Jill Wisoff

Composer Librettist Lyricist Playwright

As bassist and guitarist during the New York punk scene, following a romance with folk guitar and songwriting that began at age 11, Jill Wisoff honed her skills. Having studied composition at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division, theater at Bennington College, the National Theater Institute, and the Neighborhood Playhouse, her journey as a writer led her to perform, dramaturg, and direct at playwright theaters, Off and Off-Off Broadway, on the small and large screen,and in stock. After a decade composing and songwriting for film, she seguèd into script doctoring and screenwriting for various producers. In 2015 she received her MFA in Writing from the New School and today focuses on storytelling through narrative fiction.

Highlights

Bassist and backup singer for the Johnny Thunders band in his last lineup aka The Oddballs touring Europe, the US and Canada.

Lead guitarist and a songwriter for the all-girl reggae band Steppin' Razor.

Co-star in Todd Solondz's first feature film: Fear, Anxiety & Depression

Composer and songwriter on Todd Solondz's Sundance Winner: Welcome to the Dollhouse

Director and dramaturg of Stephen Jackson's Blackbird; and Lethal Dose: 100, honored as best play of the year at American Theater of Actors

Co-writer and director of award winning indie feature comedy film: Creating Karma

Performed in Theater for the New City's Street Theater in a pink wig; and in Leonard Melfi's Rosetti's Apologestics, among other performances at TNC, where she also did a stint as assistant to the producers.

Acted as daughter of Helen Gallagher in Arthur Cantor's production of Money Talks at the Promenade Theater, which also starred Dolores Gray in her last stage appearance.

Company member for five seasons and children's theater director at Long Island's Gateway Musical Theater.

Director of Joan Crawford's Children at New York Theater Ensemble; and writer of script and songs for Phantom of the Disco, directed by Bob Durkin at New York Theater Ensemble

Composer and songwriter on Melissa Gilbert's directorial debut for ABC Afterschool Specials: Me and My Hormones.

Additional score and songwriter on Disney Channel's Smart House, directed by Levar Burton.

Script doctor on Greg Hatanaka's debut feature film Until the Night, which starred Norman Reedus; and on Hatanaka's award-winning second feature Mad Cowgirl.

Filmmaker of The Day After with co-producer Harris Salomon, a documentary shot at Ground Zero and screened at Film Anthology Archives as part of a 9/11 event sponsored by New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT).