Kenneth Lin (born 1978) is an American

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and screenwriter. Lin's plays have been performed throughout the world and his TV shows have been distributed via Netflix, HBO, Cinemax, Hulu and more. In theatre, he is best known for his plays ''Po Boy Tango, Farewell My Concubine'' (coming soon), and ''Kleptocracy (''just released). In Television, he is best known for his work on the Netflix series ''House of Cards,'' the Hulu Series, ''The First,'' and the Cinemax series, ''The Warrior.'' He is a member of the theater/music/film collective New Neighborhood. Upcoming theatrical works include Farewell My Concubine with composer Jason Robert Brown (Cinematic Productions), Life On Paper (Jackalope Theatre Company) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with music by Stew and the Negro Problem. Television credits include The First (Hulu), House of Cards (Netflix, Emmy nomination, Best Dramatic Series), Warrior (HBO/Cinemax), and Sweetbitter (Starz). Feature film credits include Abacus (dir. Justin Lin). Awards/honors include winner of the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, Princess Grace Award, L. Arnold Weissberger Award, Cole Porter Prize, Edgerton New Play Prize and Fulbright Scholarship. Education: Yale School of Drama

Early life and education

Lin was born in the Bronx, New York to parents of

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...

descent and grew up on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18t ...

. Lin was born into a Chinese-American family. Lin attended

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...

and the

Yale School of Drama The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in e ...

. He is an alumnus of the

Fulbright Program The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

and was selected as one of the Dramatists Guild's top “50 to Watch.” In 2013, Lin joined the writing staff for the second and third seasons of the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series ''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structur ...

''.

Personal life

Kenneth Lin and Rebecca Ruth Sawyer married in Riverhead, N.Y. She graduated from the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

. She has two master’s degrees, one in East Asian studies from

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and another in social work from

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, ...

Career

Film And Television Work

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have ...
(TV Series) 2019

* (written by - 2 episodes)

Sweetbitter ''Sweetbitter'' is a 2016 novel by American author Stephanie Danler, published by Alfred A. Knopf. It is Danler's first published book. It was written by the author over a seven-year period, and, despite glowing press before its release, received ...
(TV Series) (2018)

* (consulting producer - 6 episodes) * (written for television by - 1 episode)

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structur ...
(TV Series) (2014-2017)

* (co-producer - 13 episodes, 2016) (supervising producer - 1 episode, 2017) * (staff writer - 6 episodes, 2014) (written by - 5 episodes, 2014 - 2017) * (story editor - 13 episodes-2015)

Stronger (Short) (2016)

* (executive producer)

My America (2014)

* (written by - segment "'John'") (2014)

Theatre Work

''said Saïd'' (2007)

The play received the L. Arnold Weissberger Award, presented annually by The Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF), on behalf of the Anna L. Weissberger Foundation. Lin received a $10,000 prize and publication of his script by Samuel French, Inc. It also was awarded the Princess Grace Award: Playwriting Fellowship. The play had its world premiere at the

Alliance Theatre The Alliance Theatre is a theater company in Atlanta, Georgia, based at the Alliance Theatre, part of the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, and is the winner of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award. The company, originally the Atlanta Municipal ...

and had its West Coast Premiere in 2008.

''Po Boy Tango'' (2007)

''Po Boy Tango'',

South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Dire ...

Pacific Playwrights Festival The Pacific Playwrights Festival (PPF), a national forum for playwrights and theatre leaders, is dedicated to developing and producing new American plays. It is held every summer at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California. Within the Am ...

, world-premiere Northlight Theatre Company

''Intelligence-Slave'' (2010)

World-premiere,

Alley Theatre The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at L ...

''Fallow''

World-premiere,

People's Light and Theatre Company People's Light is a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania . About People's Light Founded in 1974, by Dick Keeler, Ken Marini, and Meg and Danny Fruchter, People's Light serves as one of Pennsylvania's largest prof ...

''Warrior Class'' (2012)

World-premiere (Off Broadway),

Second Stage Theater Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...

''Pancakes, Pancakes!'' (2016)

Ran at the Alliance Theatre Atlanta GA between May 31 - July 10, 2016.

''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (2017)

Premiered at Alley Theatre Houston in February 2017

''Kleptocracy'' (2019)

Performed 2019 Arena Stage, Washington DC

Future projects

* Life on Paper (2020): To be performed in 2020 at Jackelope Theatre Company Chicago IL * Genius in Love * About Me * Agency * Farewell My Concubine

Awards and honours

Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition (''said Saïd'') Princess Grace Award (''said Saïd'') L. Arnold Weissberger Award Cole Porter Prize (''said Saïd'') Edgerton New Play Prize (''Po Boy Tango'')

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

Scholarship

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lin, Kenneth American dramatists and playwrights Living people 1978 births Yale School of Drama alumni Cornell University alumni Princess Grace Awards winners Writers from the Bronx People from Long Island American television writers American male television writers American writers of Chinese descent American male dramatists and playwrights Screenwriters from New York (state) Fulbright alumni