David E. Birney
Actor, Director
Personal:
Born
April 23 (William Shakespeare's birthday and St. George's Day) in Washington,
D.C., the first child of Edwin B. and Jeanne (McGee) Birney. Of Irish, Scots,
German and Cherokee descent.
Three brothers, James, Gregory and Glenn. Father a Special Agent for the Federal
Bureau of Investigation. Daughter Kathleen Jeanne, born in Santa Monica, CA; twins Mollie
and Peter, born October 2, 1984.
David
Birney is an award-winning actor/director. Most recently he was honored with the The Millennium Award for
performance from the Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D. C.
His
extensive stage credits include starring roles on Broadway in Amadeus, Benefactors, Man and Superman, and major roles at
the American Shakespeare Festival, New York's Lincoln Center Repertory Theatre,
the New York Shakespeare Festival, Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum, Washington,
D.C.'s Shakespeare Theatre and numerous regional theatres. Roles include Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo, Mercutio, Richard
II, Richard III, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Jaques in As You Like
It, Christy Mahon in The Playboy of
the Western World, Jack Tanner in Man
and Superman Cusins in Major Barbara, Jerry in The
Zoo Story, Algernon in The Importance
of Being Earnest, Arthur in Camelot, Higgins in My Fair Lady, Matt
Friedman in Talley's Folly, David in Social Security, Andrew in Love Letters, Dysart in Equus, Atticus
Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird,
Jamie in Moon for the Misbegotten in Con Melody in A Touch of the Poet, Matt Friedman in Talley's Folly and John
Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet.
On
television, Mr. Birney has starred in six TV series: Live Shot, The Adams Chronicles, Glitter, St. Elsewhere, Serpico and Bridget
Loves Bernie. Miniseries leading
credits include: The Bible, Valley of
the Dolls, Night of the Fox, Master of the Game and Testimony of Two Men. He has also starred in many television
films, among them Love and Betrayal, Long Journey Home, The Five of Me, Ohms, The Deadly Game, High
Midnight and The Champions. His list of guest starring roles on
television and film credits spans a career of some thirty-five years.
He
has created and published two works for stage: Mark Twain's The Diaries of Adam and Eve and A Christmas Pudding; both have been published by Samuel French
Inc. Adam and Eve was a presentation of the prestigious PBS series American
Playhouse. He has subsequently directed and
starred in productions that toured on the east and west coasts, as well as
regional theatres. A Christmas Pudding, a
collection of Christmas stories, songs, poems and sketches, he has produced
and directed in Lost Angeles for
over 15 years, has also been and
produced by a variety of theatres across the county.
Mr.
Birney has served on the Theatre Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts, on the Board of the Foundation for Bio-Medical Research. He is currently an Arts Panelist for
the Jacob Javits Fellowship Program. He is a
frequent spokesman for children’s health and welfare issues. His three children, a daughter, Kate,
and twins, Peter and Mollie, are, each of them, a treasure of his heart.
Mr.
Birney, his daughter, Kate, and his twins, Peter and Mollie, live in Santa
Monica, California.
Education:
Graduated
from West High School, Cleveland, Ohio -- National Honor Society; letters in
basketball, football and track; Dartmouth College, B.A. with "High
Distinction" in English Literature, English Honors.
A
Scholarship student at Dartmouth, Mr. Birney was a member of Casque and Gauntlet, a senior honor society, Green Key, the
Sophomore Orientation Committee, Sigma Nu, and served on the Directorate of the
Players. Awarded a Dartmouth
Fellowship for graduate study.
M.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles, in Theatre
Arts, acting and directing.
Teaching Assistant Fellowship.
Ph.D. (hon.) from Southern Utah State University.
Military Service:
Drafted
into U.S. Army. Served with the
Second U.S. Army Showmobile -- an entertainment unit
-- as a performer and director.
Toured the Eastern, Southern and Midwestern United States. Discharge, honorable, with a
Certificate of Achievement and the rank of Sp. 4.
