Richard Foreman was born in New York in 1937. He grew up in Scarsdale, New York. Throughout his youth, Foreman attended plays with his family and participated in theater productions as an actor and set designer. Although Foreman did some acting while in college at Brown University, his orientation shifted toward the creative control offered by playwriting. Foreman received his degree from Brown in 1959 and graduated from Yale Drama School with an MFA in playwriting in 1962.

Foreman founded the Ontological-Hysteric Theater in 1968. Performances initially took place at Jonas Mekas' Filmmakers Cinemateque located at 80 Wooster St. before the non-profit theater found its first home at 491 Broadway in the 1970s and early 1980s. In the late 1980s the Ontological-Hysteric Theater uprooted itself, staging productions at several locations including La Mama, the Performing Garage, the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Theater for the New City. In 1992 the Ontological-Hysteric Theater settled at St Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery. The non-profit organization has flourished in part due to grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. In the early 1980s the Ontological-Hysteric Theater expanded internationally, setting up a branch in Paris. The French government funds this branch.

The Ontological Hysteric Theater provided a space for experimentation. Drawing upon underground film of the 1960s, Foreman developed a theatrical style devoted to "stripping the theater bare of everything but the singular and essential impulse to stage the static tension of interpersonal relations in space" (www.ontological.com). This approach emphasizes multiple levels of visceral experience, auditory and visual artistry, philosophy and psychoanalysis while minimizing the importance of plot conventions. Some of his most critically acclaimed work in this style includes "Rhoda in Potatoland (Her Fall-Starts)", "The Cure", "Film Is Evil: Radio Is Good" and "Eddie Goes to Poetry City."

Kate Manheim became a key figure in Foreman's work very early in the establishment of the Ontological Hysteric Theater. She first appeared in "Hotel China" in 1972. Though she did not play Rhoda in this production, she quickly became the iconic Rhoda. Manheim's creative daring as an actress enabled Foreman to push the limits of his theatrical approach. Manheim also influenced the content of Foreman's work, for example the "Film is Evil: Radio is Good" was especially shaped by Manheim's contributions.

Although Foreman is well known for his work as playwright and director of his own plays, he is also well regarded for collaborative work with other artists, theater direction as well as film and video projects. His collaboration with Stanley Silverman resulted in eight musical theater productions including "Elephant Steps" and "Dr Selavy's Magic Theater". He also directed new plays including Susan-Lori Parks' The Public Theater production of "Venus" and Kathy Acker's plays "Birth of the Poet" and "My Death, My Life by Pier Paolo Pasolini". His directorial work also includes Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera", Vaclav Havel's "The Golem", Moliere's "Don Juan", and Gertrude Stein's "Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights" among other productions. Additionally, Foreman developed film and video projects. These include the video work "City Archives", the film "Strong Medicine", and the television play "Total Rain".

Finally, Foreman's creative endeavors include a substantial body of writing including a novel, No Body and numerous critical essays. Foreman's plays are collected in several anthologies including Plays and Manifestos (1976), Reverbertation Machines (1985), Unbalancing Acts (1992), My Head was a Sledgehammer (1995), and Paradise Hotel (2001). In addition, Foreman's work is the subject of numerous reviews, articles, dissertations and books by scholars and critical authors.

Foreman has staged his productions widely throughout the world. In the United States his work has been staged at venues including the Ontological Hysteric Theater, Lincoln Center, Yale Repertory Theater, Hartford Stage Company, the Other Stage, Performing Garage, La Mama, the Public Theater, Lennox MA Art Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Cinematheque and The New York Shakespeare Festival. Other art venues throughout the United States include the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN; New City Theater in Seattle, WA; the University of California, San Diego; and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN. Finally, Foreman's work enjoys a great deal of success internationally. His productions have been staged at Festival d'Atomne, Paris; Teatro di Roma, Italy; Wiener Festochen, Zurich and Vienna; Vienna Festival; Singapore Arts Festival; Theater das Welt Berlin; Montreal Festival; Meltdown Festival, London; Opera de Lille, Paris; Theater Aurora, Stockhom; and the Ro Theater, Rotterdam.

