Greg Kotis
Encyclopedia
Greg Kotis is a New York
-based playwright
, who specializes in dark, disturbing comedies with socially relevant themes.
. In 1995 he and his wife, writer and actor Ayun Halliday
, moved to New York. They worked day jobs, and then quit them when theatre work came along. They remained in fringe theatre until he started work on Urinetown.
in 1995, he had to limit his trips to the pay toilets that are ubiquitous in that city. Urinetown the Musical received ten Tony Award
nominations: Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, two nominations for Best Actress in a Musical (Nancy Opel and Jennifer Laura Thompson), Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestration. Urinetown has been performed around the world and in hundreds of American cities.
He has appeared on stage with and written for the Neo-Futurists
and Cardiff-Giant. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Chicago
where he was a member of Off-Off Campus
. He and Halliday have two children, India and Milo.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, who specializes in dark, disturbing comedies with socially relevant themes.
Earlier career
Kotis studied political science at the University of Chicago. He dropped out when took a course on the Short Comic Scene, he realised that he wanted to be part of the theatre industry instead. Kotis started working with (and became a member of) the Cardiff Giant Theatre Company and the Neo-FuturistsNeo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are an experimental theater troupe founded by Greg Allen in 1988. Neo-Futurism, inspired by the Italian Futurist movement from the early 20th century, is based on an aesthetics of honesty, speed and brevity.-Aesthetic:...
. In 1995 he and his wife, writer and actor Ayun Halliday
Ayun Halliday
Ayun Halliday is a writer and actor.She is best known as the author and illustrator of the long-running zine The East Village Inky...
, moved to New York. They worked day jobs, and then quit them when theatre work came along. They remained in fringe theatre until he started work on Urinetown.
Urinetown
He is best known for writing the book and co-writing the lyrics of Urinetown the Musical. He got the idea for Urinetown the Musical when, on an ill-budgeted visit to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1995, he had to limit his trips to the pay toilets that are ubiquitous in that city. Urinetown the Musical received ten Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominations: Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, two nominations for Best Actress in a Musical (Nancy Opel and Jennifer Laura Thompson), Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestration. Urinetown has been performed around the world and in hundreds of American cities.
Other
His most recently produced play is Pig Farm, which premiered at The Roundabout Theatre in New York City in June 2006.He has appeared on stage with and written for the Neo-Futurists
Neo-Futurists
The Neo-Futurists are an experimental theater troupe founded by Greg Allen in 1988. Neo-Futurism, inspired by the Italian Futurist movement from the early 20th century, is based on an aesthetics of honesty, speed and brevity.-Aesthetic:...
and Cardiff-Giant. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where he was a member of Off-Off Campus
Off-Off Campus
Off-Off Campus is an improvisational and sketch comedy group at the University of Chicago, and the second-oldest collegiate group of its kind in the United States. It was founded in 1986 by The Second City co-founder Bernie Sahlins, who is also an alumnus of the U of C.Off-Off Campus stems from a...
. He and Halliday have two children, India and Milo.