Bio


Amy Freed is the author of Restoration Comedy, The Beard of Avon, Freedomland, Safe in Hell, The Psychic Life of Savages, You, Nero and other plays. She 's a past recipient of the Charles McArthur Playwriting Award (D.C.) The New York Art's Club Joseph Kesserling Award, a several-times winner of the LA Critic's Circle Award, and a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. Her work has been produced at South Coast Repertory Theater, New York Theater Workshop, Seattle Repertory, American Conservatory Theater, Yale Rep, California Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Rep, the Goodman, Playwright's Horizons, Woolly Mammoth, Arena Stage and other theaters around the country.

Her most recent play is The Monster Builder, and she is developing commissions for Berkeley Rep, South Coast Rep and Arena Stage. She is currently Artist-in-Residence at Stanford University and also holds a Mellon Foundation Playwriting Residency for the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

Academic Appointments


  • Artist in Residence, Theater and Performance Studies

Administrative Appointments


  • Artist-in -Residence, Stanford University (2002 - Present)
  • Visiting Guest Playwright, University of California at San Diego (2003 - 2003)
  • Visiting Guest Playwright, San Francisco State (1995 - 1995)

Honors & Awards


  • Playwriting Resident, Mellon Foundation, Washington DC (2011-2013)
  • Steinberg Commission in Playwriting, South Coast Repertory (2009)
  • Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Award for best new play: Finalist, Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics (2006)
  • Drama Desk Award Nominee, Best New Play ("The Beard of Avon"), Beard of Avon (2003)
  • TCG-NEA Playwright in Residence, Theatre Communication Group (2002)
  • Los Angeles Critic's Circle Award for best new play, Los Angeles Critic's Circle (2002)
  • Pulitzer Prize in Drama Finalist, Pulitzer (1998)
  • Los Angeles Critic's Circle Award for best new play, Los Angeles Critic's Circle (1997)
  • New York Arts Club's Joseph Kesselring Award for Best New Play, New York Arts Club's Joseph Kesselring (1995)
  • Helen Hayes-Charles McArthur Award Best New Play, Helen Hayes-Charles McArthur (1995)
  • Susan Smith Blackburn Award Finalist best new play, Susan Smith Blackburn (1994)
  • Bay Area Critic's Circle Award Best New Play, Bay Area Critic's Circle (1993)
  • California Arts Council Playwriting Fellowship, California Arts Council (1992)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Judge and script evaluator, O'Neill Festival (2001 - 2003)
  • Judge and script evaluator, Theater Communications Group\A.T.T. (2001 - 2003)
  • Judge and script evaluator, National Endowment for the Arts\T.C.G. (2001 - 2003)
  • Shakespeare Project Director, Masters of Fine Arts Acting program, American Conservatory Theatre (1991 - 1995)
  • Resident Dramaturge, Pacific Playwright's Festival at South Coast Repertory Theater (1999 - 1999)
  • Resident Dramaturge, Pacific Playwright's Festival at South Coast Repertory Theater (2001 - 2001)
  • Resident Dramaturge, Pacific Playwright's Festival at South Coast Repertory Theater (2003 - 2003)

All Publications


  • PLAYS FROM SOUTH COAST REPERTORY Freed, A. Broadway Play Publishing. 2006; 3
  • THE BEARD OF AVON Freed, A. Samuel French Play Service. 2004
  • BEST WOMEN'S PLAYS 2003 Freed, A. Psychic Life of Savages) Smith and Krause. 2004
  • PLAYS FROM WOOLLY MAMMOTH Freed, A. Broadway Play Publishing. 2001
  • Who Was That Man: Why Amy Freed Can't Stop Thinking About Shakespeare American Theater Magazine Freed, A. 2001
  • FREEDOMLAND Freed, A. Dramatist's Play Service. 1999
  • PLAYS FROM SOUTH COAST REPERTORY Freed, A. Broadway Play Publishing. 1998; 2