Biografia
Stephen Pevner began his career as an independent literary agent and manager for motion picture and theater, representing influential writers and filmmakers of his generation such as Richard Linklater, Gregg Araki, and Todd Solondz. Starting in 1995, Pevner produced the debut productions of his playwright client Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues, which won a 1996 Obie Award and became a global phenomenon. The following year, he helped launch playwright Neil LaBute's career by producing his first feature film, In the Company of Men, which won the Filmmakers' Trophy at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, an Independent Spirit Award, and the New York Film Critics Award for Best First Feature.
While executive producing LaBute’s subsequent films Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty, and Possession, Pevner also led New York City's longest-running and largest underground dance parties through his company The Saint At Large©. Under his direction, these iconic dance events introduced top-tier musical talent to New York audiences, including the New York concert debuts of Jennifer Hudson (2006) and Róisín Murphy (2008).
In 1999, Pevner served as Lead Producer for LaBute’s play Bash (Off-Broadway, Los Angeles, London), starring Calista Flockhart, Paul Rudd, and Ron Eldard, and directed by Joe Mantello. The play was filmed live for Showtime, winning the Jury Award for Best Television Movie at the Canadian Banff Awards, and was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 5 Shows of the Year.
In 2003, Pevner produced the hit Hollywood parody Matt & Ben, written and performed by Mindy Kaling (The Office, 40-Year Old Virgin) and Brenda Withers. The play featured productions Off-Broadway, in Los Angeles, Chicago, and on a national tour, earning a spot on Time’s Top 10 list for 2003.
In 2004, Pevner commissioned a screenplay from young Columbia University political writer Beau Willimon, which became the basis for the play Farragut North. The production, staged at The Atlantic Theater Company and The Geffen Playhouse with Chris Noth and Chris Pine, received widespread acclaim, appeared on Time’s Top 10 list for 2008, and was adapted into the film The Ides of March, directed by and starring George Clooney alongside Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marissa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. Pevner serves as executive producer on the film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
Most recently, Pevner produced Caligula Maximus, a musical disco circus featuring Kayvon Zand and showcasing some of New York’s most celebrated nightlife talent. This genre-defying show followed Schwarzwald (2007), a film combining multi-screen projection, live performance, and a continuous dance mix. Schwarzwald continues to screen at film and art festivals and nightclubs worldwide. In addition to developing other theater and film projects, Pevner is the lead producer of the Broadway-bound production of Neil LaBute’s In the Company of Men.
