Charles Grippo
Charles Grippo is an entertainment attorney, playwright, author, producer, and the founder/artistic director of two theater companies: New Lincoln Theatre, Inc., a for profit production company, and Grippo Stage Company, a 501 ( c ) (3) public charity.
He is the author of plays, which have been produced commercially nationwide. They include Sex Marks the Spot, A Wife’s Tale, Outrageous Mis-Fortune, When Angels Wept, The Tooth of the Matter, and Santa’s Children.
Allworth Press has published his books, The Stage Producer’s Business and Legal Guide and Business and Legal Forms for Theater, both of which are in their second editions and are widely used in college and university theater management training programs.
Among the plays he has produced in Chicago include: The Woods (Revival); The Odd Couple (Female Version); A Week-End Near Madison (Chicago regional premiere); Beirut (Chicago Regional Premiere); Semper Fi (Chicago Regional Premiere); The Ben Hecht Show (World Premiere); The God Of Isaac (Revival); Confessions of A P.I.M.P. (Co-producer with Dennis Zacek), written and performed by Tony Award Winning Actor Andre De Shields; Chagall In School (World Premiere); and Shaw vs. Tunney (World Premiere). In Chicago he also presented Victory Harvest, a week-long festival of readings of new plays, improv workshops, panel discussions, and a seminar on self production for playwrights.
During the pandemic Charles also partnered with actor/pianist/playwright/director Hershey Felder to present a series of new musicals live streamed from Florence Italy. These included: A Paris Love Story; Tchaikovsky; Before Fiddler; Puccini; Anna & Sergei; Dante and Beatrice in Florence; Mozart and Figaro in Vienna; Chopin and Liszt; The Assembly; Holiday Surprise.
In connection with Grippo Stage Company, Charles teaches craft and business programs for authors and playwrights.
As an attorney, Charles negotiates and drafts contracts for authors, playwrights and agents; provides estate planning services for owners of IP; vets books and plays for legal risks; helps playwrights and authors to incorporate.
He is Chicago Ambassador for the Author’s Guild. New City Magazine recently selected him as one of the “50 Most Influential Persons in Chicago’s Literary Scene.”
A lifetime member of the Dramatists Guild, he is also a member of the Authors Guild, the Alliance for Jewish Theaters, Chicago Writers’ Bloc, Chicago Writers Association, Society of Midland Authors, Producers Association of Chicago Theater, the League of Chicago Theaters, and the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.
His biography appears in Contemporary Authors, Volume 235.