[To take a look at a much more recent picture of Bill, you can drag the cursor over the Young Bill!]
| Bill Quigley playwright |
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Even way back then, the paparazzi would just not leave Bill alone! Here he is rooting for his younger sister, Clare, who was competing in the Little Miss America pageant at Pallisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. Bill had entered her in the competition and she grudgingly consented with the promise of getting to go on lots of rides. [To take a look at a much more recent picture of Bill, you can drag the cursor over the Young Bill!] |
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BILL QUIGLEY knew by the age of 8 that he very badly wanted to have a career in theatre and film. He would put on little plays that he made up in the living room of his family's summer cottage in the Poconos. He would coerce his sister and cousins (who really just wanted to play freeze tag and catch lightning bugs) into acting with him. The adults (who really just wanted to enjoy their cocktails in peace) were
ssshhhhed! into watching. This went on for several summers until finally one night the enthusiasm level of his little troupe of actors plummeted so low that a very loud and spirited mutiny broke out in mid-performance which led his Mother to bellow over the fighting children 'All right, that's it! No more plays--EVER!' But alas, Bill did not obey his Mom. (Although he confesses there are days he wishes he had!) Besides enjoying the usual television fare of the day--The Partridge Family, Room 222 and Nanny and the Professor--he developed a somewhat unusual fascination with Masterpiece Theatre, which led to his first official play at about age 10--The Problems of Anne Boleyn. This very powerful historical drama ran about 9 ½ minutes and contained the immortal line, 'Henry, if you really loved me you wouldn't cut my head off!' Bill started out as an actor in his early teens--first in community theatre in Brooklyn, followed by high school plays and then four golden years of nearly non-stop college theatre. As an adult, he worked a number of years as an actor in NYC, Los Angeles, regional theatres and national tours. He has also had several roles in film and on television. Feeling an increasing pull to again create works of his own, he started writing plays in 2000. In early 2001, he had the extraordinary good fortune to come under the mentorship of playwright and teacher, the late Donna de Matteo. He credits her with being the single most encouraging and indelible influence of his writing career. To date, he has written six full-length plays, three screenplays (one a collaboration), a television pilot (another collaboration) and numerous short plays. He is very proud to be a member of the HB Studio Faculty, where he teaches Playwriting, continuing Donna de Matteo's class that began decades earlier. Bill Quigley grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. He graduated from Brooklyn College, having majored in Theatre. He has long resided in Hell's Kitchen, NYC with his partner of over 30 years, William Driscoll. |