Out playwright Terrence McNally has
died of complications from coronavirus (COVID-19).
McNally was 81 and is survived by his
husband, Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy.
He died Tuesday at Sarasota Memorial
Hospital in Sarasota, Florida, the AP reported.
A four-time Tony Award winner,
McNally's career spanned six decades. He is best known for writing
Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Frankie and
Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Love! Valour! Compassion!,
the Tony-Award winning play about a group of eight gay friends at the
height of the AIDS crisis.
In Kiss
of the Spider Woman and
Corpus Christi, McNally confronted homophobia. Corpus
Christi was met with threats of violence for its portrayal of
Jesus as a gay man.
Tributes for McNally poured in on
social media.
“So incredibly saddened at the
passing of the great Terrence McNally – virtuosic playwright,
fearless LGBT activist, and steadfast friend,” out actress Cynthia
Nixon said in a tweet. “There will never be another one like him.”
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel
Miranda tweeted: “Heartbroken over the loss of Terrence McNally, a
giant in our world, who straddled plays and musicals deftly. Grateful
for his staggering body of work and his unfailing kindness.”