 After the death of her husband, Byrne Piven, in 2002, she continued to reside and teach in Evanston, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to be with her children and grandchildren.In the 1950s, the Pivens were two of the founding members of the Playwrights Theatre Club, along with Paul Sills and David Shepard.Playwrights featured such budding stars as Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Ed Asner and Barbara Harris.