Murray Schisgal

Murray Schisgal was an American playwright whose offbeat humor and surreal imagination brought a fresh voice to the Broadway stage in the 1960s. Born in New York City to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents, Schisgal served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before earning a law degree. However, the legal profession could not compete with his passion for storytelling, and he turned to writing plays.

Schisgal’s breakthrough came with* Luv* (1964), a biting comedy of romantic entanglements that earned multiple Tony Award nominations and ran for over 900 performances on Broadway. The play’s absurdist humor and sharp dialogue marked him as a distinctive new talent, drawing comparisons to European playwrights like Ionesco and Pinter.

He continued to explore unconventional themes in works such as The Tiger and Jimmy Shine, the latter starring a young Dustin Hoffman. His plays often examined love, loneliness, and the fragility of human connection, blending pathos with hilarity in equal measure.

Beyond theatre, Schisgal co-wrote the screenplay for the hit film Tootsie (1982), starring Dustin Hoffman, which received widespread acclaim and several Academy Award nominations. This foray into screenwriting further showcased his wit and ability to craft compelling character interactions.

Schisgal passed away in 2020 at the age of 93, celebrated as a playwright who brought both tenderness and absurdity to the American stage, leaving behind works that remain quirky, warm-hearted, and unmistakably his own.