Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood’s Hidden Genius

Known for being highly intelligent and often prickly, Elaine May proved herself a multifaceted talent as she transitioned from comedian to writer/director/actor and sought-after script doctor. Working tirelessly for most of the last 70 years, May (born in 1932) has remained an enigmatic figure whose work has often gone uncredited. She has always valued her privacy and reportedly has a penchant for half-truths and humorous exaggerations, but writer/editor/director Courogen skillfully takes on the challenge of discovering the woman behind the legend. She found that May, a single mother at 18, asked her own character-inspiring mother to raise May’s daughter while May partnered with Mike Nichols to revolutionize stand-up comedy and improvisation. She dabbled in acting and directing, most notably helming The Heartbreak Kid and Ishtar, which received advance reviews that sunk the film and created May’s lifelong distrust of the press. On the other hand, her work saved numerous films, including Tootsie and Primary Colors, and her role in the Broadway revival of The Waverly Gallery led to a Best Actress Tony win in 2019 when she was in her late eighties.