The playwright behind such comedic hits such as The Odd Couple, Biloxi Blues and Plaza Suite has died. Neil Simon was 91.
According to Bill Evans, Simon’s longtime friend and spokesperson for the Shubert Organization, which produces theatrical productions and manages many theatres, the playwright died early Sunday in a Manhattan hospital of complications from pneumonia.
Simon was the American theatre’s most successful and prolific playwright in the second half of the 20th century. He won three regular Tonys, plus one for special achievement, as well as a Pulitzer and the Mark Twain prize for humour.
Simon’s successes included The Sunshine Boys, Lost in Yonkers and Sweet Charity. Many of his plays were adapted into movies and one, The Odd Couple, became a popular TV series.