(NEW YORK)— PEN America today mourns the death of Tom Stoppard, one of the most influential playwrights of the last century and a tenacious defender of free expression. The writers and free expression organization issued the statement below:
“From his early plays like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that shocked audiences, to his most recent and most autobiographical play Leopoldstadt— inspired by the impact of the horrors of the Holocaust on his family— Stoppard’s plays have been suffused with wit and wordplay and asked essential questions about how we live, love, die, and explore the depth of the human condition. The 2020 winner of the PEN/Mike Nichols Writing for Performance Award, the 2015 PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award, multiple Tony Awards, and an Oscar, Stoppard used his platform to highlight the struggles of writers under repressive governments worldwide. The world of contemporary theater will forever bear his mark.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057