Location: United States
Member Since:
Sep. 08, 2008
Artie Van Why
Biography
ARTIE VAN WHY, originally from a small town in Montgomery County, Maryland, lived in New York City over twenty-five years, pursuing a stage career.
Artie left show business in 1988 and entered the corporate world. He worked for the same law firm in midtown Manhattan for thirteen years. In June of 2001, his firm moved to other quarters downtown, across from the World Trade Center. He was at work the morning of September 11th and witnessed the horror of that day from the streets. Artie eventually quit his job after returning to work for three weeks back at his office’s building near what was now called Ground Zero. He began writing about his experience of that day and the days and weeks following, giving a vivid account of what it was like to be in New York City. He sent some of his writings to friends and family via e-mails, and they, in turn, forwarded them to their friends and families. In a short period of time, people across the country were reading Artie’s e-mails. He began receiving e-mails from people expressing their gratitude in being given a glimpse of what it was like to be in New York City during that time. He was encouraged to keep writing, and he did. Led by a personal conviction that this was what he should do, Artie decided to put his writing into script form. Laboring over draft after draft, Artie wanted to create a work he could share with people across the country.
He met famed actor, Richard Masur, through a mutual friend. Richard had done weeks of volunteer work at Ground Zero during the weeks of rescue and recovery. With Richard’s help, Artie put the final touches on the script and produced a staged reading of what was now a one-man play called "That Day In September" in New York City. The reading was a success, a sold-out evening. With Richard Masur now involved as director, the first mounted production of "That Day In September" premiered on the campus of California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks, California, shortly after the one-year anniversary of September 11th. The play then moved to the Celebration Theater in Los Angeles, where it opened to critical acclaim.
Back in New York, Artie mounted a workshop production of "That Day In September", in preparation for a New York run. In August of 2003, That Day In September opened Off Broadway for a limited run.
After the New York production, Artie moved to Lancaster County, in Pennsylvania, where he still resides.
Artie left show business in 1988 and entered the corporate world. He worked for the same law firm in midtown Manhattan for thirteen years. In June of 2001, his firm moved to other quarters downtown, across from the World Trade Center. He was at work the morning of September 11th and witnessed the horror of that day from the streets. Artie eventually quit his job after returning to work for three weeks back at his office’s building near what was now called Ground Zero. He began writing about his experience of that day and the days and weeks following, giving a vivid account of what it was like to be in New York City. He sent some of his writings to friends and family via e-mails, and they, in turn, forwarded them to their friends and families. In a short period of time, people across the country were reading Artie’s e-mails. He began receiving e-mails from people expressing their gratitude in being given a glimpse of what it was like to be in New York City during that time. He was encouraged to keep writing, and he did. Led by a personal conviction that this was what he should do, Artie decided to put his writing into script form. Laboring over draft after draft, Artie wanted to create a work he could share with people across the country.
He met famed actor, Richard Masur, through a mutual friend. Richard had done weeks of volunteer work at Ground Zero during the weeks of rescue and recovery. With Richard’s help, Artie put the final touches on the script and produced a staged reading of what was now a one-man play called "That Day In September" in New York City. The reading was a success, a sold-out evening. With Richard Masur now involved as director, the first mounted production of "That Day In September" premiered on the campus of California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks, California, shortly after the one-year anniversary of September 11th. The play then moved to the Celebration Theater in Los Angeles, where it opened to critical acclaim.
Back in New York, Artie mounted a workshop production of "That Day In September", in preparation for a New York run. In August of 2003, That Day In September opened Off Broadway for a limited run.
After the New York production, Artie moved to Lancaster County, in Pennsylvania, where he still resides.
Where to find Artie Van Why online
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/artie-van-why/9/1b8/102
Blog: http://thatdayinseptember.blogspot.com/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/artie-van-why/9/1b8/102
Blog: http://thatdayinseptember.blogspot.com/
Where to buy in print
Videos
"That Day In September"
We all have a story of where we were on September 11, 2001. This is one of them.