Foul ‘play’
9 accuse dramatist Horovitz of misconduct
NINE WOMEN have come forward accusing playwright Israel Horovitz, author of more than 70 plays, including “Line” and “Park Your Car In Harvard Yard,” of sexual misconduct.
The women, who spoke on the record to The New York Times, shared stories that span several decades of alleged inappropriate advances, sexual assault and rape. Some alleged assaults occurred when the women were teenagers.
“Each woman’s story was corroborated independently by people in whom they confided,” The New York Times reported.
One of the accusers, Jocelyn Meinhardt, was a high school girlfriend of the author’s son, Adam Horovitz, who would go on to be a co-founder of the Beastie Boys.
At age 19, Meinhardt began a summer fellowship at Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts, where the playwright was artistic director for 28 years. On her first day, Meinhardt told The Times, the author “kissed and fondled her” and then “raped her.”
In a statement, Adam Horovitz said, “I believe the allegations against my father are true, and I stand behind the women that made them.”
Israel Horovitz told The New York Times that while he has “a different memory of some of these events,” he was sorry.
“To hear that I have caused pain is profoundly upsetting, as is the idea that I might have crossed a line with anyone who considered me a mentor,” he said.
Horovitz has been accused of sexual impropriety before, according to BroadwayWorld.com.
In 1993, the Boston Phoenix published an exposé in which 10 women accused him of sexual harassment and assault. Those accusations were mostly disregarded.
The current Gloucester Stage Board president, Liz Neumeier, released a statement Thursday following Horovitz’s resignation as the organization’s founding artistic director.
“When we recently learned that our founding artistic director, Israel Horovitz, has been accused of sexually assaulting a young actor in NYC — repeating conduct he allegedly engaged in, here at GSC, decades ago — we were appalled,” Neumeier said.
“Israel denied the allegations and asked to meet with the full board,” she added. “After he was unable to attend the meeting, he resigned and is no longer an ex officio member of the board of directors.”
I believe the allegations against my father are true, and I stand behind the women that made them. ADAM HOROVITZ OF THE BEASTIE BOYS