In 2006 Foreman made a concerted break from his usual mode of theater and began "a series of performances dominated by projected tableaux vivants against which live actors appear and disappear" (Zomboid program notes). He continues these Film/Performance projects at the Ontological Hysteric Theater.

The Ontological-Hysteric Theater promotes theater and performance geared toward "unsettling perception and disorienting understanding" (www.ontological.com). It achieves this mission through Richard Foreman's annual productions as well as cultivating the work of emerging artists. To this end, Richard Foreman makes his notebooks, the raw material of his plays, available for other artists to use as inspiration and source material for their own work. The Ontological Hysteric Theater also programs workshops and stages productions of emerging artists' work.

Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of France (2004)

PEN/Laura Pels Master American Playwright Award (2001)

MacArthur Fellowship (1995-2000)

Edwin Booth Award for Theatrical Achievement (1996)

NEA Playwriting Fellowship (1992, 1995)

Honorary Doctorate, Brown University (1993)

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award in Literature (1992)

NEA Distinguished Artist Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in Theater (1990)

Ford Foundation play development grant for "Eddie Goes to Poetry City" (1990)

Rockefeller Foundation Playwrights Grant (1974)

Guggenheim for Playwriting (1972)

9 Village Voice OBIES

Zomboid! Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City, January 2006.

The Gods Are Pounding My Head! AKA Lumberjack Messiah Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 2005.

King Cowboy Rufus Rules the Universe Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 2004.

Panic! (How to be Happy) Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City; Wiener Festwochen, Zurich and Vienna: 2003

Maria Del Bosco Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City; Singapore Arts Festival: 2003.

Now That Communism is Dead, My Life Feels Empty Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City; Vienna Festival: 2001.

Bad Boy Nietzsche Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City. Toured to Brussels, Berlin and Tokyo: 2000.

Paradise Hotel (Hotel Fuck) Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City; Theater das Welt, Berlin. Toured to Paris, Copenhagen, Salzburg and Berlin: 1998.

Benita Canova Ontological Hysteric Theater. New York City: 1997.

Pearls for Pigs Hartford Stage Company, Hartford CT; Montreal Festival; Festival d'Automne, Paris; Tribeca Arts Center, New York City; Freund Playhouse: 1997.

Permanent Brain Damage Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City; Meltdown Festival, London: 1996.

The Universe Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1996.

I've Got the Shakes Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1995.

My Head was a Sledgehammer Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1994.

Samuel's Major Problems Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1993.

The Mind King Ontological Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1992.

Eddie Goes to Poetry City, Part 2 La Mama Experimental Theater Club, New York City: 1991.

Eddie Goes to Poetry City, Part 1 New City Theater, Seattle WA: 1990.

Love and Science (libretto)Music Theater Group, New York City: 1990

Total Rain (television play) The Kitchen, New York City: 1990.

Lava Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1989

What Did He See? Public Theater, New York City: 1988

Symphony of Rats Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1988

Love and Science (play version). Theater Aurora, Stockholm Sweden: 1987.

Film Is Evil: Radio Is Good Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1987.

The Cure Performing Garage, New York City: 1986.

Africanus-Instructus, collaboration with Stanley Silverman. Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York Ciyt: 1986.

Miss Universal Happiness Performing Garage, New York City: 1985.

Dr. Selavy's Magic Theater (Opera) Music Theater Group, New York City: 1984.

George Bataille's Bathrobe Festuvak d'Automne, Paris France: 1983.

American Imagination Music Theater Group, New York City: 1983.

Egyptology The Other Stage, New York City: 1983.

Cafe Amerique Festival d'Automne, Paris France: 1981.

Penguin Touquet Public Theater, New York City: 1981.

Madame Adare New York City Opera, New York City: 1980.

