{{short description|American playwright and director}} {{infobox writer |image = 20250818 01-MAT 02-Edward Einhorn.jpg |name=Edward Einhorn |birth_date={{birth date and age|1970|9|6}} |birth_place=[[Westfield, New Jersey]], U.S. |occupation={{flatlist| *Playwright *theater director *novelist }} |nationality=American |alma_mater=[[Westfield High School (New Jersey)|Westfield High School]]<br>[[Johns Hopkins University]]<br>[[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]] |website={{URL|https://www.edwardeinhorn.com}} }} '''Edward Einhorn''' (born September 6, 1970) is an American playwright, theater director, and novelist.
== Early life, education and career == A native of [[Westfield, New Jersey]], Einhorn graduated from [[Westfield High School (New Jersey)|Westfield High School]], where he was an editor of the student newspaper ''[[Hi's Eye]]''. He attended [[Johns Hopkins University]], and he has a MA in Opera Writing from the [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]]. In 1992, he cofounded the Untitled Theater Company No. 61 in New York with his older brother, David. He curated the Ionesco Festival in 2001 ([[Eugène Ionesco]]'s complete works) and the Havel Festival in 2006 ([[Václav Havel]]'s complete works). He currently also serves as the artistic director of the Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival, honoring [[Václav Havel]].<ref>[https://www.rehearsalfortruth.org/ Rehearsal for Truth Festival website]</ref>
== As a playwright == As a playwright, Einhorn became known for his absurd comic style. One of his best-known plays is ''The Marriage of Alice B. Toklas by [[Gertrude Stein]]'',<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/theater/review-love-genius-and-the-marriage-of-alice-b-toklas-by-gertrude-stein.html?_r=0 New York Times review, ''The Marriage of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein'']</ref> a farce set at a fantasy marriage between Stein and Toklas. The show received a Critic's Pick from Jesse Green, then co-chief reviewer of ''[[The New York Times]]'' for its production at [[HERE Arts Center|HERE Arts]]. It was also produced [[Off West End|Off-West End]] at the [[Jermyn Street Theatre]].<ref>[https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/the-marriage-of-alice-b-toklas/ Jermyn Street Theatre production of ''The Marriage of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein'']</ref> at His other works include dramas on Jewish legends<ref>Edward Einhorn, ''The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock: Plays by Edward Einhorn'', New York, Theater 61 Press, 2005.</ref> and a series of plays on neurological and neuroscientific topics — ''The Neurology of the Soul'' (on [[neuromarketing]]),<ref>[https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/illusion-chasers/the-neurology-of-the-soul-on-valentines-day/ Scientific American review, ''The Neurology of the Soul'', February 13, 2019]</ref> ''The Boy Who Wanted to be a Robot'' (on [[Asperger syndrome]]), ''The Taste of Blue'', (on [[synesthesia]]), ''Strangers'' (on [[Korsakoff syndrome]]), and ''Linguish'' (on [[aphasia]]). He adapted ''[[Lysistrata]]'' and ''[[Iphigenia in Aulis]]'' for modern audiences.<ref>[http://www.lysistratascript.com Script of Lysistrata]</ref> In 2023, his play ''The Shylock and the Shakespeareans'', a darkly humorous retelling of ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'', was produced at [[New Ohio Theatre|The New Ohio Theatre]] and received a rave review from [[Yair Rosenberg]] in ''[[The Atlantic]]''.<ref>[https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/deep-shtetl/64823a17c3200400372e7e8e/shakespeare-merchant-of-venice-anti-semitism/?_r=0 The Atlantic review, ''The Shylock and the Shakespeareans'']</ref>
Adaptations include ''[[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]];<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/theater/04android.html New York Times Review, ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'']</ref>'' [[The Left Hand of Darkness]]''<ref>[https://chicagoreader.com/performing-arts/theater/theater-review/sex-sci-fi-ibsen-and-more ''Chicago Reader'' review, ''The Left Hand of Darkness'']</ref> and '' [[The Lathe of Heaven]]'', both by [[Ursula Le Guin]]; ''[[The Iron Heel]]'', by [[Jack London]];<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/01/theater/review-the-iron-heel-reworks-a-jack-london-dystopia.html|title=Review: 'The Iron Heel' Reworks a Jack London Dystopia|first=Elisabeth|last=Vincentelli|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> and [[City of Glass (Paul Auster book)|''City of Glass'']], by [[Paul Auster]]. He also translated and adapted [[Václav Havel]]'s final play, ''[[The Pig, or Václav Havel's Hunt for a Pig]]'',<ref>[http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-off-off-broadway/the-pig-or-vaclav-havel-s-hunt-for-a-pig-1005260552.story Backstage review, ''The Pig'']</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/theater/the-pig-or-vaclav-havels-hunt-for-a-pig-a-wry-czech-tale.html ''New York Times'' review, ''The Pig'']</ref> as well as translating Havel's one-act, ''[[Ela, Hela, and the Hitch]]''.<ref>[http://www.theater61press.com ''Theater 61 Press'']</ref> He also turned the existing fragments of ''Exagoge'' by [[Ezekiel the Tragedian]] into a play/opera/immersive Passover seder.<ref>Chava Pearl Lansky [https://www.jta.org/2024/05/03/ny/the-worlds-oldest-jewish-play-inspires-a-new-immersive-production The world’s oldest Jewish play inspires a new, immersive production]. JTA. May 3, 2024.</ref>
