Ken Urban

{{Infobox person

| name = Ken Urban

| image = Ken Urban Headshot.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|06|20|mf=y}}

| birth_place = New Jersey

| education = Bucknell University (Bachelor's)

Rutgers University (Master's)

Rutgers University (PhD)

| occupation = Playwright, Musician, Senior Lecturer

| website = kenurban.org

}}

Ken Urban (born June 20, 1974) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and musician based in New York. Urban is a resident playwright at New Dramatists{{Cite web |title=Topics – Ken Urban |url=https://newdramatists.org/topics/450 |access-date=2019-03-13 |website=newdramatists.org}} and an affiliated writer at the Playwrights' Center.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Marc |date=2018-05-08 |title=32: Ken Urban - Playwright Spotlight |url=https://talkingtheater.com/ken-urban-playwright/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190208093712/https://talkingtheater.com/ken-urban-playwright/ |archive-date=2019-02-08 |access-date=2019-03-13 |website=Talking Theater |language=en-US}}

He is a senior lecturer of Theater Arts and the Director of Dramatic Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously he has taught writing at Harvard University, Princeton University, Tufts University, and Davidson College.

Urban's play The Happy Sad, had its first production at the Summer Play Festival at The Public Theater He adapted the play into a screenplay, and in 2013, it was released as a feature film directed by Rodney Evans.{{Cite news |last1=Catsoulis |first1=Jeannette |date=15 August 2013 |title='The Happy Sad,' Based on Ken Urban's Play |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/movies/the-happy-sad-based-on-ken-urbans-play.html |access-date=2019-03-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en}}

Background

Urban attended Bucknell University, and graduated magna cum laude in English in 1996.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bucknell.edu//info-about-attending-bucknell/who-we-are/bucknell-stories/alumni-stories/ken-urban-96|title=Ken Urban '96|website=www.bucknell.edu|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13}} He earned a Master's and Ph.D. in English Literature from Rutgers University in 2006.{{Cite web |url=https://english.rutgers.edu/alumni/newsletter/fall_winter_04/urban.html|title=Friends of Rutgers - A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends of the Department of English|website=english.rutgers.edu|access-date=2019-03-13}} After receiving his doctorate, Urban taught at Harvard University for 8 years, and has since held teaching positions at Princeton University and Tufts University, focusing on instruction related to playwriting, screenwriting, academic writing, and dramatic literature.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2017/08/01/for-playwright-ken-urban-world-premiere-and-teaching-gig-mit/lUccOxvF1motkgnT0Y2QRP/story.html|title=For playwright Ken Urban, a world premiere and a teaching gig at MIT|first=Don |last=Aucoin|website=BostonGlobe.com|access-date=2019-03-13}} Urban is currently a senior lecturer and Director of Dramatic Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has been since 2017. There, he founded the annual Playwright's Lab, a play festival featuring student-written plays read by local professional actors.

Urban has a portfolio that includes over ten plays, and has had plays both Off-Broadway and on London's West End. Further included in his portfolio are screenplays and albums and songs from the band Occurrence —which Urban is the lead member of.

Plays

= Produced plays =

Source:{{Cite web |title=Plays |url=https://www.kenurban.org/plays |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Ken Urban Playwright |language=en-US}}

