Richard Nelson

On April 29, 2020, the Public live-streamed a new Apple Family play, What Do We Need to Talk About?. Again directed by Nelson, it reunited the cast from Regular Singing. The characters, now 7 years older, meet by video during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019 Nelson added to the Rhinebeck Panorama with The Michaels, which ran at the Public October 19 – December 1, 2019. As with the Apple and Gabriel family plays it takes place around a meal, this time in the kitchen of Rose Michael, a celebrated choreographer.

The Gabriels played an engagement at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) in January 2017 and then played at The Perth International Arts Festival (Australia) in February 11–18, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival in February 22–26. The original cast performed.

Nelson has written a new trilogy, titled The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, focusing on the Gabriel family during the 2016 presidential election year. The same cast appears in all three plays: Meg Gibson (Karin Gabriel), Lynn Hawley (Hannah Gabriel), Roberta Maxwell (Patricia Gabriel), Maryann Plunkett (Mary Gabriel), Jay O. Sanders (George Gabriel), and Amy Warren (Joyce Gabriel). The first play Hungry opened Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre on February 27, 2016 (previews), and officially on March 4, directed by Nelson. The next play in the trilogy, What Did You Expect?, opened on September 10, 2016, in previews, officially on September 16 and closed on October 9. The final play, Women of a Certain Age, opened on election night, November 8, 2016. and ran to December 4. The three plays ran in repertory December 10 to 18.

From 2010 to 2013, Nelson wrote and directed four plays centered around the Apple Family, a fictional household set in Rhinebeck, New York with each play focused on either an election or a significant historical anniversary. The main characters are three adult sisters, Barbara, Marian and Jane — called a "Chekhovian family pod" by the Variety reviewer.

The first play in the series, That Hopey Changey Thing focused on the 2010 midterm elections, and opened on election night, November 2, 2010. The second play, Sweet and Sad (2011) depicts the family on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The third play, Sorry opened on November 6, 2012, and takes place during the 2012 presidential election. The final play, Regular Singing (2013) is set on the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination. Each play debuted Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, featuring essentially the same cast members in each subsequent production. With the opening of the final play, Regular Singing in 2013, the Public Theater presented the entire series in repertory.

in November 2006, Frank's Home, about two days in the life of Frank Lloyd Wright, premiered in Chicago, Nelson's home town, at the Goodman Theatre (in association with Playwrights Horizons). In an interview in The Brooklyn Rail at the time of its New York debut, Nelson offers advice to young writers: "My advice is always to write, to write what really matters. I ask my students two questions: Why did you write it? And should I watch it? People ask about structure, form, character development, and I’m not even sure what all of that means. Try not to second guess yourself. Form will come if you focus on what you want to say with truth and honesty. Structure is the hand that holds up what you want to say." From 2005-2008, Nelson was the chair of the playwriting department at the Yale School of Drama.

He has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and had ten plays produced there. Those plays include: Principia Scriptoriae (1986), Some Americans Abroad (1989), Two Shakespearean Actors (1990), Columbus and the Discovery of Japan (1992), Misha's Party (1993), New England (1994), The General From America (1996) and Goodnight Children Everywhere (1997).

He graduated from Hamilton College in 1972, and received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Hamilton College in 2004.

He married Cynthia Blair Bacon on May 21, 1972; they have two children, Zoe (b. 1983) and Jocelyn (b. 1988).

Richard John Nelson (born October 17, 1950) is an American playwright and librettist. He wrote the books for the Tony Award-winning musicals James Joyce's The Dead, the Broadway version of Chess, as well as the critically acclaimed play cycle The Apple Family Plays.