Jay Rozgonyi is a Vice Provost at Fairfield University as well as an instructor of Film Studies and Educational Technology. He is the author of the book Preston Sturges’s Vision of America and has contributed introductory essays to the book What Might Have Been: Three Screenplays by Preston Sturges, which will be published by Sticking Place Books later this year. In addition, Jay co-wrote and co-produced the 2025 feature-length documentary Dear Willy: World War II Through the Eyes of One of Hollywood’s Most Prominent Couples, the story of William Wyler’s wartime filmmaking and the long-distance relationship that he and wife Talli maintained between the warfront and Hollywood.
Jay is excited to bring his knowledge of and passion for William Wyler to the Westport Country Playhouse. “It’s amazing that the man who received the most Oscar nominations for best director, and led more actors and actresses to Academy Awards, has been so often forgotten in discussions of the greatest Hollywood filmmakers,” he says. “Roman Holiday is a joyous example of his work—but one that also carries a serious message about the time in which it was made. Beyond the comedy and romance we clearly see the sense of morality and social conscience that made Wyler not just an exceptional filmmaker but also an extraordinary human being.”
English 
Spanish