Ken’s play, Halftime with Don (PlayLabs 2016), received three productions in 2017-2018 as part of an NNPN Rolling World Premiere. Previous productions include, among others, The Catch (The Denver Center Theatre Company), Fire in the Garden (Indiana Repertory Theatre), The As If Body Loop (Humana Festival), Arrangements (Atlantic Theatre Company). His devised work includes Memorabilia (Alliance Theatre), Hominid (Out of Hand Theatre/Theatre Emory/Oerol Festival Netherlands), and Stadium 360 (Out of Hand Theatre).
Current plays in progress include seal boy (Playwrights' Center Core workshop, AADA Main Stage Live, Keen Company Playwrights Lab, Lark Meeting of the Minds, and winner of BETC’s Generations competition, and which BETC Company will produce in ‘21-‘22), and Spin Moves (Victory Gardens Ignition Festival, Theatre Lab, New Harmony Project).
National Awards include The L. Arnold Weissberger Award for Playwriting for Arrangements, TCG Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award for The Catch, the Fratti/Newman Political Play Contest Award for Fire in the Garden, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s Generations competition for seal boy, and South Coast Repertory’s Elizabeth George Commission for an Outstanding Emerging Playwright.
Organizations who have commissioned Ken’s work include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Arena Stage, the Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Theatre Emory, Out of Hand Theatre, and South Coast Repertory Theatre.
Ken’s plays and monologues have been published by Samuel French, Playscripts, Smith and Kraus, Blackbird, and Applause.
Ken received his MFA from University of California, San Diego and has taught at UCSD, Emory University, Indiana University (head of MFA in Playwriting) and, currently, at Stony Brook University.
Successes
Ken Weitzman's play seal boy will be part of NNPN's Showcase Playwright Slam during their 19th Annual National Showcase of New Plays. The 2020 Showcase will take place virtually from November 19-22. Read the announcement here.
Ken Weitzman's seal boy won the 2019 BETC Generations Prize and the piece will be produced at BETC sometime in the '21-'22 season (Covid willing).
Ken Weitzman's play SEAL BOY, which was workshopped at the PWC last year, will be performed at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, February 12th through the 17th. Ticket information can be found here.
Spin Moves set to premiere August 5th at Ignition Festival of New Plays 2017.
B Street will produce Ken Weitzman’s Halftime with Don (Sept. 2018) as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The play follows retired NFL player Don Devers, whose public perception might be saved when a fan shows up on his doorstep.