Librettist and Playwright David Cote discusses his latest works and collaborative relationships, including recent productions with Cincinatti Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera Memphis, and Beth Morrison Productions. Moderated by MMF’s Artistic Director, Robert Paterson. Open to Institute participants only.
David Cote
David Cote (pronounced “Cody”) is a playwright, librettist and arts journalist based in New York City. His operas include Blind Injustice with composer Scott Davenport Richards for Cincinnati Opera; Three Way with composer Robert Paterson (Nashville Opera and BAM); The Scarlet Ibis (Prototype Festival and Chicago Opera Theater) and Fade with Stefan Weisman; and We’ve Got Our Eye on You with composer Nkeiru Okoye. His plays include Saint Joe, Otherland (finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference) and Fear of Art.
His reporting and reviews appear in Observer, 4 Columns, American Theatre, and elsewhere.
David wrote the text for Nkeiru Okoye’s Black Lives Matter piece for baritone and orchestra, Invitation to a Die-In. His song cycles with Paterson, In Real Life and In Real Life II have been performed by soprano Marnie Breckenridge and baritone Jorell Williams, along with American Modern Ensemble. His choral works with Paterson, Did You Hear? and Snow Day, were sung by Musica Sacra and conducted by Kent Tritle on Eternal Reflections (American Modern Recordings). A cast recording of Three Way was also released on AMR.
David was the longest serving theater editor and chief drama critic of Time Out New York (2003-17), publishing thousands of reviews and articles. His writing has also appeared in Opera News, The Village Voice, The Guardian, The Times (UK) and The New York Times. He’s the author of popular companion books to the hit Broadway musicals Wicked, Jersey Boys and Spring Awakening. From 2010-11, he taught arts criticism at Brooklyn College. For the Best Plays Yearbook series, David wrote essays on Shining City, Blackbird and The Receptionist. From 1996 to '99, he was co-founder and editor of two theater 'zines: OFF: a journal of alternative theater and EdgeNY.
As an actor, David worked with avant-garde legend Richard Foreman, the exiled Iranian auteur Assurbanipal Babilla, and writer-directors Richard Maxwell, Robert Cucuzza and D.J. Mendel, among many others. He directed Babilla's acclaimed monologue Something Something Über Alles (Das Jackpot) for its world premiere in 1998 and the 2013 revival with Robert Honeywell, co-founder of Williamsburg’s Brick Theater.
David was born and adopted in New Hampshire and now lives in Manhattan. He has been honored with residencies at Ucross, The Hambidge Center, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and The MacDowell Colony. Member of the New York Drama Critics Circle, ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. Proud alumnus of Bard College.
Guest Lecturer, date and time subject to change.