The theatrical division of International Literary Properties (ILP) has entered into a partnership with Simcha Productions, Inc., the six-decades-old production company of playwright and screenwriter Sidney Aaron “Paddy” Chayefsky. Together, the organizations will manage the literary works of the Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee.
Chayefsky is a two-time Best Play Tony nominee for 1959’s “The Tenth Man” and 1961’s “Gideon.” Chayefsky additional Main Stem credits include 1956’s “Middle of the Night” and 1964’s “The Passion of Josef D.,” the latter of which he also directed. As a screenwriter, Chayefsky, who passed away in 1981, holds the distinction of being the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted (“Marty”) and original screenplays (“The Hospital” and “Network”). “Network” was posthumously adapted into a stage play, which bowed on Broadway in 2018 starring Bryan Cranston.
“Paddy Chayefsky’s wide range of work spans across theater, television, film and literature,” said Michael Barra, CEO of ILP, in a statement. “We are so excited to continue to expand the reach of his work and expose his prolific voice to new audiences around the globe.”
“I am very pleased to associate my father’s legacy with the professionals at ILP, whose broad experience in all aspects of entertainment will surely bring renewed attention to all of my father’s works, which resonate with culture and society even today,” said Dan Chayefsky, Chayefsky’s son and president of Simcha Productions.
This announcement comes on the heels of ILP’s other recent literary acquisitions of playwrights of note. ILP, which invests in, acquires, manages and enhances literary and theatrical estates, recently entered into a partnership with the University of the South to co-manage the catalog of Tony-winning playwright Tennessee Williams. In March, ILP acquired the works of Tony winner Alfred Uhry.
Founded in 2020, ILP is led by Barra and chair Thomas B. McGrath. The Paddy Chayefsky Estate continues to be represented by Frederick Bimbler at Moses Singer and WME.
