New York, NY
Born 1967, Fargo, North Dakota
Yesterday, I was at Genovese buying the big 2.5-gallon bottled water and I was the only person in this giant pharmacy standing right at the checkout counter. I was reading a magazine with my water and the clerk was standing facing me, idle. I was standing three feet from her but she got on the intercom and blasted full on that her station was open with no waiting. I looked up from my magazine and I realized she was talking to me. So I put down my magazine and brought my water to her.
This may not seem to be on the surface like a profound experience, but for me, this one exchange would be enough to not only spark a play, but also perhaps BE an entire play. I see a situation that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. I see two clearly defined characters, defined by dress and speech, which tells us class, race. I see a relationship, costumes, setting, a whole atmosphere, humor, and time. This is enough to begin and hopefully enough, period. And I find that the task then is to balance the duplicity of garnering as much as possible from that isolated and insignificant experience without attaching intended meaning to it.
1986-90 Studied acting at Illinois State University
1998-- Artistic Director, New York City Players, New York
1992-95 Co-founder, Cook County Theater Department, Chicago
1990 Fellow, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago
2001 Caveman, performed in workshop at Soho Rep, New York, second workshop version, Festival D'Automne, Paris; world premiere at Soho Rep, New York.
2000 Boxing 2000, premiered at Present Company Theatorium, New York; co-produced by Soho Rep, New York, Hebbel-Theater, Berlin, and Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University, 2001.
1999 Showy Lady Slipper, performed at Performance Space 122, New York.
1999 Cowboys & Indians, (co-writer Jim Strahs), performed at Soho Rep, New York.
1998 House, premiered at The Ontological Theater, New York, and performed at Performance Space 122, New York.
1998 Ute Mnos. v. Crazy Liquors, premiered at Eden Arcade, New York.
1997 Burger King, performed at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts; New York premiere at HERE.
1997 Flight Courier Service, premiered at The Ontological Theater, New York.
1996 Billings, performed in workshop at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts; premiered at The Ontological Theater, New York, 1997.
1999 Obie Special Citation for House
