genealogy.com. Retrieved November 13 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b "Anton Piatigorsky". McMaster University. Retrieved November 9 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b c "Q&A with Anton Piatigorsky". Soundstreams. Soundstreams. December 10 2013. Retrieved November 24 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Eternal Hydra". Touchstone Theatre. Retrieved November 13 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (August 14 2012). "On Freedom of Choice and an Age of Consent". Globe and Mail. Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 13 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ^ "Books". Anton Piatigorsky. Retrieved November 13 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Winners announced for the 2012 Danuta Gleed Literary award". The Writers' Union of Canada. June 11 2013. Retrieved November 9 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ^ Piatigorksy, Anton (April 18 2016). "Al-Tounsi, a novel, to be published by Ankerwycke in February 2017". Anton Piatigorsky. Retrieved November 13 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help)
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