Luogo+Bersaglio (Place plus Target) Teatro di Roma, Rome Italy: 1979.

Madness and Tranquility New York City: 1979.

Strong Medicine (feature film). Premiered at Film Forum, New York City: 1979.

Blv'd de Paris:I've got the shakes Ontological Hysteric Theater, NEw York City: 1977.

City Archives (video play). Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis MN: 1977.

Book of Splendors: Part II (Book of Levers) Ontological Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1977.

Book of Splendors, Part I Festival d'Automne, Paris france: 1976.

Rhoda in Potatoland (Her Fall Starts) Ontological Hysteric Theater, New York City 1975

Pandering to the Masses Ontologicla-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1975

Hotel for Criminals (opera). Music Theater Group, New York City: 1975.

Pain(T) Ontological Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1974.

Vertical Mobility Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City: 1974.

Sophia=Wisdom Theater for the New Icty: New York, 1974.

Classical Therapy: or, A Week under the Influence Festival d'Automne, Pairs France: 1973.

Particle Theory Theater for the New City, New York City: 1973.

Sophia=The Cliffs Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York City 1972.

Evidence Theater for the New City: New York City, 1972.

Dr. Selavy's Magic Theater music by Stanley Silverman. Lennox Arts Center, Lennox MA: 1972.

Hotel China Filmmakers Cinematheque, New York City: 1972.

Dream Tantras for Western Massachusetts Lenox Arts Center, Lenox MA: 1971.

Total Recall Filmmakers Cinematheque, New York City: 1971.

Ida-Eyed New Dramatists Workshop, New York City: 1969.

Elephant Steps music by Stanley Silverman. Tanglewood, Lenox MA: 1968.

Angelface Filmmakers Cinematheque, New York City: 1968.

Bad Boy Nietzsche! And Other Plays New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2005.

Paradise Hotel And Other Plays New York: Overlook Press, 2000

No-Body, a novel Overlook Press: New York, 1996.

My Head Was a Sledgehammer and Other Plays New York: Overlook Press, 1992.

Unbalancing Acts: Essays and Plays by Richard Foreman New York: Pantheon, 1992

Love and Science: Selected Librettos by Richard Foreman TCG Publishers, 1991

Reverberation Machines: Later Plays and Essays Station Hill, 1985.

Plays and Manifestos of Richard Foreman New York: New York University Press, 1976.

The Richard Foreman Papers document Richard Foreman's professional career as a playwright, director, and set designer. The collection reflects his creative process, the development of theatrical works as well as the production and reception of his plays. A small portion of the collection documents Richard Foreman's personal life, predominantly his childhood and family relationships. In addition, the collection represents some of Foreman's relationships with other artists including Kate Manheim, Stuart Sherman and Jonas Mekas among others. Although the collection materials span the years 1942 to 2004, the bulk of the material represents the years 1969-2004.

In most instances materials retain their original, predominantly alphabetical, arrangement by Richard Foreman.

Series I: Notebooks includes notebooks of Richard Foreman's writing and drawing as well as assorted other notes. Subseries A: Notebooks RF Sequence includes the bulk of the notebook series. These materials arrived as a substantive group, and retain Richard Foreman's organization. However, materials such as scripts, press, photographs or advertisements have been removed to their respective series. Subseries B:Notes, other formats includes notebooks and notes drawn from throughout the collection. The subseries structure maintains Foreman's own organization while also drawing together common materials from throughout the collection.

Series II: Scripts contains scripts of plays directed by Richard Foreman, including his own original works and his direction of theatrical works written by other playwrights. Materials are arranged alphabetically by production title.

