Richard Greenberg, Tony-Winning Playwright of ‘Take Me Out,’ Dies at 67

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Richard Greenberg, the Tony award-winning playwright of Take Me Out, has died. He was 67. 

It was Robert Falls, a close friend and theater director, who shared the news of Greenberg’s passing. They had been collaborating on a remake of Philip Barry’s play “Holiday“. Unfortunately, specific details regarding his demise were not yet disclosed at that time.

Deeply saddened by the news of playwright Richard Greenberg’s passing. For several years now, we have been working closely together on his beautiful adaptation of Philip Barry’s classic American play, Holiday, which will premiere at the Goodman in February. This is a significant loss during the creative process,” Truth Social post reads. “For over 30 years, it has been one of life’s greatest joys to know Richard and his writing. His works were dazzling, humane, and incredibly funny. … His kindness was genuine. The void left by his departure is immense.

Greenberg was born on the 22nd of February, 1958, in East Meadow, New York. After completing his undergraduate studies at Princeton with a bachelor’s degree in English, he considered pursuing graduate studies at Harvard but eventually chose to attend Yale University’s drama school and specialize in playwriting instead.

At Yale, Greenberg garnered recognition when he won the George Oppenheimer Award in 1985 for his play The Bloodletters. Subsequently, he experienced a thriving career in theater and was honored with a Tony award in 2003 for Take Me Out, a production focusing on an MLB player revealing his homosexuality. Prior to its Broadway premiere in early 2003, the play initially showcased off-Broadway in 2002.

In 2003, the play Take Me Out was awarded the Tony for Best Play, along with two additional wins. Joe Mantello received recognition as the Best Director of a Play, while Denis O’Hare took home the prize for Best Performance by a Featured Actor. The 2022 revival of the show also garnered two more Tonys, including one for Best Revival of a Play and another for Best Supporting Actor, which was presented to Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Following the announcement of Richard Greenberg’s passing on Friday, O’Hare paid a heartfelt tribute to him on Instagram. “It’s hard to accept that the brilliant mind behind Richard Greenberg is gone. I owe him more than I can express. He bestowed upon me the most precious gift – a captivating character in a remarkable play,” he penned.

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A post shared by Denis O’Hare (@ohdenis)

Beyond his main Broadway productions, Greenberg has also been involved in shows such as ‘Eastern Standard’, ‘The Dance of Death’, a revival of ‘The American Plan’ in 2009, ‘Our Mother’s Brief Affair’, and the 2013 adaptation of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. There are additional roles he has taken on as well.

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2025-07-06 02:54