Hamilton, Kelly 1945-

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HAMILTON, Kelly 1945-

PERSONAL:

Born July 5, 1945, in San Francisco, CA; son of Francis Kennedy (a journalist) and Doris Lillian (Carlson) Hamilton. Education: Attended College of San Mateo, 1963-65; attended University of California, 1976-69.

ADDRESSES:

Home—19 Christopher St., New York, NY 10014.

CAREER:

Playwright, composer, lyricist.

MEMBER:

Dramatists Guild.

AWARDS, HONORS:

David B. Marshall Award, 1978, for Saga; Joseph Jefferson Award, 1978, for Dance on a Country Grave.

WRITINGS:

PLAYS

Surprise, Alcazar (San Francisco, CA), 1977.

Dance on a Country Grave, produced in Chicago, IL, 1977.

Saga, Wonderhorse (New York, NY), 1979.

Trixie True, Teen Detective, Theatre de Lys (New York, NY), 1980.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kelly Hamilton began writing and producing musicals in the San Francisco Bay area while he was still in college, basing most of his projects on classic works by authors such as Hawthorne or the Brontës. Surprise, based on Moliere's Tartuffe, was his first major success. Dance on a Country Grave, is a musical dramatization of Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native. It premiered in Chicago to critical acclaim. A New York production followed, starring Kevin Kline and Donna Theodore. It has become a staple in regional theatres.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, Volume 1, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1984.

PERIODICALS

Dance Magazine, April 1981, review of Trixie True, Teen Detective, p. 120.

Variety, December 10, 1980, review of Trixie True, Teen Detective, p. 110.*

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Hamilton, Kelly 1945-

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