Theatre
Leading Roles
On Broadway: Amadeus, Benefactors, Man and Superman
Regional Theatres:
New
York Shakespeare Festival The Roundabout Theatre
Lincoln
Center Repertory Theatre, St.
Louis Municipal Opera
New
York
American
Shakespeare Theatre, Civic
Light Opera, Pittsburgh
Stratford,
CT Hartford
Stage Company
Great
Lakes Theatre Festival,
Cleveland,
OH
McCarter
Theatre, Princeton, NJ The
Barter Theatre, State Theatre of Virginia
Mark
Taper Forum, Los Angeles
Shakespeare
Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Roles
Broadway, Producing Regional Theatres, Performing
Arts Centers
Salieri, Amadeus Christy
Mahon, The Playboy of
Jack
Tanner, Man and Superman
the Western World
David,
Benefactors Cusins, Major Barbara
Hamlet
Young
Man, Summertree
Macbeth King
Arthur, Camelot
Romeo Higgins,
My Fair Lady
Mercutio, Romeo &
Juliet Algernon,
The Importance of
Richard
II Being Earnest
Richard
III
Matt Friedman, Talley's Folly
Antony,
Antony & Cleopatra Andrew, Love Letters
Benedick, Much Ado
About Nothing Jerry, The Zoo Story
Shylock,
Merchant of Venus Jaques in As You Like It
Gary
Essendine, Present Laughter
Atticus
Finch, To Kill a
James Tyrone Jr., Moon for the
Misbegotten
Mockingbird
Con Melody, A Touch of the Poet
Lenny Ganz,
Rumors Dr.
Dysart, Equus
Adam,
Mark TwainÕs The Diaries of Adam &
Eve
Sky Masterson, Guys and Dolls Clove, Endgame
Kentridge, The
Biko Inquest Haemon, Antigone
Edmund, Ceremony of Innocence David,
Social Security
Joe,
BecauseHeCan Sidney,
Deathtrap
Jamie,
Moon for the Misbegotten Con
Melody, A Touch of the Poet
Victor, The Price
Directed:
The
Diaries of Adam
and Eve, American Playhouse (PBS), 1988.
Plaza
Theatre, Dallas, 1988
Dartmouth
College, 1987
Hartford
Stage Company, 1996
Barter
Theatre, 1998
City
Stage, Springfield, MA; Capitol Repertory, Albany, NY;
Rubicon
Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA; 2001
A
Life in the Theatre by David Mamet, Los Angeles premiere, 1981
The Sorrows of Steve, by Peter Parnell,
Dartmouth Repertory Company, 1980
Anthology, for David Birney and Meredith
Baxter Birney, 1979
The
Zoo Story, Boston Theatre, 1978
Four Green Fields, An Evening of Irish lit
and Dram, UCLA, 2004, Edited and, Adapted
A Christmas Pudding,
Benefit and theatre engagements, Writer/adaptor,
Produced, Directed,
performer. Los Angeles, Santa Barbara/Ventura,
Newport Beach, Palos Verdes, CA. 1996-2006.
Television and Features
FEATURES Leading roles
Oh, God, Book II, Warner Brothers
Good Bye...See You Monday, Sommerville House, 'Frank'
Trial By Combat, Warner Brothers, 'John'
Caravan to Vaccares, EMI/Paramount, 'Neil Bowman'
Nightfall, New Horizons
Prettykill, Lorimar Telepictures
TELEVISION SERIES: Leading roles
Live Shot, UPN, Harry Chandler Moore
Judith Krantz'
Secrets, International Syndication, 'Tom Strickland'
Glitter, ABC, Sam Dillon'
St. Elsewhere, NBC, 'Dr. Ben Samuels'
Serpico, NBC, 'Frank Serpico'.
Bridget Loves Bernie, CBS, 'Bernie
Steinberg'.
Love is a Many Splendored Thing,
CBS, Mark Elliot.
