Jen Silverman is an American playwright, TV writer, and novelist. Silverman grew up living and traveling in Scandinavia, Asia, and Europe as well as the United States. They completed a BA in comparative literature at Brown University and an MFA in playwriting at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...

, and also studied at

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most e ...

. They are the author of the book ''The Island Dwellers'', an interlinked story collection published by Random House.

Background

They have taught theatre and playwriting classes at the University of Iowa, Playwrights Horizons Theater School at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

, and ESPA (at

Primary Stages Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company. In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years at 354 West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theaters. In 2014, the c ...

). Silverman completed residencies at

MacDowell Colony MacDowell is an artist's residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire, United States, founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDow ...

(two-time fellow), New Harmony, Hedgebrook, the

Millay Colony for the Arts Millay Arts, formerly the Millay Colony for the Arts, is an arts community offering residency-retreats and workshops in Austerlitz, New York, and free arts programs in local public schools. Housed on the former property of feminist/activist poet ...

, and SPACE on Ryder Farm. Silverman also writes for TV; they wrote for Netflix's

Tales of the City (2019 miniseries) ''Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City'' is an American drama streaming television miniseries that premiered June 7, 2019, on Netflix, based on the ''Tales of the City'' novels by Armistead Maupin. Laura Linney, Paul Gross, Olympia Dukakis, and B ...

Works

Plays

*''Collective Rage: A Play In 5 Betties; In Essence, A Queer And Occasionally Hazardous Exploration; Do You Remember When You Were In Middle School And You Read About Shackleton And How He Explored The Antarctic?; Imagine The Antarctic As A Pussy And It’s Sort Of Like That'' *''The Moors'' *''Phoebe In Winter'' *''Pirates of the Cafeteria'' *''The Roommate'' *''Still'' *''Wink'' * ''Witch''

Other works

* ''The Island Dwellers: Stories'' (2018)

Awards

Silverman has received the Yale Drama Series Award, Lilly Award,

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

's Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, MacDowell Fellow, the Helen Merrill Fund Award in 2015, and the PoNY Fellowship (2016-2017).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silverman, Jen Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American women dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American women writers Brown University alumni University of Iowa alumni Juilliard School alumni University of Iowa faculty MacDowell Colony fellows American women academics