Hi. 
​
I was born and raised in Rochester, NY, and graduated from the University of Chicago and the Actors Studio Drama School.  For almost 20 years I worked for Inside the Actors Studio, where I was the researcher, the Associate Producer and Producer.  For two presidential campaigns I served as a writer and policy analyst for Gary Johnson.  I also work as a writing teacher and consultant.

I am a playwright.

With David Murrell, I co-wrote the Broadway hit Lifespan of a Fact.  We sold out quite a bit and got some great reviews.  And received the 2019 John Gassner Award for New Plays from the Outer Critics Circle.  That's bad for a play that went straight to Broadway it's first go-round.  We usually grossed a million a week, largely thanks to our amazing cast (Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale) and artistic team (led by the amazing Leigh Silverman) 

Over the years, I've won a few awards, including the EST Next Step Fellowship, the Walter Dakin Fellowship at the Sewanee Writers Conference, the Hamptons Film Festival's screenwriting conference, the Playwrights Center/Guthrie Theater's Two-Headed challenge, and the 25th Annual Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Awards.   

​And when I'm not acting up, I act.

I don't do this as often as I used to, but I've appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe, on a few TV shows and commercials, and in a couple of feature films.  Once I was on a game show - Cash Cab.  That was fun. ​

KAREKEN, AMERICAN