About Sam Shepard
Samuel Shepard Rogers III was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, author and musician whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. His numerous accolades include the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Drama Desk Award, the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award, and the record 10 Obie Awards, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards, an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994. The New York magazine described Shepard as "the greatest American playwright of his generation." These were the first of many productions of Shepard's work at La MaMa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. In 1975, Shepard was named playwright-in-residence at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, where he created many of his notable works, including his Family Trilogy. While in college, Shepard became enamored of Samuel Beckett, jazz, and abstract expressionism.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.