The Pirates of Penzance



Universal Press Department
January 5, 1983


WILFORD LEACH


Wilford Leach directs the screen version of "The Pirates of Penzance" from his own screenplay. As principal director of the New York Shakespeare Festival, he directed the Broadway production and, for the Festival, he has also directed Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, All's Well That Ends Well as well as The Pirates of Penzance at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. At the Public Theatre, he has directed Marie and Bruce, The Mandrake, Mother Courage and Summer Evening.

His productions for Ellen Stewart's La Mama E.T.C., which included Carmilla and C.O.R.F.A.X. (Don't Ask), have played at every major European theatre festival as well as in New York.

A Virginian by birth, Wilford Leach has taught for many years at Sarah Lawrence, has received a Guggenheim as playwright, a National Endowment Fellowship as librettist, and two Obies, the Drama Desk Award, and a Tony as director.

Edward R. Pressman presents A Joseph Papp Production, "The Pirates of Penzance," starring Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, Linda Ronstadt, George Rose and Rex Smith. It is directed and has a screenplay by Wilford Leach, and Joseph Papp is the producer. A Universal Release, the executive producer is Edward R. Pressman, and the co-producer is Timothy Burrill.






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