Andrew Delaplaine
American screenwriter (1949–2023)
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Andrew Delaplaine (November 16, 1949 – May 1, 2023) was an American novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer.
Andrew Delaplaine | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 16, 1949 |
| Died | May 1, 2023 (aged 73) |
| Occupations | Novelist, screenwriter, director, producer, publisher |
| Known for | Founding Warsaw Ballroom and Wire magazine |
| Notable work | Meeting Spencer (film) A Wonderful World (musical) |
| Awards | Best Screenwriting, Milan International Film Festival (2014) |
Biography
In 1987 Delaplaine moved to South Beach Miami and, with his sister Renee, opened Scratch, one of a handful of white tablecloth restaurants in what was then a slum area of Miami. Behind Scratch, he launched an Equity theater as well as a black box nightclub called Backscratch.[1]
In 1989 Delaplaine (along with his sister Renee) opened the Warsaw Ballroom, which quickly became one of the most outlandish gay nightclubs in the United States.[1][2]
In 1991 he launched Wire, a weekly newspaper modeled on Andy Warhol's Interview. He edited and published Wire for 10 years before selling the magazine to focus on his other writing. It is still the longest-running weekly editorial published on South Beach.[1]
In 1994, since no one else had filed to run against incumbent Mayor Seymour Gelber, thus insuring a situation where issues would never be debated, Delaplaine ran for mayor, but lost.[1] Delaplaine was involved with the early development of A Wonderful World, a new musical based on the life of Louis Armstrong. The show will premiere on Broadway in 2024.[3]
Delaplaine died from stomach cancer on May 1, 2023, at the age of 73.[4]
Films
Delaplaine produced, wrote and or directed several shorts and feature films. Among these pictures is the Malcolm Mowbray directed film Meeting Spencer[5] for which he and his co-writers won "Best Screenwriting" award at the 2014 Milan International Film Festival.[6][7] Meeting Spencer stars Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Jeffrey Tambor.
