A.R. Gurney, Prolific Playwright of Love Letters & Sylvia, Has Died

A.R. Gurney, the iconic playwright whose works included The Dining Room, The Cocktail Hour, Sylvia and the Pulitzer finalist Love Letters, died on June 13 at age 86.

Born on November 1, 1930 in Buffalo New York as Albert Ramsdell Gurney Jr., the scribe who was often referred to as "Pete" attended Williams College followed by the Yale School of Drama and began teaching followed by playwriting.

Gurney was known for works focused around upper-class WASP life in modern America. He made his off-Broadway debut in 1968 with The David Show at the Players Theatre. This was followed by an extensive career spanning nearly 30 off-Broadway credits.

His other off-Broadway works included Who Killed Richard Cory? (1976), The Dining Room (1982), The Cocktail Hour (1988), Later Life (1993), Far East (1999), The Fourth Wall (2002) and Black Tie (2011). Gurney made his Broadway debut with The Golden Age (1984), which was followed by a Broadway mounting of his play Sweet Sue (1987).

Gurney's play Love Letters—perhaps his most known—was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The work opened at the Promenade Theatre in 1989 and transferred to Broadway. The two-character work, typically staged as a reading with a desk and two chairs, has remained a staple of theaters around the U.S. and across the world. Love Letters received a Broadway revival in 2014. 

Gurney's 1995 off-Broadway play Sylvia first appeared on Broadway in 2015. In an interview about the play with Broadway.com, Gurney spoke about how his writing inspirations have changed since his career began. "I always write about where I am," said Gurney. "I wrote plays about falling in love and how to deal with kids. When my kids started to leave the nest, I wrote plays about that. I try to write as much as I can about my own experiences."

Gurney is survived by his wife, Mary Goodyear; their four children, George, Amy, Evelyn and Benjamin; his sister Evelyn, his brother Steven and eight grandchildren.