Series III: Production Materials incorporates materials related to the production and reception of Richard Foreman's theatrical works. Materials include promotional materials, reviews, diagrams and sketches as well as sound scripts and program notes. Materials are arranged alphabetically by production title. Subseries A: Richard Foreman Plays documents the production and reception of plays written and directed by Richard Foreman. Subseries B: Richard Foreman's Directorial Works includes materials related to plays Foreman directed but did not write. Subseries C: Other Artists' Productions of Richard Foreman Plays contains materials production materials related to theatrical interpretations of Foreman's plays. Subseries D: Miscellaneous includes production materials that are not clearly connected with a particular play.

Series IV: Photographs includes photographic documentation of Richard Foreman's productions and professional career. Materials are arranged alphabetically by production title. Subseries A: Photographs of Richard Foreman's Productions includes photographs documenting Richard Foreman's productions including plays he wrote and directed, performance pieces, and his direction of other artist's work. Subseries B: Photographs of Richard Foreman contains images of Richard Foreman including portraits, commercial images, and candid photographs associated with his professional career. Subseries C: Photographs of Performance Events documents unscripted performance events such as "The Telephone Event".

Series V: Props and Set Designs contains objects used in Richard Foreman's plays and three-dimensional set designs.

Series VI: Posters contains posters publicizing Richard Foreman's productions. Materials are arranged alphabetically by production title and each folder contains all the posters related to that production.

Series VII: Productions by Other Artists Using Richard Foreman Materials includes scripts, production materials, promotional materials and correspondence from productions based on Richard Foreman's notebooks. Items in this series are arranged alphabetically by production title. Publicity about the website begins the series.

Series VIII: Other Writing and Projects incorporates Richard Foreman's writing and projects as well as critical writing about Richard Foreman. Subseries A: Richard Foreman's Manuscripts includes manuscripts and drafts of essays by Richard Foreman. Subseries B: Richard Foreman's Publications and Reviews of Published Works contains published writing by Richard Foreman as well as materials related to his published works such as reviews of his books. Subseries C: Interviews with Richard Foreman contains transcripts and published interviews wtih Richard Foreman. Subseries D: Projects and Performance Pieces documents exhibitions, performance events and eductional edeavors conducted by Richard Foreman. Subseries E: General Press includes articles that mention Richard Foreman but are not directly about him or his work. Subseries F: Scholarly Writing About Richard Foreman includes term papers, dissertations and published essays about Richard Foreman's theater. Subseries G: Works by Other artists contains works by other artists. Some use Richard Foreman as the subject of the work, others were submitted to Foreman for feedback.

Series IX: General Theater Related Material includes programs, publicity and other materials from theater productions and performance pieces by other artists. Materials are arranged chronologically by year. Undated materials appear at the end of the series arranged alphabetically by performer.

Series X: Grants, Fellowships, and Awards includes materials documenting grant and awards given to Richard Foreman and the Ontological-Hysteric Theatre as well as materials documenting benefits for the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Items range from photographs, newspaper press, newsletters and award certificates to grant applications and correspondence. Subseries A: Award Certificates and Photographs include plaques, certificates and degrees awarded to Richard Foreman. Subseries B: Press includes press documentation of Richard Foreman's reception of these awards. Subseries C: Application and Nomination materials documents the application process for several grants. Subseries D: Benefits for the Ontological-Hysteric Theater includes fundraising events for the OH Theater.

Series XI: Miscellaneous contains a variety of materials related to Richard Foreman's professional career but outside the scope of previous series. Subseries A: Administrative and Professional Material about Richard Foreman includes documents such as Richard Forman's curriculum vitae and bibliography. Subseries B: Administrative Materials related to the Ontological Hysteric Theater, this very limited amount of material documents the location and booking side of Theater. Subseries C: Correspondence includes fan mail, hate mail and requests to work with Richard Foreman. Subseries D: Political Materials documents Richard Foreman's political involvement and consequent public perception. Subseries E: Printed Material includes printed material with no clear relationship to Foreman or the Ontologicla Hysteric Theater.

