LYLE KESSLER’S “ORPHANS” WAS PRODUCED INITIALLY AT L.A’S MATRIX THEATRE AND SUBSEQUENTLY IN CHICAGO AND N.Y. BY THE STEPPENWOLF THEATRE CO., DIRECTED BY GARY SINISE.  IT HAS BROKEN BOX OFFICE RECORDS IN COUNTRIES AS DIVERSE AS TURKEY, POLAND, MEXICO, GREECE, ITALY, FINLAND AND JAPAN.  ALBERT FINNEY WON THE COVETED OLIVIER AWARD IN LONDON’S WEST END PRODUCTION.  “THE WATERING PLACE” WAS PRODUCED AT BROADWAY’S MUSIC BOX THEATRE, STARRING  RALPH WAITE, SHIRLEY KNIGHT AND BILL DEVANE, DIRECTED BY ALAN SCHNEIDER.  “POSSESSION” AT NEW YORK’S ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE, STARRING TOM BERENGER.  “HOLY LAND” AT E.S.T. WITH MR. KESSLER PLAYING THE LEAD ROLE.  “ROBBERS” AT THE AMERICAN PLACE THEATRE, STARRING MICHAEL RAPAPORT, DIRECTED BY MARSHALL MASON.  “THE VIEWING” WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MR. KESSLER AT NEW YORK’S LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE.  “UNLISTED” AT L.A.’S TIFFANY THEATRE, DIRECTED BY BILL DEVANE.  THE NEW YORK AMORALISTS CO’S PRODUCTION OF “COLLISION” AT THE RATTLESTICK THEATER.    “ORPHANS” RECEIVED TWO TONY NOMINATIONS FOR THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION FOR BOTH ACTING AND PLAY REVIVAL.   MR KESSLER’S PLAYS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY RANDOM HOUSE, GROVE PRESS AND SAMUEL FRENCH.

 MR KESSLER ADAPTED HIS PLAY “ORPHANS” FOR THE SCREEN, STARRING ALBERT FINNEY, MATTHEW MODINE AND KEVIN ANDERSON, DIRECTED BY ALAN PAKULA.  HE WROTE AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCED “THE SAINT OF FORT WASHINGTON” STARRING DANNY GLOVER AND MATT DILLON, DIRECTED BY TIM HUNTER.  OTHER FILMS INCLUDE “GLADIATOR” STARRING CUBA GOODING JR. AND BRIAN DENNEHY AND “TOUCHED”, WRITTEN AND CO-STARRING MR. KESSLER, ROBERT HAYS AND NED BEATTY. 

 MR. KESSLER IS A PLAYWRIGHT, ACTOR AND DIRECTOR IN THE L.A AND N.Y THEATRE.  HE IS AN ACTOR/PLAYWRIGHT MEMBER OF THE LABYRINTH THEATER COMPANY.  HE INITIALLY STARRED IN THE PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE OF “WAITING FOR GODOT” OPPOSITE BRUCE DERN.   HE PLAYED LEE STRASBERG IN MARK RYDELL’S FILM, “JAMES DEAN,” STARRING JAMES FRANCO.    HE MODERATED THE PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTORS UNIT OF THE ACTORS STUDIO WEST FOR ELEVEN YEARS AND CONTINUES TO MODERATE AT THE ACTORS STUDIO EAST.    MR. KESSLER SERVED AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE SUNDANCE SCREENWRITER’S LAB.  HE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE SUNDANCE SCREENWRITERS CONFERENCE IN HUNGARY, WORKING WITH WRITERS FROM ALL OVER EASTERN EUROPE.   MISTER KESSLER, MARTIN LANDAU AND MARK RYDELL RAN THE SUCCESSFUL “TOTAL PICTURE SEMINAR” AT UCLA, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN WRITER, ACTOR AND DIRECTOR.

MR. KESSLER WAS AWARDED A ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION PLAYWRITING GRANT AND WON THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS PLAYWRITING AWARD.   

 MR KESSLER AND HIS WIFE ACTRESS MARGARET LADD ARE FOUNDERS OF THE IMAGINATION WORKSHOP WHICH BEGAN AT NEW YORK’S MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL AND IS NOW LOCATED AT UCLA’S SEMEL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND HUMAN BEAVIOR.   USING A UNIQUE ARTISTIC METHODOLOGY, ACTORS, WRITERS AND DIRECTORS CREATE SCENES AND ORIGINAL PLAYS WITH PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS, VETERANS AND “AT RISK” STUDENTS IN THE L.A. PUBLIC SCHOOLS