Hi. 
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I was born and raised in Rochester, NY, and graduated from the University of Chicago and the Actors Studio Drama School.  For the past 17 years I've been the researcher for Inside the Actors Studio, and for the past two presidential campaigns I've 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