Series XII: Biographical Material documents Richard Foreman's personal life through photographs, educational documents and scrapbooks. In addition, materials related to theater productions Richard Foreman participated in during high school and college appear in this series. These materials are arranged chronologically, where possible. Subseries A: Photographs includes photographs of Richard Foreman as a child as well as personal snapshots. Subseries B: Richard Foreman's Education documents Richard Foreman's educational progress and achievements beginning with elementary school and ending with graduate work. Subseries C: Richard Foreman's Early Arts Involvement includes documentation of Richard Foreman's arts involvement as an actor, a singer and a writer. Subseries D: Family Related Documents includes materials related to the lives and achievements of Richard Foreman's family.

Series XIII: Kate Manheim contains materials related to Kate Manheim's professional career, including but not limited to her work in Richard Foreman's plays. Although materials connected to Kate Manheim appear throughout the collection, this series reflects the grouping of materials relating to Kate Manhiem in the collection's original organization. Subseries A: Prompt Scripts and Personal notes includes Kate Manheim's prompt scripts as well as production notebooks containing personal notes as well as Richard Foreman's corrections and stage directions. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by play title and all of the contents involve Richard Foreman productions. Subseries B: Notes and Notebooks includes notebooks that were not clearly designated as relating to a specific play. Additionally, these notebooks arrived grouped together in ziplock bags, separate from the script material. As a result, they remain in a subseries of their own. Subseries C: Production Materials includes some press and memorabilia related to Foreman plays. Subseries D: Photographs primarily documents Kate Manheim on stage. Subseries E: Other Projects includes Kate Manheim's involvement in projects not directly related to Richard Foreman such as her own painting and her work with Heiner Muller. Subseries F: General Press and Interviews contains articles about and interviews with Kate Manheim. Subseries G: General Theater Related Material includes programs, publicity and other materials from theater productions and performance pieces by other artists. Materials are arranged chronologically by year. Undated materials appear at the end of the series arranged alphabetically by performer. Subseries H: Awards and Grants includes awards Kate Manheim received as well as some grantwriting advice. Subseries I: Biographical Material, this very small series includes materials related to the lives of Kate Manheim and her family. Subseries J: Miscellaneous contains materials that fell outside the scope of the previous subseries such as printed material, memorabilia, and notes.

Series XIV: Media contains all the media files in the Richard Foreman Papers. Each media genre represented in the collection is broken down into two subseries: the first includes all researcher access copies followed by a list of all original materials. Subseries A: Sound Effects - Access Copies includes all access copies of material made from following subseries. Subseries B: Sound Effects - Originals contains over two thousand cassettes of sound effects created by Foreman that have been used in productions of his plays. Subseries C: Video Recordings - Access Copies includes all access copies of material made from following subseries. Subseries D: Video Recordings - Originals contains videorecordings in a number of formats, largely recordings of Foreman's plays or production elements thereof but also containing a number of panel appearances, lectures, and exhibitions in which Foreman has taken part. Subseries E: Film - Access Copies includes all access copies of material made from following subseries. Subseries F: Film - Originals comprises only two film recordings of Foreman's plays, one of Sophia, the Cliffs and one of Rhoda in Potatoland. Subseries G: Audio Recordings - Access Copies includes all access copies of material made from following subseries. Subseries H: Audio Recordings - Originals includes audio recordings either of Foreman's plays or used as production elements thereof. note: Researcher access copies may not be available for all original material.

These materials have been removed to Fales' Downtown Collection.

Changes: Journal of Arts and Entertainment n. 70, February 1972.

Changes: Journal of Arts and Entertainment February 1975.

The SoHo Weekly News v. 4 n.17 27, January-2 February 1977.

The SoHo Weekly News v. 4 n. 23, 16 March 1977.

The SoHo Weekly News v. 4 n. 40, 7 July 1977.

The SoHo Weekly News v. 5 n. 12, 22-28 December 1977

The Fales Library purchased the Richard Foreman Papers from Richard Foreman in 2004.

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date (if known); collection name; MSS number; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.