May, Elaine (1932–)
May, Elaine (1932–)
American actress, director, playwright, and screenwriter. Name variations: Elaine Berlin, Esther Dale. Born Elaine Berlin, April 21, 1932, in Philadelphia, PA; dau. of Jack Berlin (Yiddish stage actor); m. Marvin May (div.); m. Sheldon Harnick (div.); children: Jeannie Berlin (b. 1949, actress).
As a child, toured in plays with her father; worked in improvisation at Chicago's Second City where she met Mike Nichols and enjoyed a huge success when they teamed for nightclubs, tv, recordings and their own Broadway show An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May (1960); wrote such plays as A Matter of Position, Not Enough Hope and Adaptation; films include Enter Laughing, Luv, California Suite and In the Spirit; made writing and directing debut with A New Leaf (1971), followed by The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky and Ishtar; reteamed with Nichols to write The Birdcage (1996).