William Leavengood

Instructor of Theatre
Special Topics in Theatre, Dramatic Writing
Phone: (813) 974-2701
Email: wleavengood@shorecrest.org

A nationally renowned playwright, two-time Eugene O'Neill playwright award winner, and alumnus of Circle Repertory, William Leavengood's work has been produced across the country. His off-Broadway credits include Little Mary at the Sanford Meisner Theatre; The Head at the Chelsea Playhouse; The Preservation Society directed by Casey Childs at Primary Stages; and Florida Crackers, directed by John Bishop, which premiered as part of Circle Repertory's 20th Anniversary Season.

Mr. Leavengood's short play, Steve, was presented at the Town Hall Theatre in New York as part of Brave New World: The American Theater responds to 9/11, and subsequently made into a short film starring Fisher Stevens.

His farce, What is Art?, opened the Reflections Festival of New Plays at the GeVa Theatre, and was later produced at the Court Theatre, Los Angeles, starring Beverly Hills 90210's Ian Ziering.

17 Black was chosen for the National Playwrights Conference (NPC) and subsequently received the Brodkin Scholarship Award. Leavengood was invited to return to the NPC in 1995 with The Preservation Society.

In Florida, recent successes include Webb's City: The Musical at the Mahaffey Theater; Crossing the Bay at the Janet Root Theater; American Road at the Gorilla Theatre; and Food & Shelter at American Stage.

Published works include Florida Bound, a collection of his plays, and Hellenback High.

Leavengood has received grants from Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Council for the Arts, Pinellas County Arts Council, and the Berrilla Kerr Foundation. Other awards and honors include the Edith Oliver Fellows Award and "Best of the Bay" Playwright in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2005. He served as artistic director of the LiveArts Peninsula Foundation 2000-2005 and belongs to the Circle East Theatre Company (NYC), the Dramatists' Guild, and the Writers' Guild of America.