Playwright Stephen J. Spears, 56
Posted: Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 9:12 pmAustralian author and playwright Steve J. Spears died yesterday at an Adelaide nursing home after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 56.
Spears, who had an international hit in 1976 with the play The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin, a wickedly funny story about an ageing gay elocution teacher who fell for one of his pupils, was based in Sydney for more than two decades but returned to Adelaide about eight years ago to be closer to friends.
Spears developed lung cancer early last year but was given the all-clear in February. Two months later he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour after losing control of his car. … Read full obituary
