Class of 1978; Elected 2016
Roger graduated from Columbia U. where he wrote for the humor magazine and was mentored in playwrighting by Samson Raphaelson, whose play about Al Jolson, “The Jazz Singer”, became the first talking picture. Roger’s first full length play “Been Taken” was produced by the Ensemble Studio Theatre(EST) and starred Helen Hunt and fellow SHS ’77 grad Rick Martino. It was later revived by W.H. Macy at the Atlantic Theater Company and starred Felicity Huffman. Among his one act plays produced in New York, four have been presented in the EST Marathon and four in the SummerShorts festival. His second full length play, “Bodies, Rest, and Motion” premiered at Lincoln Center Theatre. Roger later adapted and co-produced it for the big screen. He co-wrote and produced the MGM/UA film “Sleep With Me” and wrote and directed the Lions Gate release “Hi-Life”. These films featured actors including Bridget Fondam Phoebe Cates, Charles Durning, Daryl Hannah, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz and Quentin Tarantino and were official selections in festivals including Cannes and Sundance. Since moving to Montana in 2000, he has directed plays at the University of Montana and for the Montana Repertory where he is the Playwright in Residence. He has also written “The Count” which premiered at the Florida Stage and “As Sure As You Live” which premiered at the Flight Theatre of Los Angeles. “Been Taken” and “Bodies, Rest, and Motion” are published by the Dramatist Play Service. Roger is a member of the Writers’ Guild of America and EST and was the recipient of an N.E.A. playwrighting fellowship. In 2012 he wrote an episode of “Criminal Minds”, and since then has split his time between Missoula and traveling the world.