Paul Downs Colaizzo
{{Short description|American playwright and film director}}
{{about|the American playwright|the American actor|Paul W. Downs}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Paul Downs Colaizzo
|birth_name=
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1985|6|27}}
|birth_place=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
|occupation= Playwright
| education = New York University (BFA)
}}
Paul Downs Colaizzo ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|eɪ|z|oʊ}}{{cite web|last=Murphy|first=Mekado|date=August 23, 2019|url=https://www.nytimes.com/video/movies/100000006675663/brittany-runs-a-marathon-scene.html|title='Brittany Runs a Marathon' {{!}} Anatomy of a Scene|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 27, 2022}}) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director.
Early life and education
Colaizzo was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University in New York City.
Career
His play Really Really{{cite web |url=http://www.signature-theatre.org/shows/really-really |title=Really Really |publisher=Signature Theatre |accessdate=December 12, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422181915/http://www.signature-theatre.org/shows/really-really |archivedate=April 22, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} premiered at The Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia in January 2012,{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/signature-theatres-2011-12-season-is-filled-with-world-premieres/2011/04/04/AFDmNheC_story.html |title=Signature Theatre's 2011–12 season is filled with world premieres |newspaper=The Washington Post |date= April 4, 2011|accessdate=December 12, 2011 |first=Peter |last=Marks}} breaking Signature Theatre box office records. A new production opened Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theater in January 2013 starring Zosia Mamet and Matt Lauria and directed by David Cromer, as part of MCC's 2012–2013 season. The MCC production was sold-out and twice extended. Colaizzo stepped into the play for three performances in the role of Johnson while actor Kobi Libii filmed a television pilot.{{cite web| url= http://www.broadway.com/buzz/167516/playwright-paul-downs-colaizzo-to-step-into-really-really-while-cast-member-kobi-libii-films-new-tv-pilot/| website= Broadway.com| title= Playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo to Step Into Really Really While Cast Member Kobi Libii Films New TV Pilot| first= Josh| last= Ferri| date= February 21, 2013| access-date= June 2, 2017}}
Colaizzo's play Pride in the Falls of Autrey Mill premiered at The Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia in autumn of 2013 starring Christine Lahti. A reading of the play, held in New York City in October 2011, was directed by David Schwimmer and produced by Jeffrey Richards. It starred Julie White and Jonathan Groff.
Colaizzo served as the Script Associate for the musical Sister Act, contributing additional book material with Douglas Carter Beane.
In 2015, Colaizzo's medical drama LFE was picked up to pilot by CBS.{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2015/01/lfe-medical-drama-pilot-order-cbs-1201363180/|title=Medical Drama 'LFE' Gets CBS Pilot Order|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2015-01-30|work=Deadline|access-date=2018-07-18|language=en-US}} It starred Melissa Leo, Daniel Sharman, and Brandon Michael Hall. Later that year, Colaizzo inked a 2-year overall deal with CBS,{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/paul-downs-colaizzo-overall-deal-cbs-tv-studios-1201452646/|title=Paul Downs Colaizzo Signs Overall Deal With CBS TV Studios|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2015-06-23|work=Deadline|access-date=2018-07-18|language=en-US}} during which he served as an Executive Producer and co-writer for the pilot episode for the network's reboot of MacGyver.
In November 2017, it was announced Colaizzo would direct Brittany Runs a Marathon, starring Jillian Bell, from a screenplay he wrote, and would also serve as an executive producer.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/jillian-bell-brittany-runs-a-marathon-michaela-watkins-utkarsh-ambudkar-lil-rel-howery-cast-1202204952/|title=Jillian Bell To Star In 'Brittany Runs A Marathon'; Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar & Lil Rel Howery Also Cast|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|date=November 22, 2017|accessdate=April 23, 2018}}
Personal life
Colaizzo resides in New York City.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Colaizzo, Paul Downs}}
Category:21st-century American dramatists and playwrights
Category:Writers from Pittsburgh
Category:Film directors from Pennsylvania
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:Screenwriters from Pennsylvania
Category:21st-century American screenwriters