MINI-SERIES: Leading roles
Touch and Die, International Syndication
Night of the Fox, Tribune Broadcasting
Testimony of Two Men, Universal, TV
Novel, ÔDr. Jonathan Ferrier'
Master of the Game, CBS, ÔDavidÕ
Seal Morning, PBS/CTV London
The Bible, "Daniel in the Lion's
Den,"
Schick/NBC, 'Daniel'
Valley of the Dolls, CBS, 'Lyon BurkeÕ
The
Adams Chronicles, PBS, 'John Quincy Adams'
Films for TV: Leading Roles
Keeping Secrets, ABC
Remember I'll Always Love You, CBS
Cast A Shadow, CBS
Love and Betrayal, CBS, "Bill
Landry'
Long Journey Home, CBS, 'Carter Wells'
The Five of Me, CBS, 'Henry Hawksworth'
High Midnight, CBS, 'Tony Gianetti'
Mom, The Wolfman
and Me, CBS, Time/Life
Ohms, CBS
High Rise, Warner Brothers/NBC, 'Paul Winkless'
The Deadly Game, NBC (pilot for Serpico)
Only with Married Men, Fox
The Champions, CBS
Bronk, CBS, MOW/Pilot, 'Willie Harvey'
The Diaries of Adam and Eve, PBS, American Playhouse
Saint Joan, Hallmark Hall of Fame
Specials, Documentaries and Hosting
Great American TV Poll, Series, Lifetime
Television
Raising Kids, WXXI/PBS-TV, Series
Good Morning, America, ABC
Beyond 2000, CIC Productions, Syndicated
Series
Missing-Have You Seen This Person?, Special, NBC
Literacy in the Work Place, PBS
A Job to be Done, Documentary, PBS
A.M. New York, Morning Show, WABC-TV
A.M. Los Angeles, Morning Show, KABC-TV
Morning
Exchange, WEWS-TV, Cleveland
America – Syndicated
Fields
of Fear, CBS-TV San Francisco
Audio Recordings
Children of the Mind, Orson Scott
Card, Audio Renaissance.
ÒÉhonest
and emotional narration by Gabrielle de Cuir, John
Rubenstein, Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, Amanda Karr
and David Birney.Ó
Publishers Weekly, Sept. 4, 2006
Voices of the War: Operation Homecoming: : Iraq, Afghanistan, and the
Home Front, in the
Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families
Carroll, Andrew (Author). Blackstone Audiobooks
Published Jan. 2006-10
ÒA talented cast (including Scott
Brick, Orson Scott Card, Harlan Ellison, Stephen Lang, David Birney John Rubinstein and Stephanie Zimbalist) brings the
war in Iraq and Afghanistan up close and personalÉ They embellish little,
allowing the sheer power of the writer's words to carry the dramatic weight. No
matter what views the listener may hold toward the war, no one will be able listen to these intimate, heartfelt readings and
come away unmoved.
Publishers Weekly, Jan. 2007
A production of the
National Endowment for the Arts.
***Both Children of the Mind and Voices
of the War have been honored by Publishers
Weekly with 2006 Listen-Up Awards
as Òoutstanding productionsÉ best audiobooks.
PonziÕs Scheme, Random House
Audio, 2005
The Crystal
City, Orson Scott Card, Audio Renaissance,
2005,
Winner of AudioFile Magazine Award ,
2005
Conspiracy Club, Jonathan Kellerman, Random House, 2004
ÒDavid
Birney delivers this complex mystery with a subtle intensity that compels the
listenerÕs interest. Both story
and voice are magnetic.Ó AudioFile,
June/July 2004
The
Christmas Tree, Julie
Salamon.
Random House for Christmas, 1996.
Winner
of AudioFile Magazine
Earphones Award, 1996.
"...becomes a special
production when read by David Birney...Birney brings an immediacy and
compassion to the moving story..."
Christian Science Monitor
Sole
Survivor, Dean Koontz, Random House.
