Born in Pennsylvania and educated in Catholic schools, it is not surprising that the absurdist Durang's first noted work was the satire Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You. Durang won an Obie award for that work and its dark sense of humor, along with the later The Marriage of Bette and Boo,an absurdist piece about a crumbling marriage, and Betty's Summer Vacation. His later work Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike won a TONY award; despite borrowing characters heavily from both The Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, Durang insisted his work was not a parody - but rather, that "I [took] Chekov's scenes and characters and put them in a blender."

Durang's work frequently touched on Catholic themes, but his 2005 Miss Witherspoon was a rare foray into exploring the theme of reincarnation and Eastern philosophy. It was nominated for a Pulitzer. His play Beyond Therapy - about a couple falling in love while simultaneously each struggling with their inept therapists - was made into a 1987 film with Jeff Goldblum and Julie Haggerty (although Durang really didn't care for it).

While best known as a playwright, Durang occasionally acted as well, with modest roles in The Secret of My Success, Mr. North, Penn & Teller Get Killed, In the Spirit, HouseSitterand The Cowboy Way. He also has the unique distinction of being the very first person interviewed on the very first "Church Chat" sketch on Saturday Night Live, thanks to that episode's host Sigourney Weaver (a college friend and longtime collaborator). He might also have met his match in Robin Williams, in this sketch he wrote for a Carol Burnett variety show.

Cruelly for a wordsmith, Durang suffered from Logopenic progressive aphasia in his later years. He is survived by his husband John Augustine.