The Writers
John Michael Tebelak
John Michael Tebelak, born in Cleveland in 1949, found his first and biggest theatrical success in Godspell. The first iteration of Godspell was produced for Tebelak's master's thesis at Carnegie-Mellon University, where he and his classmates devised and staged the show. Because the vast majority of the script comes from the gospels (and the Gospel of Matthew in particular), Tebelak is credited as "directing and originally conceiving" Godspell.
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Tebelak was inspired to stage Godspell by the joy he found in reading the gospels, and a particular Easter service he attended which he felt sucked that very joy out of them. Several of his collaborators at CMU went on to perform in the first off-Boradway production of Godspell at La MaMa Theatre in 1971, followed by a 5-year run off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre and a Broadway opening in 1976; Tebelak directed all productions. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1973 film adaptation.
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Tebelak's other works include Elizabeth I and The Glorious Age (director). In addition, he worked as dramaturg for the Cathedral Church of St. John Divine, where he wrote liturgical dramas. He also briefly attended divinity school, with the intent of becoming an Episcopalian minister.
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Tebelak died in 1985 of a heart attack, at the age of 36.
John Michael Tebelak, born in Cleveland in 1949, found his first and biggest theatrical success in Godspell. The first iteration of Godspell was produced for Tebelak's master's thesis at Carnegie-Mellon University, where he and his classmates devised and staged the show. Because the vast majority of the script comes from the gospels (and the Gospel of Matthew in particular), Tebelak is credited as "directing and originally conceiving" Godspell.
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Tebelak was inspired to stage Godspell by the joy he found in reading the gospels, and a particular Easter service he attended which he felt sucked that very joy out of them. Several of his collaborators at CMU went on to perform in the first off-Boradway production of Godspell at La MaMa Theatre in 1971, followed by a 5-year run off-Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre and a Broadway opening in 1976; Tebelak directed all productions. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1973 film adaptation.
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Tebelak's other works include Elizabeth I and The Glorious Age (director). In addition, he worked as dramaturg for the Cathedral Church of St. John Divine, where he wrote liturgical dramas. He also briefly attended divinity school, with the intent of becoming an Episcopalian minister.
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Tebelak died in 1985 of a heart attack, at the age of 36.
A Polaroid of John Michael Tebelak
Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City in 1948. A fellow alumnus of Carnegie-Mellon University, he graduated with his B.F.A. in drama in 1968 and moved back to NY to work in music production and Broadway theatre. He began work on Godspell, his first major full-length work, in 1971.
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Schwartz has composed and written several successful Broadway musicals since his earliest success in Godspell, including the musicals Pippin, Children of Eden, and Wicked, which is currently running on Broadway. He has also collaborated on several Disney movies with Alan Menken, including Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Enchanted. He has won several awards, including 3 Oscars, 4 Grammys, and 4 Drama Desk Awards.
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Several of Schwartz's works have explicitly religious themes. Like Godspell, his musical Children of Eden and animated film The Prince of Egypt dramatize biblical stories (the creation story and the Israeli Exodus from Egypt, respectively). In addition, The Hunchback of Notre Dame takes place in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and involves conflict with religious authorities.
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