The center's best-known creation is its Playwrights Conference, directed by Lloyd Richards, the dean of the Yale School of Drama.

But Mr. Wilson was only one of Mr. Richards's protégés during his more than three decades as head of the Playwrights Conference at the O'Neill Center.

In 1968 he was offered the job as artistic director of the Playwrights Conference, a position he would hold until 1999.

This year's Playwrights Conference, a monthlong series of performances of 15 new works, ended last Sunday.

Turturro created the title role of John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at the Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in 1983.

The Playwrights Conference gives staged readings of new plays July 4-20, and the Music Theater Conference does the same for musicals Aug. 2-10.

"My involvement with the Playwrights Conference crystalized the idea of discovering, developing and giving opportunities to new playwrights," he explained.

Spotlight on Playwrights The O'Neill Theater Center will present its annual Playwrights Conference in Waterford, and 15 playwrights have been chosen to have their works read.

Goldberg is the first woman to run the Playwrights Conference and was named Artistic Director when she was just 31 years old.

Lisa Warrington on the Playwrights Conference, Nelson, New Zealand 1990 See also 'Writers Turn Art on its Head', Nelson Mail, 1990.