(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Renée Taylor’s award-winning autobiographical comedy My Life On A Diet will arrive at George Street Playhouse next month, with performances running November 19 through December 15 in the Arthur Laurents Theater at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center.
In My Life On A Diet, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning writer and actress Renée Taylor looks back on a life full of memorable roles in Hollywood and on Broadway, and just as many fad diets. A self-described “diet junkie” who used to think that if she ate like star, she’d just might look and live like one, Renée dishes out both juicy anecdotes about and weight loss tips from Hollywood legends such as Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Barbra Streisand.
She also shares hilarious and poignant stories about Joseph Bologna, her partner in work and life for 52 years. In telling about her high and lows – on and off the scale – this comedy legend proves the ability to laugh gets you through it all.
“We are so fortunate to welcome Ms. Taylor to our new home in the NBPAC this season,” George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint said. “This hilarious show is the perfect opportunity to see an icon on our stage.”
My Life On A Diet is written by Ms. Taylor and Joseph Bologna, and was originally directed by Mr. Bologna. It made its New York premiere last summer with a critically acclaimed, extended run Off-Broadway at the Theatre at St. Clements. In November 2018, Ms. Taylor won the annual United Solo Special Award for MY LIFE ON A DIET for her significant contributions to solo theatre during the year.
The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is located at 11 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
RENÉE TAYLOR (Performer, Co-Writer). My Life On A Diet is one of 22 plays, four films, and nine TV movies and series that Renée and Joseph Bologna created together. Renée and Joe appeared together on Broadway in their plays Lovers and Other Strangers (1968), It Had to Be You (1981), and If you ever leave me … I’m going with you! (2001); and Off-Broadway in Bermuda Avenue Triangle (Promenade Theatre, 1997). For film, they received an Academy Award nomination for the 1970 film adaptation of Lovers and Other Strangers. The following year, they co-wrote and co-starred in Made for Each Other (Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Comedy). Renée and Joe co-directed, co-wrote, and co-starred in the 1989 film adaptation of It Had to Be You, and the 1996 film Love Is All There Is (which introduced a young Angelina Jolie). For television, the couple won Emmy Awards in 1973 for writing “Acts of Love and Other Comedies,” and were nominated once again the following year for writing the TV movie Paradise. They co-directed, co-wrote, and co-starred in the 1984 HBO movie Bedrooms (Writers Guild Award). Renée made her professional stage debut at 15 in a Purim Pageant at Madison Square Garden, and earned her Actors Equity card at age 19 for appearing in The Rehearsal at The President Theatre. Known for her Emmy nominated role of Sylvia Fine in “The Nanny,” Renée’s other notable TV acting credits include “Daddy Dearest” and the groundbreaking HBO sitcom “Dream On” (she had the distinction of appearing on these three television shows simultaneously). More recently she has had recurring roles in “How I Met Your Mother,” “Bob’s Burgers,” and “Happily Divorced,” and can currently be seen on Amazon’s “Gown and Out in Beverly Hills.” In addition winning the United Solo Special Award for Outstanding solo show, Renée was recently inducted into the Bronx Jewish Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 due to the success of My Life On A Diet . She holds an Honorary Doctorate from Hofstra University.
JOSEPH BOLOGNA (Co-Writer, Director) was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 30, 1934. Bologna graduated from Brown University with a degree in art history. Following a tour with the U.S. Marines, Joe started directing short films and writing special comedy material. Bologna made his Broadway debut as the co-star and co-author of Lovers and Other Strangers, and he made his film debut as the co-star and co-author of Made for Each Other. His other film credits include Cops and Robbers, Mixed Company, The Big Bus, Chapter Two, My Favorite Year, Blame It on Rio, The Woman in Red, Love Is All There Is and Big Daddy. His television credits include the Emmy-winning television special “Acts of Love and Other Comedies” (co-written with Ms. Taylor), and the made for TV films “Honor Thy Father;” “Paradise;” “What’s New, Catherine Cutis?;” “Torn Between Two Lovers;” and “One Cooks, the Other Doesn't;” among others. An Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning playwright and screenwriter, Joe, with Renée Taylor, his wife and partner of 52 years, collaborated on 22 plays, four film screenplays, and nine TV movies and series.
The national tour of My Life On A Diet is presented by Julian Schlossberg.
