Mary Murfitt
MARY MURFITT was a co-author (with Debra Monk, Mark Hardwick and Mike Craver) and original cast member of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway musical, Oil City Symphony. Oil City Symphony received the Outer Critic's Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and Murfitt received a Theatre World Award and Drama Desk Award for her work as an actor in Oil City. Oil City is published and licensed by Music Theatre International. Murfitt is also the creator and composer/lyricist of the hit Off-Broadway musical, COWGIRLS. She originated the role of Mary Lou in the Off-Broadway production and has appeared in numerous regional productions including The Old Globe, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Tennessee Repertory, Capital Repertory (NY), Caldwell Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre and Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati. COWGIRLS was nominated for Best Off-Broadway musical by the Outer Critics' Circle and Murfitt was honored for her work by the New York Drama League. COWGIRLS is published and licensed by Dramatists Play Service. Murfitt's songs have since been published by Hal Leonard Publishing in five separate folios: COWGIRLS Vocal Selections; The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 3 for both Soprano and Mezzo-Soprano/Belter; Belter's Book of Comedy Songs; and Musical Theatre Anthology for Teens. In addition, she has directed numerous productions of Oil City Symphony and Cowgirls around the country including: The Cape Playhouse (MA), The Ogunquit Playhouse (ME), Hippodrome State Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, the Caldwell Theatre (FL)), Chanhassen Theatre (MN), Fullerton Civic Light Opera (CA), Mountain Playhouse (PA) and Festival Stage Theatre in Winston-Salem. She received a Commission/Grant in 2000 from the Continental Harmony Millennium Project to compose a site-specific musical theatre piece for the Performing Arts Company of Jackson Hole (WY). PETTICOAT RULES was the result of this grant and its culmination was the musical's premiere in July 2000. PETTICOAT RULES ran successfully throughout the summers of 2000, 2001 and again in 2009 and 2010. Murfitt was invited to participate as a composer in the National Music Theater Conference at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Two of the pieces she developed there were included in the musical production, Eight is Enough (performed at The Duplex and Joe's Pub in NYC the following year). Her new musical, Looking for Home (previously entitled Orphan Train) for which she wrote music, lyrics and book, was originally developed at the Laguna Playhouse and received subsequent staged readings at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, TriArts Theatre in Sharon, CT and Manhattan Theatre Club in NYC. In November 2011, Looking for Home returned to the Laguna Playhouse for its World Premiere. Murfitt earned her degree in theatre at Marymount College of Kansas. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, Actors Equity and AFTRA. Bio as of November, 2011. American Theatre Wing programs, interviews and/or credits include: Working in the Theatre (video) Playwright and Director - April, 1996 - Watch now. Internet Broadway Database Listing (IBDB.com)