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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 719 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 719

           Honoring the life and legacy of Wendy Wasserstein.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 2006

 Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mrs. Maloney, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. 
Engel, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Shays, 
    Ms. Berkley, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Holt, and Mr. 
Grijalva) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
           Honoring the life and legacy of Wendy Wasserstein.

Whereas Wendy Wasserstein was born on October 18, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York;
Whereas, at age 12, Wasserstein moved to Manhattan with her family, where her 
        mother regularly took her to see Broadway plays;
Whereas Wasserstein earned a B.A. degree in history from Mount Holyoke College 
        in 1971, an M.A. degree in creative writing from the City College of New 
        York, and an M.F.A. degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1976;
Whereas Wasserstein's graduate thesis at Yale, ``Uncommon Women and Others'', a 
        play about her experiences as a student at Mount Holyoke College, was 
        produced off-Broadway in 1977 with Glenn Close, Jill Eikenberry, and 
        Swoosie Kurtz starring in the lead roles, and was subsequently produced 
        for PBS starring Meryl Streep;
Whereas in 1983, Wasserstein wrote ``Isn't It Romantic?'', a story about an up-
        and-coming career woman who struggles to reconcile her ambition with the 
        pressure to start a family;
Whereas ``The Heidi Chronicles'', an examination of the women's movement over 
        the course of 20 years, starred Joan Allen in the title role, and was 
        performed on Broadway some 622 times, subsequently going on to a 
        nationwide tour;
Whereas in 1989, ``The Heidi Chronicles'' won Wasserstein the Tony Award for 
        Best Play, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, the 
        Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, and the Pulitzer Prize for 
        Drama;
Whereas in 1993, Wasserstein's ``The Sisters Rosensweig'' was nominated for the 
        Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New 
        Play;
Whereas in 1997, Wasserstein wrote ``An American Daughter'', which focuses on 
        the political downfall of a female candidate for Surgeon General, and 
        was produced off-Broadway starring Kate Nelligan;
Whereas ``Old Money'', Wasserstein's look at the morals of wealthy society at 
        the beginning and the end of the 20th century, was produced off-Broadway 
        in 2000;
Whereas ``Third'', an examination of a clash of political values starring Dianne 
        Wiest, was produced off-Broadway to critical acclaim in 2005;
Whereas in 1988, Wasserstein also made a foray into film with ``The Object of My 
        Affection'', starring Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd;
Whereas Wasserstein was also the author of the best-selling children's book 
        ``Pamela's First Musical'', published in 1996 and currently being 
        adapted into a musical;
Whereas Wasserstein also wrote two collections of personal essays: ``Bachelor 
        Girls'', published in 1990, and ``Shiksa Goddess: Or, How I Spent My 
        Forties'', published in 2001;
Whereas Wendy Wasserstein died on January 30, 2006, of lymphoma in New York 
        City;
Whereas on January 31, 2006, Broadway's theaters dimmed their lights in her 
        honor;
Whereas Wasserstein's buoyant attitude and magnanimous personality were known 
        throughout New York City;
Whereas Wasserstein's work examines the struggles and conflicts faced by women 
        in American society and culture;
Whereas theater audiences throughout the country and around the world identified 
        with Wasserstein's characters; and
Whereas Wasserstein's deep commitment to New York City and her powerful 
        contribution to American culture will be sorely missed: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life and 
legacy of Wendy Wasserstein and extends its condolences to her family, 
friends, loved ones, and fans.
                                 <all>
```