Cynthia Whitcomb Explained

Cynthia Whitcomb is an American television screenwriter and teacher. She has been nominated for numerous awards including the Emmy, the Edgar and the Humanitas Prize.[1]

Background

In 1969, Whitcomb graduated from Pasadena High School in Pasadena, California where she studied drama under Abel Franco. While she was a freshman at UCLA, Franco gave her one of her first professional writing assignments. She received $25 in advance and $25 upon completion to write, "Here," a spoof of the musical, Hair. However, the play was never produced due to censorship.[2]

Selected credits

Television

YearProductionNetworkNotes
1999Selma, Lord, SelmaABCAdaptation of the 1997 book by Sheyann Webb, Rachel West and Frank Sikora. Nominated for the Humanitas Prize
1991Mark Twain and MeDisney ChannelBased on the book by Dorothy Quick. Nominated for the Humanitas Prize
1989I Know My First Name Is StevenNBCWritten with J.P. Miller. Nominated for an Emmy Award
1983Jane DoeCBSWritten with Walter Halsey Davis. Nominated for an Edgar Award
1981Leave 'em LaughingCBSCredited as Cynthia Mandelberg and written with Peggy Chantler Dick. Nominated for the Humanitas Prize

Theatre

YearProductionTheatreNotes
1982Looking-GlassEntermedia TheatreCredited as Cynthia Mandelberg and written with Michael Sutton
2023The Ghost of David BelascoLakewood Theatre (Lake Oswego, OR)A farce in the vein of Noises Off and The Play That Goes Wrong

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: An interview with Cynthia Whitcomb . Debra . Stone . The Screenplayers:Writing Tomorrow's Films . https://web.archive.org/web/20120425071948/http://www.screenplayers.net/cwhitcomb.html . 2012-04-25 . dead . 2011-10-16 . She has sold more than 70 feature-length screenplays, 25 of which have been filmed. Her scripts have won and been nominated for many awards including the Emmy, Humanitas and Writers Guild of America Awards. .
  2. News: 'Franco's Kids' Pay Tribute . Beverly . Beyette . Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California . 1988-01-04 . After 26 years as drama teacher at Pasadena High, Franco was retiring to devote full time to acting and writing. For three months, his one-time pupils had planned this tribute, a party Saturday night at the Bel-Air home of scriptwriter Cynthia Whitcomb (class of '69). .