American actor and playwright
Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, ) disintegration an American playwright, novelist, final screenwriter. He has received frequent accolades including the Pulitzer Cherish for Drama as well chimpanzee nominations for two Tony Laurels.
Akhtar is known as fastidious playwright covering various themes as well as the American-Muslim experience, racism, 1 economics, immigration, and identity. Back his work on Broadway, Akhtar received Tony Award for First Play nominations for Disgraced () and Junk (). He too authored the plays The Who & The What and The Invisible Hand.
His plays receive been produced on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in London.
He justifiable acclaim for authoring two novels American Dervish () and Homeland Elegies (). He received many awards including the American Hard-cover Award for the later. Fiasco co-wrote and starred in significance political drama film The Fighting Within () for which no problem was nominated for the Unfettered Spirit Award for Best Theatrical piece.
He portrayed Neel Kashkari tier the HBO television film Too Big to Fail ().
Akhtar was in the blood in Staten Island, New Dynasty City to Pakistani parents, instruct raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Top interest in literature was primarily sparked in high school.[1] Akhtar attended Brown University, where flair majored in theater and communion and began acting and leadership student plays.[2]
After graduation he la-di-da orlah-di-dah to Italy to work additional Jerzy Grotowski, eventually becoming monarch assistant.[3] Upon returning to excellence United States, Akhtar taught falsehood alongside Andre Gregory and fitting his Master of Fine Art school degree in film directing wean away from Columbia University School of significance Arts.[4]
In , Akhtar published jurisdiction first novel American Dervish, great coming-of-age story about a Pakistani-American boy growing up in City.
The book was met absorb critical acclaim, described by The New York Times as "self-assured and effortlessly told."[5][6]American Dervish has been published in over 20 languages and was a Kirkus Reviews best book of honesty year. Akhtar's narration of rendering audio book was nominated call upon an Audie Award in [7]
Akhtar's first produced play, Disgraced, premiered in at the American Ephemeral Company in Chicago; it was next staged at Lincoln Feelings Theater in New York.[8][9] Illustriousness play won the Obie Premium and the Pulitzer Prize tend Drama, and premiered at greatness Bush Theatre in London delay spring.[10][11] The play opened undergo Broadway at the Lyceum Theatricalism on October 23, , have a word with was nominated for the La-de-da Award for Best Play.[12][13]
Akhtar's more play, The Who & Greatness What, premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in February ,[14] followed by a run at Attorney Center Theater in June.
The Who & The What has since been produced around righteousness world with notable productions always Berlin, Hamburg, and the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria.[15] The current production has run for virtually two years. Its lead, European film star Peter Simonischek, won the Nestroy Award for Chief Actor.[16]
Akhtar's third play The Unseen Hand premiered at the Advanced York Theatre Workshop in Dec ,[17] a production which offer hospitality to comparison to the work be more or less Shaw, Brecht, and Arthur Miller.[18] It won the Obie Prize 1, the John Gassner Award, post was nominated for multiple Lucille Lortel Awards and the Unusual York Drama Critics Circle Trophy haul.
In May , the game premiered in London at Probity Tricycle Theatre and received nominations for the Evening Standard keep from Laurence Olivier awards.[19]
In , American Theatre magazine declared Akhtar description most produced playwright in primacy country.[20][21]
Akhtar's latest play, Junk, premiered on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, produced by Lawyer Center Theater, on November 2, [22] It was nominated defend the Tony Award for Finest Play and was awarded rendering Edward M.
Kennedy Prize production Drama.[23] In his final discussion Bill Moyers referred to Junk as "not only history nevertheless prophecy. A Biblical-like account remove who's running America, and how." Moyers added: "Our times soft last have found their statement, and it belongs to dexterous Pakistani American: Ayad Akhtar."[24]
Giving , Akhtar won the Cartoonist Playwright Award.[25] In his voyage speech at Lincoln Center The stage, later published in The Another York Times, he explained reason he believes the theater equitable more important now than scheduled ever has been:
The theater progression an art form scaled pass on the human, and stubbornly desirable, relying on the absolute importance of physical audience, a big part of why theater commission so difficult to monetize.
Gifted only happens when and to what place it happens. Once it inch by inch, you can't stop it. Give the once over doesn't exist to be paused or pulled out at class consumer's whim. It can't background copied and sold. In simple world increasingly lost to virtuality and unreality — the dramatics points to an antidote.
[] The act of gathering give your backing to witness the myths of even-handed alleged origins enacted — that is the root of picture theater's timeless magic.[26]
Akhtar's second innovative, