The Thornton Wilder Society has the twofold purpose of supporting efforts which expand the literary legacy of Thornton Wilder and of encouraging projects which emphasize the timeless importance of literature and drama to world culture.
The Thornton Wilder Society appeals to anyone who has an interest in the life and works of Thornton Wilder. The Society is international in its scope, attracting Wilder fans, scholars, critics, educators and theatrical professionals and amateurs from all over the world. The Society, in short, is of interest to all who love Wilder, his work, and his belief in the importance of art as a sustaining influence in the world.
The Thornton Wilder Society celebrates and expands the legacy of Thornton Wilder through multiple fora. Penn State University Press publishes biannually the Thornton Wilder Journal containing scholarly articles, reviews of significant productions, pieces about Wilder’s life, and other content of interest to Wilder scholars, theatre artists, educators, and fans. The Society also publishes an annual newsletter (now in digital format only, sent to members’ email addresses) containing photos, interviews, short articles about Wilder’s life and work, and previously unpublished material from the rich Wilder archives. We also keep members up to date on performances, publications, and Wilder-related events around the country via The Thornton Wilder Society Monthly Email. The Society has held three international conferences, and sponsored panels at the annual American Literature Association conference. Our website makes available a wide range of resources for scholars, teachers, and theatre artists, while our Facebook page keeps fans abreast of news and asks Wilder-related fun questions every Friday. Finally, the Society periodically presents the Thornton Wilder Prize; past recipients include Russell Banks (2008), Robert MacNeil (2010), Rocco Landesman (2013), Paula Vogel (2015), and Donald Margulies (2018).
The Society encourages its members to offer suggestions on its plans, bringing their ideas and knowledge to the Society as it develops. E-mail us at wildersociety@mail.montclair.edu.
Board of Directors and Advisory Board
The Board of Directors has twelve members: Jackson R. Bryer, Professor of English, University of Maryland (President); Park Bucker, Professor of English, University of South Carolina Sumter; Shoshana Greenberg, Freelance Theater Writer; Michael Greenwald CPA (Treasurer); Judith Peller Hallett, Professor of Classics, University of Maryland, College Park; Terryl Hallquist, Associate Professor and Co-director of Theatre, Vanderbilt University; Lincoln Konkle, Professor of English, The College of New Jersey; Matthew Maguire, director, playwright, and professor of Theatre and director of the Theatre Program at Fordham University; Edyta K. Oczkowicz, Associate Professor of English, Salem College, NC; Dianna Pickens, Lecturer, the University of Naples, and Adjunct Professor, the University of Suor Orsola Benincasa in Naples, Italy; Stephen J. Rojcewicz, Independent Scholar, Comparative Literature; and Susan D. Thomas, founding Executive Director of the Society.
Emeritus Directors include Nancy Bunge, Professor of American Thought and Language, Michigan State University; J. D. McClatchy,* poet, editor, and founding Society President; Gabriel Nathan, Editor in Chief of OC87 Recovery Diaries; Michael Parker, literary critic; J. Wynn Rousuck, theatre critic for WYPR, Baltimore’s NPR affiliate; Steve Winchell, retired marketing executive; and Christopher Wheatley, retired Ordinary Professor of English, Catholic University of America.
Tappan Wilder, Thornton Wilder’s nephew and literary executor, is Honorary Chairman of the Society. An Advisory Board of distinguished figures representing the varying accomplishments of Thornton Wilder in the field of arts and letters aid and advise the Society. These Honorary Directors are Edward Albee,* John Guare, John Lahr, Irene Lewis, Emily Mann, Donald Margulies, David McCullough,* Joseph Roach, Tazewell Thompson, John Updike,* Wendy Wasserstein,* and Sam Waterston.
*In Memoriam
Management
Mary English, Professor of Classics and General Humanities at Montclair State University, is Executive Director of the Wilder Society. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on the staging of ancient comedy and the reception of Greek drama by contemporary American playwrights (including Thornton Wilder). Most recently, she is the co-author with Georgia L. Irby of A Little Latin Reader (OUP, 2011; second edition 2017) and A New Latin Primer (OUP, 2015).
Newsletter Editor and Social Media Manager
Shoshana Greenberg has a B.A. from Barnard College and an M.F.A. from NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. She writes musicals, operas, cabarets, plays, and works as a freelance arts journalist. In addition, she is a contributing editor to the annual journal Musical Theater Today and hosts the musical theater podcast “Scene to Song.”
Web Specialist
Alex Poulos utilizes his understanding of online development practices as the Society’s Web consultant and contributing Web Developer, and maintains the Thornton Wilder Society website. He is a graduate of The College of New Jersey’s Interactive Multimedia and Marketing programs. It was at TCNJ that Alex was first introduced to Wilder, as both a student of theater and drama and an extra in a production of The Skin of Our Teeth.
Gifts
The Thornton Wilder Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in Washington, D.C. (EIN and non-profit status number is 52-2276594.) Grossberg, Yochelson, Fox & Beyda, LLP, a D.C. law firm, serves as counsel to the Society.
Contact
The Society’s address is Montclair State University, Department of Classics, 1 Normal Ave., Montclair, NJ 07043 and phone number 973-655-5135. For more information, please contact the Thornton Wilder Society.
Residence
The Society is headquartered at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ. Visit Montclair State University’s website.
Permission, Licensing, Etc.
The Society does not give permission for the use of Wilder’s works nor does it have any connection with any business, legal or financial aspect of his literary legacy. As a service to our readers and members, we will, however, forward all such inquiries to the proper individuals. Please visit the Wilder Family LLC at their website for further information.