Harrison David Rivers

Harrison David Rivers
Born Harrison David Rivers
(1981-09-11) September 11, 1981
Manhattan, Kansas, United States
Occupation Playwright
Nationality United States
Education

Columbia University School of the Arts, New York City, New York

Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio

Harrison David Rivers (born September 11, 1981) is an African-American playwright. Rivers' work has won him the GLAAD Media Award, a McKnight Fellowship for Playwrights,[1] a Jerome Foundation Many Voices Fellowship,[2] an Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship, a Van Lier Fellowship and the New York Stage & Film's Founders Award.[3]

Life and career

Rivers was born in Manhattan, Kansas. He attended Manhattan High School, where he was active in the music and theater programs. He earned a B.A. in American Studies and Dance & Drama from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio (2004) and an M.F.A in Playwriting from the Columbia University School of Arts in New York City (2009), where he received the John Golden Playwriting Award.

While still a student at Columbia, Rivers was selected to participate in the inaugural "24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices" event at the Atlantic Theatre.[4] He also wrote a short play for The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway (2009) called “And It Seems To Me A Very Good Sign.”[5] His cast included Sam Rockwell, Naomi Watts, John Krasinski and Amber Tamblyn.[6]

After graduation, Rivers received an Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship from New York Theatre Workshop and a Van Lier Fellowship from New Dramatists.

Rivers was a member of P73's Interstate 73 Writers' Group and the Emerging Writers Group at the Public Theater (2011–13).[7]

Rivers' play "When Last We Flew" was selected for the Sundance Theatre Lab in 2010. The play went on to be produced in the New York International Fringe Festival where it won awards for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Performance (for Rory Lipede).[8] The play was invited to be a part of the Fringe Encore Series. “When Last We Flew” also won the 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New York Theatre: Off Off Broadway.[9]

In 2014, Rivers was awarded a Jerome Many Voices Fellowship from the Playwrights' Center[10] and relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has subsequently received a McKnight Fellowship for Playwrights (2015–16)[11] and is currently a Core Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, where he is member of the Board of Directors.[12]

Rivers received New York Stage & Film’s 2015 Founder’s Award and in 2016, he was the Playwright-in-Residence at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.[13]

In 2017, Rivers' play Sweet from National Black Theatre received four nominations at the 45th AUDELCO Awards[14] including: Dramatic Production of the Year, Outstanding Ensemble Performance, Director/Dramatic Production and Playwright. The 45th annual Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Awards recognizes excellence in Black Theatre. His play Where Storms are Born, produced by the Williamstown Theatre Festival, won an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award (2017).[15]

Rivers currently lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his husband, Christopher Bineham.

Works

Plays

Musicals

Unproduced projects

  • The Sea & The Stars (Ruth Easton New Play Series, 2017[29])
  • the bandaged place (Ruth Easton New Play Series, 2018[30])
  • The Salvagers
  • The Last Queen of Canaan [with Rebekah Melocik and Jacob Yandura] (NAMT Festival of New Musicals[31])
  • Just One [with Ellen Fitzhugh and Ted Shen]

Awards and honors

  • 2017 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award[32]
  • 2016-19 Core Writer[33]
  • 2015-16 McKnight Fellowship for Playwrights
  • 2015 Founder's Award
  • 2014-15 Jerome Many Voices Fellowship
  • 2013 Global Age Project Winner
  • 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New York Theater: Off Off Broadway
  • 2011 New York International Fringe Festival Excellence in Playwriting Award
  • 2011 Queer | Art | Mentorship
  • 2010-12 Van Lier Fellowship
  • 2009 Montblanc Young Writers Competition Winner
  • 2009-10 Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship
  • 2009 John Golden Playwriting Award