"Actor
David Birney reads with a skill that contributes to the suspense, anger
hope and wonder of the story, especially the character of Joe.Ó
Library Journal, April l, '97
ÒDavid
Birney's portrayal of Joe Carpenter resonates with Carpenter's anguish
over the death of his wife and daughters in the crash. At the same time,
his anger and determination to solve the mystery balance his ever- present
grief. Birney's years in the theater serve him well." Audio File, October
1997
The
Fall of a Sparrow, by Robert Hellenga, New Star Media
Inc., 1998
"Birney
brings soulful intimacy to Woody's part...a brilliantly effecting narrative."
Poems of Love and Desire: An Anthology
of Love Poetry Throughout the
Ages. Dove Books.
Produced and recorded by David Birney.
With David Birney, Lee Remick, Michael York, Robert Stephens, Jane Lapotaire.
Sir Vidia's Shadow,
by Paul Theroux, New Star Media Inc., 1998
"
David Birney does a great job." Detroit
Free Press"
ÒReader David Birney gives an
excellent characterization of V. S. Naipaul...remarkable." Arizona Daily Star
The
Shadow of the Giant, Orson Scott Card, Fantastic Audio, 2005
Irreversible
Errors, Scott Turow, Random House, 2003
Speaker for the Dead,
Orson Scott Card, Fantastic Audio, 2002
Earphone Award, AudioFile 2002
Collected Stories of Arthur C.
Clark, Fantastic Audio, 2001
2000x, series
recorded for NPR, 2001
Winner of the
Bradbury Award of the Science Fiction
Writers
of America
Silent
Snow, Thayer, New Star Media, 1999
For the Time Being, Annie
Dillard, New Star Media, 1999
The Law of Similars,
Chris Bohjalian, Random House, 1998
Titanic Hearings, New
Star Media, 1998
Riptide, Douglas Prestion and Lincoln Child, Time-Warner Audio Books, 1998
Double
Image, David Morrell, Dove Books, 1998
"David
Birney is stellar in his performance..." St. Louis Post Dispatch
The
Great Shame, Thomas Keneally, New Star Media,
2001
Short Stories of Paul Theroux, Dove Books, 1997
Cape
Cod, by William Martin
Night
of the Fox, Jack Higgins, (Syndicated) video narrator
Murder
on the Aisle, edited by Mary
Higgins Clark
Beastly
Tales, Mystery Writers of America Series
Murder
for Christmas, Mystery Writers
Anthology
Best
of the West, Classic Stories of the American Frontier
Last
Laughs, Mystery Writers of America Anthology.
Out
on The Rim, by Ross Thomas
Great
Cat Mysteries, An Anthology
of Feline Capers
The
Little Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupery, recorded
for KPFK Radio, Los Angeles
Theatreworks, NPR Playhouse and BBC dramatic
recordings:
The Diary of Anne Frank, 1999
An
American Daughter, Wendy Wasserstein, 1998
Star
Wars
Julius
Ceasar, William Shakespeare
Tears
of Rage, Doris Baisley
The
Extra Man, Richard Greenberg
Murder
in the First, Dan Gordon
The
White Plague, Karel Kapek
An
American Daughter, Wendy Wasserstein
Television Narration/ Host
Good Morning America, ABC
Great American TV Poll, Series,
Lifetime Television
Beyond 2000, Syndicated Series
Raising Kids, PBS Series
Missing: Have You Seen This Child?, Specials,
NBC, host/narrator
Fields
of Fear, Documentary, CBS, host/narrator
Drop
Everything and Read, CBS Special
Literacy in the Work Place, PBS
A Job to be Done, Documentary, PBS
A.M. New York Morning Show, WABC-TV
A.M. Los Angeles Morning Show, KABC-TV
Morning Exchange WEWS-TV, CBS
America, Syndicated, Paramount
Publications: Theatre
pieces, essays and stories.
