William Luce

William Luce (October 16, 1931) is a writer, primarily for the stage and television. He has written several plays which starred Julie Harris, and specializes in writing one-person plays.

Luce was born in Portland, Oregon and majored in piano at college.

Stage

"Playwright William Luce picks his leading characters carefully, because they're usually the only ones in his shows." Luce wrote the one-person play, The Belle of Amherst, which premiered on Broadway in 1976, starring Julie Harris as Emily Dickinson, among others, and directed by Charles Nelson Reilly. Harris also appeared in this play in regional theatre. The play was taped and broadcast on television in 1976. His play about Charlotte Brontë, Bronte, starring Julie Harris and directed by Charles Nelson Reilly, was initially filmed in 1982 in Ireland, after several stage performances, and televised on Public Television in 1985. Harris subsequently performed the play in regional US theatre.

His play Zelda, about Zelda Fitzgerald, premiered Off-Broadway in 1984 and starred Olga Bellin. Luce turned this play into The Last Flapper, which was performed in regional US theatres initially in 1987 by Piper Laurie, directed by Charles Nelson Reilly.

He wrote the play, Lillian, about Lillian Hellman which ran on Broadway in 1986 and starred Zoe Caldwell. His play, Lucifer's Child, based on the writings of Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen), appeared on Broadway in 1991 and starred Julie Harris. He wrote the play Barrymore, which premiered on Broadway in 1997 and starred Christopher Plummer as John Barrymore.

Opera

Luce wrote the libretto for the opera Gabriel's Daughter, with music by Henry Mollicone which premiered in 2003 at the Central City Opera House, Central City, Colorado.

Television

Luce wrote the screenplays for two television movies, both telecast on CBS. The Last Days of Patton (1986) starred George C. Scott and Eva Marie Saint; The Woman He Loved (1988) starred Jane Seymour, Anthony Andrews and Julie Harris.