Neil Simon is one of the most beloved American playwrights of the 20th century. The author of more than 30 plays and a number of screenplays, he was nominated for more Academy Awards and Tony Awards than any other writer. Many of his plays draw on his tumultuous and dysfunctional upbringing in New York City during the Great Depression and have a comedic bent.
Simon was born in the Bronx to a Jewish family and grew up in Washington Heights during the Great Depression, in a household that was often in crisis due to financial instability and parental conflict. His father would leave the family for weeks at a time, and the young Neil was often sent to live with relatives. In the midst of...