References

  1. ↑ "Harrison David Rivers". Playwrights' Center. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Many Voices Fellowships". Playwrights' Center. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Awards, Fellowships & Residencies". nysaf. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Kevin Spacey Hosts NYC Debut of '24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices' July 2 | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  5. ↑ McElroy, Steven. "24 Hour Plays: The Writing Hours". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  6. ↑ McElroy, Steven. "24 Hour Plays: Assignments and First Rehearsals". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  7. ↑ "Boo Killebrew, Harrison David Rivers Among Playwrights in Public Theater's 2012-13 Emerging Writers Group". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  8. ↑ Desk, BWW News. "WHEN LAST WE FLEW Closes At The Lortel 8/29". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  9. ↑ "2011 GLAAD Media Awards - New York". GLAAD. 2011-09-09. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  10. ↑ "Playwrights' Center adds talent for their 2014-15 season". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  11. ↑ "Meet the 2015-16 McKnight Fellows in Playwriting". Playwrights' Center. 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  12. ↑ "STAFF". Playwrights' Center. 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  13. ↑ Coakley, Jacob (2016-03-14). "Williamstown Theatre Festival Names Play Award-Winners - Stage Directions". Stage Directions. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  14. ↑ "Nominations announced for 45th AUDELCO Awards". Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  15. ↑ Group, TCG: Theatre Communications. "TCG: Theatre Communications Group > Edgerton Foundation > New Play Awards > 2017 Awards". www.tcg.org. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  16. ↑ "Penumbra Theatre has new works, return of powerful solo performer". Twin Cities. 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  17. ↑ Desk, BWW News. "New Conservatory Theatre Center to Premiere of THIS BITTER EARTH This Fall". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  18. ↑ Desk, BWW News. "Meryl Jones Williams to Lead ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES at Teatro Circulo; Cast Announced!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  19. ↑ "A Crack in the Sky | History Theatre". www.historytheatre.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  20. ↑ "Where Storms Are Born | Williamstown Theatre Festival". wtfestival.org. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  21. ↑ "Proud and Tall: 'And She Would Stand Like This'". The BroadwayBlog. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  22. ↑ "The National Black Theatre". The National Black Theatre. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  23. ↑ "convergence-continuum". convergence-continuum. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  24. ↑ Desk, BWW News. "The Movement Theatre Company Presents LOOK UPON OUR LOWLINESS, Now thru 4/20". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  25. ↑ Desk, BWW News. "TheatreLAB to Present Harrison David Rivers' WHEN LAST WE FLEW". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  26. ↑ "When Last We Flew at Diversionary Theatre | PFLAG San Diego County | 888 398-0006". PFLAG San Diego County | 888 398-0006. 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  27. ↑ "When Last We Flew". Backstage.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  28. ↑ "Classics and new work in next Theater Latte Da season". Twin Cities. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  29. ↑ pwcenter (2016-09-19). "Playwrights' Center Announces 45th Anniversary Season - Minneapolis Happening". Minneapolis Happening. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  30. ↑ "Playwrights' Center Sets 2017-18 Season of Readings". AMERICAN THEATRE. 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  31. ↑ "27th Annual Festival of New Musicals | NAMT". NAMT. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  32. ↑ Group, TCG: Theatre Communications. "TCG: Theatre Communications Group > Edgerton Foundation > New Play Awards > 2017 Awards > Where Storms are Born". www.tcg.org. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  33. ↑ "Meet the 2016-19 Core Writers". Playwrights' Center. 2016-05-10. Retrieved 2017-12-24.

Bibliography

  • "Harrison David Rivers". pwcenter.org. Playwrights' Center.
  • Harrison David Rivers. "Harrison David Rivers | Playwright".
  • Ngugi, Fredrick (17 October 2016). "Interview: Harrison David Rivers Discusses What Inspired Him to Write Plays". Face2FaceAfrica, Babu Global.
  • "6 Theatre Workers You Should Know". American Theatre, Theatre Communication Group. 10 July 2017.
  • Walker, Brittney M. (20 November 2016). "'Sweet' on Stage Lives Up to Its Name". Lee Bailey's Eurweb Electronic Urban Report.
  • Herman, Donna (24 October 2016). "Sweet". The Front Row Center.
  • "ArtsinColor". YouTube. 24 April 2013.
  • "Nominations announced for 45th AUDELCO Awards". New York Amsterdam News: The new Black view.
  • "Harrison David Rivers". New Play Exchange.
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