Harvey Fierstein Biography

American playwright, born in Brooklyn. He came to prominence with the 1981 Off-Broadway production of Torch Song Trilogy which won a Tony award for its 1982 Broadway production; the author starred in both the play and his screen adaptation of 1988. The trilogy consists of three previously produced one-act plays (The International Stud, 1978; Fugue in a Nursery, 1979; Women and Children First!, 1979) and depicts various aspects of gay life and culture. A prominent activist for both AIDS and gay rights, Fierstein also won the 1983 Tony award for his book of the musical version of La Cage aux Folles which, like Fierstein's other work for the stage and screen, explores the lives of the gay and lesbian community as a whole. Safe Sex was produced in New York in 1987. More recently, Fierstein has turned to acting, appearing in various guest roles on American TV, and in the Off-Broadway show The Haunted Host (1991). Among his works for television are Tidy Endings (1988) and Cheers (1992). His feature films include Mrs Doubtfire (1992), White Lies (1993), The Harvest (1992), and Garbo Talks (1984).