2001: I (Heart) KANT (Moving Arts){{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Anita |date=September 13, 2006 |title=Seeing Four Women's Lives, Full of Pluses and Minuses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/theater/reviews/13kant.html |website=The New York Times}}
2007: The Private Lives of Eskimos (The Committee){{Cite web |last=La Rocco |first=Claudia |date=September 12, 2007 |title=Must Check This Out! Eskimos Speak Spam! Who Knew? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/theater/reviews/12eski.html |website=The New York Times}}
2009: The Happy Sad (The Public Theater){{Cite web |title=Studio Theatre {{!}} The Remains: Visual History |url=https://www.studiotheatre.org/plays/play-detail/2017-2018-the-remains/visual-history |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.studiotheatre.org}}
2013: The Awake (59E59 Theaters){{Cite web |last=Rampell |first=Catherine |date=August 30, 2013 |title=To Sleep, Perchance to Dream Another's Reality |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/31/theater/reviews/the-awake-by-ken-urban-with-consciousness-in-limbo.html |website=The New York Times}}
2014: The Correspondent (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater){{Cite web |last=Feldman |first=Adam |date=February 13, 2014 |title=The Correspondent |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/the-correspondent |website=TimeOut}}
2015: A Future Perfect (Speakeasy Stage Company){{Cite news|author=Jeffrey Gantz |date=January 15, 2015 |title=In 'A Future Perfect,' the end of indie |newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/01/15/future-perfect-end-indie/UAhCnWRL96SS7wMUeQ64CO/story.html |access-date=2024-09-15 |language=en-US}}
2015: Sense of an Ending (Theatre503){{Cite web |date=May 21, 2015 |title=Sense of an Ending |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/sense-of-an-ending |website=TimeOut}}
2017: Nibbler (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater){{Cite news |last=Soloski |first=Alexis |title=Review: 'Nibbler,' About the Sweet Horrors of Youth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/theater/review-nibbler-about-the-sweet-horrors-of-youth.html |newspaper=The New York Times}}
2017: A Guide for the Homesick (Huntington Theatre Company){{Cite news |date=2017-10-20 |title='A Guide For The Homesick' Could Leave You With Spiritual Sunburn |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2017/10/20/guide-for-the-homesick-review |access-date=2024-09-03 |work=WBUR |language=en}}
2018: The Remains (Studio Theatre){{Cite web |title=Studio Theatre {{!}} The Remains |url=https://www.studiotheatre.org/plays/play-detail/2017-2018-the-remains |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.studiotheatre.org}}
2022: Vapor Trail (Tribeca Festival){{Cite web |title=Vapor Trail |website=Tribeca Festival |url=https://tribecafilm.com/films/vapor-trail-2022 |access-date=2024-09-03}}

= Plays in progress =

According to Urban's website, he has the following plays in progress.{{Cite web |title=Ken Urban Playwright |url=https://www.kenurban.org/ |access-date=2019-04-04 |website=Ken Urban Playwright |language=en-US}}

The Moderate
The Tenure Itch
Danger and Opportunity

TV and film

= Pilots =

The Art of Listening (Optioned by ITV and Madison Wells Media){{Cite web |title=Ken Urban {{!}} New Dramatists |url=https://newdramatists.org/ken-urban |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=newdramatists.org}}

= Feature films =

2013: The Happy Sad (Produced by IFC and Miasma Films and directed by Rodney Evans){{Cite web |last=Catsoulis |first=Jeannette Catsoulis |date=August 15, 2013 |title=Each Couple Is Unhappy in Its Own Way |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/movies/the-happy-sad-based-on-ken-urbans-play.html |website=The New York Times}}

= Short films =

2013: I Am a Great Big Ball of Saddness (Produced by Manhattan Short Film Festival and directed by Chris Tyler){{Citation |last=Tyler |first=Chris |title=I Am a Big Ball of Sadness |type=Short, Drama |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2880490/ |access-date=2024-09-15 |others=David Bernstein, David Bernstein, Brian McManamon |last2=Voorhees |first2=Chase}}

Music

Urban is a co-founder of the band Occurrence, which also features vocalists Cat Hollyer and Johnny Hager.{{Cite web |title=Occurrence |url=https://www.occurrencemusic.com/ |access-date=2019-04-04 |website=Occurrence |language=en-US}}

= Occurrence (band) =

== Albums ==

Source:{{Cite web |title=Occurrence |url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Vmc1RPFytcTqBGLhwobLE |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Spotify |language=en}}

2016: The Past Will Last Forever
2018: If He Were Here
2018: Everyone Knows the Disaster is Coming
2021: I Have So Much Love to Give
2023: Slow Violence

== Singles ==

Source:

2017: "The Time of Year"
2020: "Privacy Invaders"
2020: "Dead Sleep Best"
2020: "All My Days" (Remix H1987)
2020: "All My Days"
2021: "My Eternal Autumn"
2021: "Boy Joy"
2021: "The Happy Years"
2021: "I Have So Much Love to Give"

