Wendy Kout
Wendy Kout writes and produces for stage, screen and print. Her work has been appreciated around the world.
In 2017, Wendy was commissioned by CenterStage of Rochester, NY, to write a one hour, docu-drama based on ten Holocaust Survivors who immigrated there. SURVIVORS now has five independent national and international school and stage touring productions including the West Coast tour, which...
Wendy Kout writes and produces for stage, screen and print. Her work has been appreciated around the world.
In 2017, Wendy was commissioned by CenterStage of Rochester, NY, to write a one hour, docu-drama based on ten Holocaust Survivors who immigrated there. SURVIVORS now has five independent national and international school and stage touring productions including the West Coast tour, which Wendy co-produces. The play is suitable for middle school age and older and explores hatred, the capacity to survive and thrive, and serves as a call to action for our challenging present.
Never is Now, an adaptation of SURVIVORS, had a highly acclaimed premiere at Skylight Theatre Company in Los Angeles. This play, set in a present time rehearsal of a Holocaust play, explores the parallels between the perilous past and the perilous present... as a warning for our future. The second production of Never is Now was a virtual presentation, produced by Quarantine Players.
We Are the Levinsons had its acclaimed world premiere at Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company in St. Paul from April 22, 2017 to May 14, 2017. The play won BroadwayWorld Regional Awards - BEST PLAY and BEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY. The first international production will be spring 2019 in Victoria, B.C., produced by Bema Productions. The third production was to have been spring 2022 in St. Louis, Missouri, produced by The New Jewish Theatre... but Covid hit during tech and shut down the production.
During Covid, Wendy co-wrote several virtual plays for Skylight Theatre Company of Los Angeles. Wake Up Call, co-written with Jeff Reno, co-starred Nancy Travis and Charles Shaughnessy. Courage Takes the Stage, was co-written/co-curated with Michele Willens. Wendy was one of the co-writers of We the People, co-starring Allison Janney, Joe Spano and Jobeth Williams.
Wendy’s first play, Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Helen Gahagan Douglas, co-written with Michele Willens, was a O’Neill Conference Finalist and had fundraising readings throughout the US, for Nation Magazine, People for the American Way and National Women’s Law Center. It was also nominated for the Weissberger Award and was a finalist in the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Playwriting Contest. Casts starred Christine Lahti, Wendie Malick, James Naughton, Charles Shaughnessy, and Patrick Breen.
Wendy’s second play, Naked in Encino, was solo written. Naked had its official world premiere at the CenterStage Theater in Rochester, New York. It was also produced in Denver by And Toto too Theatre Company, where the play won four Marlowe awards for outstanding theatre in Colorado, including BEST NEW PLAY, COMEDY and BEST PRODUCTION, COMEDY.
Wendy recently co-wrote and co-produced the indie feature Jacob the Baker which streams on Amazon Prime and In Demand. Dorfman in Love, Wendy’s first indie feature was produced by Leonard Hill Films and stars Elliott Gould, Sara Rue and Haaz Sleiman. Theatrical distribution and exclusive premiere run on DirecTV video-on-demand was launched March 22, 2013. The film won Best Feature at the Hollywood International Film Festival, the Marbella International Film Festival in Spain, Miami Jewish Film Festival and Best Comedy at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival. Dorfman in Love was also chosen by Cinequest Film Festival, USA Film Festival, Waterfront Film Festival, Naples International Film Festival, Ojai Film Festival, and the following Jewish Film Festivals: Seattle, Silicon Valley, Fresno, Minneapolis, Toronto, Montreal, San Francisco, Boston, San Diego, Phoenix, Berkshires, Buffalo, Denver, Charlotte, Maine, Palm Beach, Rochester, Sedona, Washington D.C., North Virginia, Vancouver, Vienna, Australia, Argentina, U.K. and Jerusalem. Wendy also wrote and developed film projects for Laura Ziskin, Barbra Streisand, John Hughes, Universal, Columbia, Tristar and Disney.
In television, Wendy created and was the Executive Producer of the cult ABC show, “Anything But Love”, staring Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis. Wendy also wrote and developed projects for Paul Reiser, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, ABC, CBS, NBC and Lifetime.
Wendy serves on the Board of Directors of Skylight Theatre Company in Los Angeles and on the Honorary Committee for the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Home is Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, California with her favorite male writer, Dennis Koenig. Literary Manager: Will Levine 323 933 2224