== As a novelist == Einhorn has written two [[Land of Oz|Oz]] novels, ''[[Paradox in Oz]]''<ref>Edward Einhorn, ''Paradox in Oz'', San Diego, [[Hungry Tiger Press]], 1999.</ref> and ''The Living House of Oz,'' both illustrated by [[Eric Shanower]].<ref>Edward Einhorn, ''The Living House of Oz'', San Diego, Hungry Tiger Press, 2005.</ref> He has written two picture books on mathematical subjects for young readers: ''A Very Improbable Story'',<ref>Edward Einhorn, ''A Very Improbable Story,'' Watertown, MA, Charlesbridge Press, 2008.</ref> on the subject of [[probability]], and ''Fractions in Disguise'', on the subject of [[fractions]].<ref>[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/edward-einhorn/fractions-in-disguise/ ''Kirkus'' review]</ref> A number of his plays have also been published,<ref>[http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/oct_11.htm Midwest book review, ''Playing Dreidel'']</ref> including a graphic novel adaptation of ''Iphigenia in Aulis'', with art by [[Eric Shanower]], from [[Image Comics]].<ref>[https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/iphigenia-in-aulis-the-age-of-bronze-edition-tp Image Comics ''Iphigenia in Aulis'' page]</ref>
== Podcasts == In 2020, his podcast ''The Resistible Rise of [[J. R. Brinkley]]'' was released, a four-part audio drama about the quack doctor turned politician, hosted by [[Dan Butler]].<ref>[https://setthetape.com/2021/01/01/the-resistible-rise-of-j-r-brinkley-audio-drama-review/ Set the Tape review, ''The Resistible Rise of J. R. Brinkley'']</ref>
In 2021, his podcast ''[[The Iron Heel]]'' was released, a three-part audio drama adaptation of the book by [[Jack London]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/the-iron-heel.html |title=UTC61 website |access-date=2021-04-30 |archive-date=2021-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430150356/http://www.untitledtheater.com/previous-productions/the-iron-heel.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== As a theater director == While working with Untitled Theater Company No. 61, he directed [[T. S. Eliot]]'s ''Sweeney Agonistes'', [[Eugène Ionesco]]'s ''[[The Bald Soprano]]'', and [[Richard Foreman]]'s ''My Head Was a Sledgehammer'', among other works. [[Off-Broadway]], he directed ''Fairy Tales of the Absurd'', a trilogy of one-act plays, two by Ionesco and one (''One Head Too Many'') by himself.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/18/theater/theater-review-lunar-voyage-on-wings-of-whimsy.html New York Times review, ''Fairy Tales of the Absurd'']</ref>
In 2014 and 2015, he created and directed the show ''Money Lab'', an economic vaudeville, produced at [[HERE Arts Center]] in Manhattan and [[The Brick]] in Brooklyn.<ref>[http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-08-14/theater/money-lab-a-vaudevillian-social-experiment-proves-the-value-of-art/full/ ''Village Voice'' review, Money Lab]</ref><ref>[http://blogcritics.org/theater-review-nyc-money-lab-conceived-and-curated-by-edward-einhorn/, blogcritics review, Money Lab]</ref>
In 2022, he directed a film of ''The Last Cyclist'' written in [[Terezín]] ([[Theresienstadt Ghetto]]) by [[Karel Švenk]] and reconstructed by Naomi Patz, which was originally staged at [[La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club]] and was broadcast on [[WNET]] Channel 13, a [[PBS]] affiliate, as part of Theater Close Up.<ref>[http://www.thelastcyclist.com ''The Last Cyclist'' website]</ref><ref>[https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-lost-comedy-cabaret-from-the-terezin-ghetto-is-reconstructed-and-finally-staged Article about ''The Last Cyclist'' in ''The Times of Israel'']</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.edwardeinhorn.com Edward Einhorn's website] * [http://www.untitledtheater.com Untitled Theater Company #61] * {{ISFDB name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Einhorn, Edward}} [[Category:1970 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century American novelists]] [[Category:Jewish American novelists]] [[Category:Jewish American dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:Novelists from New Jersey]] [[Category:Czech–English translators]] [[Category:21st-century American novelists]] [[Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:20th-century American translators]] [[Category:21st-century American translators]] [[Category:American male novelists]] [[Category:American male dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:20th-century American male writers]] [[Category:21st-century American male writers]] [[Category:Westfield High School (New Jersey) alumni]] [[Category:People from Westfield, New Jersey]] [[Category:21st-century American Jews]] [[Category:Writers from Union County, New Jersey]]