Carl Churchill, also spelled as Caryl Churchill, was born in London, England, on September 3, 1938. Growing up, Churchill lived in both England and Canada and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, in 1960. While at Oxford, Churchill became interested in theatre and went on to write three plays while she was there. After graduation, Churchill spent the next ten years writing plays, including "Lovesick" and "Schreber's Nervous Illness," which were broadcast on the BBC. In 1974, Churchill began working for the Royal Court Theatre as a resident playwright and two years later she joined the Joint Stock Theatre Group, an organization that uses collective collaboration between actors, writers, and directors when creating theatrical works. Churchill has also written dozens of books over the years, among them Blue Heart, Cloud Nine, and Hotel: In a Room Anything Can Happen. Looked upon as a voice of post-modernism, Churchill is well known for her use of dramatic structure.
August Strindberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden on January 22, 1849. He was educated at the University of Uppsala in Sweden, but left without a degree. He began to write while supporting himself at a variety of jobs, including journalist and librarian. He wrote several novels including The Red Room and Black Banners, but was best known as a playwright. His plays include The Father, Miss Julie, Creditors, A Dream Play, and The Ghost Sonata. He also wrote an autobiography entitled The Son of a Servant. He died on May 14, 1912 at the age of 63.