Mark TwainÕs The Diaries of Adam and Eve, Mark Twain, edited and
adapted for the stage by David Birney, Samuel French, 1994-1998
ÒPeter at Ten,Ó What Baseball Means to Me, Time-Warner,
2002
ÒMidnight
Mass,Ó Park City, Meridian
International, 1993
ÒKeeping Back the Dark,Ó American Theatre, July/August, 1994
ÒMaxine,Ó
Baseball Days: Recollections of AmericaÕs Favorite Pastime, Contemporary
Books, 2000
ÒReflections,Ó
Reflections at Forty, Dartmouth
College, 2001
ÒThe Way an Actor Prepares,Ó Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 1989
A Christmas Pudding, a
collage of stories, poems, and carols, both ancient and modern, compiled and
edited and adapted for the stage, editions 1995 through 2006
AWARDS
Millennium Recognition Award,
1999, The Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC.
Resolution
in Honor of David Birney, Leadership in the Creation of The Class of
Õ61
Legacy,
Dartmouth College, 2001
Audie Award, 1998
AudioFile Magazine, Earphone
Award, 2002, 2005
Walden Books Award, 1988
McCall's Magazine Humanitarian Award,
1988
Resolution in Honor of David Birney,
Board of Overseers of Hopkins Center and Hood
Museum
of Art
"L.A.
Weekly" Award, Best Director, A Life in the Theatre, 1980
Photoplay Magazine Award, 1973,
"Most Promising Newcomer"
Sixteen Magazine Award, 1973,
performance in Bridget Loves Bernie
Buffalo Courier Express Award, 1972,
Best Performance as Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet
Theatre World Award, 1968, Best
Performance as the dying soldier in Summertree
The Barter Theatre Award, 1965
Charitable
Leadership:
Board
Member, Foundation of Biomedical Research 1990-93, 1998
Co-chair,
American Diabetes Association 1986-89
Advisory
Board, The ChildrenÕs Rights Council, 1993-2004
Certificates
of Recognition, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; The National Association for the
Blind; The Southern California Rehabilitation Association; U.S. Ski Team;
Various local charities.
Mr.
Birney is a prominent advocate for children's education, literacy and health.
Speaking Engagements
Keynote
Speaker, Shakespeare Symposium, California State University,
Fullerton,
2001
Congressional
Testimony, American Diabetes Association, 1987-88
Foundation
for Bio-Medical Association, 1991
Dance
Theatres of Ohio Celebration, 1993
ChildrensÕ Rights Council, Candlelight Vigil, Lincoln
Memorial,
Washington,
D. C. 1995
Boards,
Arts Groups, Theatre Support Groups, Audiences, Regional
Theatres throughout the country
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
National
Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Panel, 1979, 1994
Jacob
Javits Fellowship Award Board, 2001, 2002, 2006
Visiting
Professor of Drama, Dartmouth College, 1980
Board
of Overseers, Hopkins Center and the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College,
1987,
1988
The
Players Club, New York City
Actor's
Equity Association
The
Screen Actor's Guild
The
American Federation of Television Artists
The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
LEISURE INTERESTS:
Skiing,
sailing, poetry, literature, music and running (Santa Monica and New York
Marathons)
SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCES
Who's Who in America, Gale Research,
Detroit, 44th edition, 1986
Who's Who in Theatre, Gale Research,
Detroit, 17th edition, 1981
The Dictionary of International Biography,
Volume19, Cambridge, England 1985, 1986
Men of Achievement, 12th edition,
International Biographical Centre, Melrose Press, Cambridge, England, 1986
Notable Names in American Theatre, James
T. White, Clifton, New Jersey
Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, profile, 1973
Theatre World, Crown Publishers
Motion Picture Magazine, July 1973
Contemporary Theater, Film & Television,
Gale Research, Vol. 1, 1984
Actors' Television Credits, Supplement,
Supplements I, II, 1978-80
Television Drama Series Programs, A
Comprehensive Chronicle, 1959-'75,
Scarecrow
Press, 1978
The New York Times, February 6, 1971
Parade Magazine, profile, October 11,
1987
T.V. Guide, profile November 28, 1987
The New York Times, December 27, 1987
The New York Times, January 8, 1988
The New York Post, January 7, 1988
The Daily News, January 7, 1988
Audio File, Nov./Dec. 1997