Elaine May

Elaine May was born April 21, 1932, in Philadelphia, PA. She was the daughter of Yiddish theatrical actor Jack Berlin and as a child occasionally performed on stage with him playing the roles of little boys. May later went on to study method acting under the tutelage of actress Maria Ouspenskaya before relocating to the Midwest to attend the University of Chicago. It was during her time at the University of Chicago that she first encountered fellow student Mike Nichols, harshly criticizing his performance in a production of MISS JULIE. They met again in 1955 while honing their improvisational skills at the Compass Theatre, a Chicago nightclub, where, along with Alan Arkin, Barbara Harris, and Paul Sills, they formed renowned improv group The Second City. In 1957, Nichols and May decided to take their own show on the road. Their highly literate and lightning-quick comic stylings earned the duo a position as darlings of the New York club scene. Over the next three years the team released their first LP, "Improvisations to Music," and performed together on stage, radio and television. However, it was in 1960 when their cerebral sketch comedy showcase, AN EVENING WITH NICHOLS AND MAY, opened on Broadway to rave reviews that the collaboration reached its high point. Despite the great success of the production Nichols and May delivered their last show in July 1961 before going their separate ways. After splitting with Nichols, May initially put her efforts into theatrical writing. In 1967, she returned to performing, appearing in the feature comedies "Luv" and "Enter Laughing." In 1969 she won a Drama Desk award for her one-act play ADAPTATION, which she also directed and which was performed Off-Broadway, double bill with Terrence McNally's NEXT. In 1971, May wrote, directed, and starred in the screwball comedy "A New Leaf," a project which defined her as one of the first women to establish a foothold in the mainstay of male Hollywood directors. In the same year, she penned the screenplay for "Such Good Friends." She next directed 1972's acclaimed comedy "The Heartbreak Kid," based on a screenplay by Neil Simon. A four-year gap followed before May resurfaced as the writer-director behind the comedy "Mikey and Nicky." In 1978, she appeared in the film "California Suite" and collaborated with Warren Beatty on the screenplay for "Heaven Can Wait," a remake of the 1941 film "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," which earned the two an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay. During the 1980s, May earned herself a reputation as a script doctor of uncompromising skill, leaving her mark on such screenplays as "Reds" (1981) and "Tootsie" (1982), before once again taking on the role of writer/director for 1987’s "Ishtar." Another long layoff followed, and apart from co-starring in the 1990 comedy "In the Spirit," she did not attempt to mount a comeback prior to writing 1996's "The Birdcage," which she adapted for her old partner, the now successful director Mike Nichols. May also wrote the screenplay for Nichols’ next project, a political satire,"Primary Colors." Other projects include the plays DEATH DEFYING ACTS, NOT ENOUGH ROPE, MR. GOGOL AND MR. PREEN, TALLER THAN A DWARF, SHORT TALKS ON THE UNIVERSE, and AFTER THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC.