From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Murray Burnett was born in New York City in 1911. He was a high school teacher before becoming a playwright. His second wife was actress Adrienne Bayan. They met when she had a role in Hickory Street. Burnett was the uncle of documentary director Barbara Kopple. Burnett died on September 23, 1997 in New York City. Burnett also wrote the play Hickory Street, based on his experiences as a teacher, which opened on Broadway in 1944. He wrote, produced, and ...