David Blixt

David Blixt
Born (1973-07-12) July 12, 1973 (age 51)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
Website
www.davidblixt.com

David Blixt (born July 12, 1973, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American author, stage actor,[1][2][3][4] and director living in Chicago, Illinois.[5] Blixt currently serves as an Artistic Associate at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and is the MSF's resident Fight Director (Violence Designer).[6] He has directed several plays, including a 2004 production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).[7] Since 2011 he has been on the arts faculty of the Chicago High School for the Arts.[8] In 2012 he and Broadway veteran Rick Sordelet launched their own printing imprint Sordelet Ink, which focuses on publishing playscripts as well as some of Blixt's own works.

An authority on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, in 2014 Blixt and his wife Janice L Blixt were guests of the city of Verona, Italy for the launch of the Italian language edition of his novel The Master Of Verona.[9] He also collaborated on the script for filmmaker Anna Lerario's documentary about the life of Verona's prince, Cangrande della Scala.[10]

In 2017 his novel Her Majesty's Will, a comedy in which William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe foil a plot on Queen Elizabeth's life, was adapted for the stage by Robert Kauzlaric for Lifeline Theatre.[11]

In 2021 Blixt announced the discovery of eleven lost novels by journalist Nellie Bly, which he subsequently published as The Lost Novels Of Nellie Bly.[12]

Awards

  • Wilde Award for Best Actor-Comedy (2014, won for The Importance of Being Earnest)[13]
  • Wilde Award for Best Actor-Comedy (2019, won for Cyrano de Bergerac)[14]
  • Joseph Jefferson Award for Fight Choreography (2022, won with Christian Kelly-Sordelet for Athena)[15]
  • Nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Fight Choreography. (2015, for Macbeth at The Artistic Home,[16] 2018 for Her Majesty's Will at Lifeline Theatre,[17] 2023 for Witch at The Artistic Home[18])

Bibliography

The Adventures Of Nellie Bly

  • What Girls Are Good For: A Novel of Nellie Bly (2018) ISBN 978-1730978425
  • Charity Girl: A Nellie Bly Novelette (2020)
  • Clever Girl: A Nellie Bly Novella (2020)

Star-Cross'd Series

  1. The Master of Verona (2007)[19][20]
  2. Voice of the Falconer (2010)
  3. Fortune's Fool (2012)[21]
  4. The Prince's Doom (2014)
  5. Varnished Faces: Star-Cross'd Short Stories (2015)

Colossus Series

  1. Stone & Steel (2012)
  2. The Four Emperors (2013)
  3. Wail of the Fallen (TBA)
  4. The Hollow Triumph (TBA)

Will & Kit Series

  1. Her Majesty's Will (2012)

Anthologies

  • A Song Of War: A Novel Of Troy (2023)
  • We All Fall Down: Stories Of Plague And Resilience (2020)
  • A Sea Of Sorrow: A Novel Of Odysseus (2017)

Scripts

  • Eve of Ides (2012)

Non-fiction

  • Shakespeare's Secrets: Romeo & Juliet (2018)
  • Tomorrow & Tomorrow: Essays On Shakespeare's Macbeth (2012, with Janice L Blixt)
  • Fighting Words: A Combat Glossary (2016)

Editor

The Lost Novels Of Nellie Bly

  • The Mystery Of Central Park
  • Eva The Adventuress
  • New York By Night
  • Alta Lynn, M.D. (Introduction by Blixt, edited by Robert Kauzlaric)
  • Wayne's Faithful Sweetheart (Introduction by Blixt, edited by Robert Kauzlaric)
  • Little Luckie, or Playing For Hearts
  • In Love With A Stranger, or Through Fire And Water To Win Him
  • The Love Of Three Girls
  • Little Penny, Child Of The Streets (Introduction by Blixt, edited by Robert Kauzlaric)
  • Pretty Merribelle
  • Twins & Rivals

Other Nellie Bly Works

  • Into The Madhouse: The Complete Reporting Surrounding Nellie Bly's Expose of the Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum (2021)
  • Nellie Bly's World Vol 1: 1887–1888 (2021)
  • Nellie Bly's World Vol 2: 1889–1890 (2021)

References

  1. ^ "Stardust". May 26, 2005.
  2. ^ Weiss, Heddy (February 21, 2005). "Tedious sci-fi yarn 'Sirens' sags under its own weight". Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  3. ^ Redman, Bridgette M. (July 26, 2012). "Love Labors in a Most Raucous Manner". Between the Lines (subscription required). Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  4. ^ "Stars reunite for 20th anniversary 'Shrew' at Michigan Shakespeare Festival". June 13, 2017.
  5. ^ McKee, Jenn (July 21, 2014). "Ann Arbor native David Blixt to talk about his historical novels, his popularity in Verona and more at Nicola's Books". Mlive.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  6. ^ Weiss, Heddy (September 14, 2004). "Defiant says goodbye with graphic 'Orange'". Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  7. ^ Piatt, Christopher (December 11, 2004). "Roasting the Bard at medium-funny setting". Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  8. ^ "Faculty – the Chicago High School for the Arts".
  9. ^ "Biografia di David Blixt". May 5, 2014.
  10. ^ "Film documentario su Cangrande, il Principe di Verona". October 24, 2013.
  11. ^ "'Her Majesty's Will' is a heady, silly romp that works". Chicago Tribune. June 7, 2017.
  12. ^ "Almost 100 years after her death, Nellie Bly is back". February 2, 2021.
  13. ^ McKee, Jenn (September 23, 2014). "Local theater artists and companies earn 5 Wilde Awards". Mlive.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  14. ^ "Congratulations: The 2019–2020 Wilde Awards". November 6, 2020.
  15. ^ "2022 Jeff Equity Awards Nominees | The Joseph Jefferson Awards". www.jeffawards.org. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  16. ^ "Nominations announced for 2015 Equity Jeff Awards". August 21, 2015.
  17. ^ "Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Awards: Fight / Movement Direction".
  18. ^ https://www.jeffawards.org/non-equity-nominees
  19. ^ "THE MASTER OF VERONA (review)". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  20. ^ Wisniewski, Mary (November 4, 2007). "'Master' class; Chicago actor gives readers a delightfult romp through the backstory of 'Romeo & Juliet'". Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  21. ^ "Fortune's Fool (review)". Historical Novel Society. Retrieved December 18, 2014.