Gail Phaneuf
(Libretto/Lyrics – MONSTERS!) began writing seriously in 2001,
while earning her master’s degree in Theater Education at Emerson College in
Boston. Since then, she has penned a number of plays, both long and short,
several of which have made their debut in Boston area festivals or readings.
Her comic musical MONSTERS! -- a collaboration with composer and longtime friend Ernie Lijoi -- was chosen as a 2005 finalist for the Rod Parker Playwriting Competition, which paved the way for developmental readings in Boston and New York City, and ultimately the full production in Boston in 2006. The work, three years in the making, was the subject of Gail’s master’s thesis.
Gail is an active member of The Playwrights’ Platform in Waltham, Mass., where several of her plays have been introduced. Her Urban Gardens won an Audience Choice award at the group’s 32nd Annual Summer Festival in 2004 – a show in which she also performed. Urban Gardens was also produced by the South Camden Theatre Company in 2007. Gail’s edgy political play Random Selection was well- received at the 2004 Boston Theater Marathon, having previously been staged at the Provincetown Theatre Company’s 2004 Spring Playwrights’ Festival. Random Selection was recently staged at Curry College in a collection of short plays called War Games. In May of 2006 Random Selection was published in Flemish in a collection of short plays by Boston playwrights.
Before writing, Gail’s first love was acting. She has appeared on New England stages for more than 20 years, most recently in the role of Stevie in The Goat - or - Who is Sylvia? for the New Provincetown Players and as Anna in The Baltimore Waltz for the Provincetown Theatre Company. It was a special privilege to appear in that show, as playwright Paula Vogel saw the play for the first time in a decade and had high praise for the production. Earlier in the year, Gail had played the role of Li’l Bit in Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive at Emerson College.
Gail’s acting career started when she was a young college student earning a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts. One of her favorite roles include the Woman in Christopher Durang’s Laughing Wild which played to sold-out audiences, during one of which Durang was in attendance. Gail won an ARTA Best Actress in a comedy award for her performance and a flattering review from the playwright, who declared to her backstage that she had “made the play work better than it ever had on Broadway.” Other roles include Phyllis in Follies, and Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation.
Gail’s passion for music extends beyond the stage. She is a pianist and lead singer for the Boston band Who’s Leslie? She has written numerous performance pieces, including original music and lyrics for her band. One of her songs, “It’s Not Me You Call” was selected and performed at the annual “Boston Sings Boston IV” cabaret event, highlighting local composers.
Gail is an Executive Board member for The Playwrights’ Platform and a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is also an Executive Board member for the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown. In 2006, she completed her master’s degree and is considering embarking on an additional advanced degree in playwriting.
Gail currently teaches scriptwriting at Curry College. When not in the theater, Gail can be found riding her bicycle; painting; playing piano; or walking her golden retriever, Idgie. To pay the bills, Gail has run a successful computer repair and networking company, The Computer Doctor, for the past thirteen years.