Richard France is a notable representative of that category of playwright whose work has been subsidized by public and private foundations in America; he has received grants from the Ford, Shubert, Golden, and Rockefeller foundations, as well as National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities grants. His plays are regarded by the cultural establishment as exemplary of certain unique and experimental virtues. Among the other playwrights who, at one time or another, have shared in this distinction are Sam Shepard, Megan Terry, Frank Gagliano, and Romulus Linney. His work has been well received in the academies, with which France has been affiliated since 1973. But he acknowledges that he would prefer a broader audience for his work, and, recently, he has begun to explore such markets as film, television, and musical theatre.

France is the son of U.S. Army officer N. Roy Zagami and...