WEST SIDE STORY Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim Playwrights: Arthur Laurents was born in New York City in July of 1918. Along with West Side Story, Laurents has also written Gypsy , Anyone Can Whistle , and Do I Hear a Waltz? . Laurents has published a memoir called Original Story By. Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in August of 1918. Bernstein is a conductor, composer and pianist. He is known for accomplishments in classical and popular music and for a flamboyant style. Mr. Bernstein died in October of 1990 in New York, New York. Stephen Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930 in New York City. Many of his shows have become huge hits, and in 2008 the American Theatre Wing awarded him with a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. Sondheim is currently in his early eighties and has a book out called Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes. Director : Ray Miller Performance Dates : February 25-28, 1981 Play : In the streets of New York City there is a rivalry between two gangs. The Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang facing the challenges of being accepted into American Society. The other gang, the Jets, is the “American” gang resisting newcomers from entering what they consider to be their area. When Tony from the Jets falls in love with a Sharks’ girl there is a fight between the gangs. During the fight Tony kills Maria’s brother, Bernardo. Chino, a Shark and Maria’s Puerto Rican suitor, avenges Bernardo’s death and kills Tony. "Leonard Bernstein." Encyclopædia Britannica . Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/62641/Leonard-Bernstein>. "Stephen Sondheim Biography." Academy of Achievement . American Academy of Achievement, 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/son0bio-1>. "West Side Story." Stage Agent . Stage Agent, 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.stageagent.com/Shows/view/697>. .