Megan Cohen is a playwright, game designer, performer, dramaturg, and freelance writer based in San Francisco, CA.
Playwright
As of 2012, I am the most frequently produced female playwright in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 20+ shows and readings to my name in 24 months. In December 2011, The San Francisco Chronicle called me a “Local Luminary,” and The San Francisco Bay Guardian’s “Year in Theater” awarded one of my shows “Most Memorable Food Fight.” (It was a good month for press coverage.)
My greatest artistic inspirations are playwright Tom Stoppard (for the challenge), artistic director Charles Ludlam (for the style), experimental ensemble Forced Entertainment (for the imagination), and actor Madeline Kahn. All the roles in all my plays are written for Madeline Kahn.
A high school dropout, I earned a B.A. with Honors from Stanford University (’05). My mentors and teachers have included Carl Weber, Ehren Fordyce, Cherrie Moraga, Craig Slaight, Norman Kline, and James Kass. I’ve eschewed the M.F.A. route in favor of learning directly from audiences, and from fellow artists young and old, with voices both known and new.
Critics and theatermakers have described me as “upsetting,” “refreshing,” “an Absurdist,” “a natural Brechtian,” “relentless,” “hilarious,” “a sociopath,” “a genius,” “pointless,” “often humorous,” “smarter than I remembered,” and “really… something.” Watching my pieces onstage, they’ve claimed to witness “the death of God,” “the death of fun,” and “fun.”
Audience members have laughed, wept, gasped, stormed out, thrown actual cash at the actors, jumped onstage to dance, and said some very nice things including “Don’t tell my girlfriend, but I liked your play better than hers,” “I would die to have written that,” and “I am coming back again tomorrow.”
For more, check out my Production History or Current Projects.
Game and Web Content Writing
I write game stories for mobile and social gaming startups, and do content management, SEO consulting, and editorial tasks of many other stripes in the online content world. I’ve written for web outlets including Yelp, Myspace Local, and the Discovery Channel’s Planet Green website (where I penned episode guides for a show starring Bill “The Science Guy” Nye).
If you’re seeking game writing, online content, or editorial support, and are interested in seeing clips or discussing rates, please contact me directly via Email megan@megancohen.com or Twitter @WayBetterThanTV
Performer
I have appeared in hundreds of performances with companies including The San Francisco Mime Troupe, No Nude Men, and American Conservatory Theater. I may be the only actress under 30 ever to have played two different executioners (both male), a talking bear, a perfect woman made in the image of Aphrodite, an asthmatic hunchbacked albino hillbilly, and Princess Salome (yes, of the seven veils, and no, it wasn’t a comedy). I have showcased original solo performance at venues including Zeum, The Marsh, San Francisco Theater Pub, La Peña, and The Garage.
Dramaturg
As a dramaturg, I have apprenticed at super-established places like Tony-winning American Conservatory Theater and OBIE-winning The Builders’ Association. I specialize in new works; most recently, I dramaturged the world premiere of Bone To Pick & Diadem by Eugenie Chan for Cutting Ball Theater (where I was formerly the Literary Manager), and the world premiere of Failure 2 Communicate by Valerie Fachman for Performers Under Stress.
Science Facts About Me
Dislikes: Jerks, bullies, the fact that over 20% of American children live in poverty.
Likes: Nachos, not being dead.
. Production History . Current Projects . Blog .
