Screenwriter, playwright and novelist Linda Woolverton ’79 (M.A. theatre arts) is coming back to her alma mater Tuesday, March 21, in an open forum moderated by Anne James, associate professor of theatre and dance. The forum, organized by the College of the Arts as part of Women’s History Month, begins at 1:15 p.m. in the Recital Hall (Room 110) of the Clayes Performing Arts Center.
Woolverton wrote the screenplay for “Beauty and the Beast,” which became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards. She also penned the screenplays for “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Maleficent,” and co-wrote the screenplay for “The Lion King.” The alumna also wrote the sequel to “Maleficent,” which, like the first one, will star Angelina Jolie.
“I have absolutely set out over my career to move the female protagonist forward through time,” Woolverton told the LA Times last year. “Growing up, my favorite movie was ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ and I wanted to see a woman lead that life of adventure.”