Gretchen Cryer

Biography

GRETCHEN CRYER is a playwright, lyricist, performer, director most well known for writing and starring in I'M GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER AND TAKING IT ON THE ROAD (with music by Nancy Ford) which ran three years in New York City, a year in Los Angeles, a year in Chicago with performances around the world, and which won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Musical, Best Actress, and a Grammy nomination for the album.

Gretchen has written numerous other shows with Nancy Ford - NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN (Lortel Theater), THE LAST SWEET DAYS OF ISAAC (Obie Award - Best Musical, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), SHELTER (Golden Theater), HANG ON TO THE GOOD TIMES (Manhattan Theater Club), ELEANOR (Williamstown), THE AMERICAN GIRLS REVUE (American Girl Place - Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles), and CIRCLE OF FRIENDS (American Girl Place - Chicago and New York), ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (Theaterworks USA) and STILL GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER (Laguna Playhouse). She is currently writing book, lyrics, and music for a new musical HOUSE ON FIRE in collaboration with her granddaughter, singer/songwriter Grace Hyland.

Gretchen is on the Dramatist Guild Council and is President Emeritus of the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Gretchen and Nancy were just awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dramatists Guild.

Gretchen teaches a workshop entitled “Creating Your Own Solo Performance” and has helped dozens of solo artists develop their pieces and has directed many of their pieces. In 2019 and 2022 she won the Best Director award at the United Solo Festival (the largest solo festival in the world.)