Awards and honors

= Awards =

2007: Playwriting Fellowship, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA{{Cite web |title=Playwriting Fellows |url=https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/new-works/playwriting-fellows/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Huntington Theatre Company |language=en-US}}
2007: Nancy Quinn Grant, A.R.T./NY, NYC{{Cite web |title=The world premiere of In the Event of My Death {{!}} IRT Theater |url=https://irttheater.org/3b-development-series/the-world-premiere-of-in-the-event-of-my-death/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |language=en-US}}
2008: L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award (for Sense of an Ending){{Cite web |title=Clarence Coo's Chapters Of A Floating Life Receives 2023 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award |url=https://wtfestival.org/clarence-coos-chapters-of-a-floating-life-receives-2023-l-arnold-weissberger-new-play-award/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival |language=en-US}}
2010: Dramatists Guild Fellowship, NYC{{Cite web |title=Ken Urban – Dramatists Guild Foundation |url=https://dgf.org/fellows/ken-urban/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=dgf.org}}
2016: New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Playwriting/Screenwriting{{Cite web |date=2016-07-08 |title=NYFA Announces Recipients and Finalists for 2016 Artists' Fellowship Program |url=https://www.nyfa.org/nyfa-announces-recipients-and-finalists-for-2016-147104577308 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=NYFA |language=en-US}}
2018: Independent Reviewers of New England Award for Best New Play (for A Guide for the Homesick){{Cite web |title=2017 IRNE Awards Winners Announced – Shoshana Bean, Mark Rylance, Scottsboro Boys and More! |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/boston/article/2017-IRNE-Awards-Winners-Announced-Shoshana-Bean-Mark-Rylance-SCOTTSBORO-BOYS-and-More-20170425 |access-date=2019-04-04 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}
2023: A IS FOR Playwriting Contest (2nd Place Winner) (for Cath Carroll){{Cite web |title=Playwriting Contest 2024! |url=https://aisfor.org/plays |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=A is For |language=en-US}}
2024: Winner of the Blue Ink Award for Playwriting (for The Conquered){{Cite web |last=Blues |date=2024-03-27 |title=2024 Blue Ink Award Winner Announced |url=https://americanbluestheater.com/2024/03/27/2024-blue-ink-award-winner-announced/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=American Blues Theater |language=en-US}}

Residencies

2003: Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, NY{{Cite web |title=Writer Director Lab |url=https://sohorep.org/writer-director-lab/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Soho Rep |language=en-US}}
2008: MacDowell Fellow, MacDowell, Peterborough, NH{{Cite web |title=Ken Urban - MacDowell Fellow in Theatre Arts |url=https://www.macdowell.org/artists/ken-urban |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=MacDowell |language=en}}
2009: MacDowell Fellow, MacDowell, Peterborough, NH
2012 Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA{{Cite web |title=Ken Urban's The Immortals |url=https://arts.mit.edu/people/ken-urbans-the-immortals/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Arts at MIT |language=en-US}}
2014 Core Writer, Three-Year Residency, Playwrights' Center, Minneapolis, MN{{Cite web |date=2016-03-15 |title=An interview with Ken Urban {{!}} Playwrights' Center |url=https://pwcenter.org/news/interview-ken-urban |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=pwcenter.org |language=en}}
2015 Selected Playwright, R&D Group, The Civilians, NYC{{Cite web |title=2015-2016 - The Civilians |url=https://thecivilians.org/rdgroups/2015-2016/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=thecivilians.org}}
2015 Artist in Residence, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA{{Cite web |date=2014-12-16 |title=Ken Urban - Headlands Center for the Arts |url=https://www.headlands.org/artist/ken-urban/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Headlands Center for the Arts - |language=en}}
2016 Member Playwright, Multi-Year Residency, New Dramatists, NY
2017 Affiliated Writer, Playwrights' Center, Minneapolis, MN{{Cite web |title=Ken Urban {{!}} Playwrights' Center |url=https://pwcenter.org/profile/ken-urban |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=pwcenter.org |language=en}}
2019 Artist in Residence, Millay Colony, Austerlitz, NY{{Cite web |title=Alumni 2010-2020 |url=https://www.millayarts.org/alumni-20102020 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Millay Arts |language=en-US}}
2020 Selected Playwright, Keen Playwrights Lab, Keen Company, New York, NY{{Cite web |title=Keen Playwrights Lab |url=https://www.keencompany.org/playlab |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Keen Company |language=en-US}}
2020 Selected Playwright, R&D Group, The Civilians, NYC{{Cite web |title=2020-2021 - The Civilians |url=https://thecivilians.org/rdgroups/2020-2021/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=thecivilians.org}}
2020 EST/Alfred P. Sloan Science & Technology Project Commission
2022 MacDowell Fellow, MacDowell, Peterborough, NH
2023 MacDowell Fellow, MacDowell, Peterborough, NH
2023 Venturous Theater Fund Finishing Commission{{Cite web |title=Finishing Commissions Program |url=https://venturoustheaterfund.org/finishing-commissions/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Venturous Theater Fund |language=en-US}}

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.kenurban.org}}

Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:Bucknell University alumni

Category:Rutgers University alumni

Category:Harvard University faculty

Category:21st-century American dramatists and playwrights

Category:American theatre directors