The American playwright/director reportedly passed away in his sleep on Saturday (07May11), but no further information was available as WENN went to press.
Wilson was an early figure in New York’s Off-Off-Broadway scene and he became the first resident playwright at the legendary Caffe Cino in Greenwich Village. His comedy And He Made A Her opened there in 1961 and he went on to work on several other shows, including Pretty People and Now She Dances!
Along with his theatre work, Wilson was a keen gay rights activist and he became involved with the Gay Activist Alliance, opening several gay bars.
In 1974, Wilson co-founded TOSOS (The Other Side of Silence), the first professional theatre company to deal openly with gay subject matter. The company produced new plays and revivals by Noel Coward, Joe Orton, Terrence McNally and Lanford Wilson.
In more recent years, Wilson was elected a member of the National Theater Conference and he was also featured in 2010 documentary film Stonewall Uprising.
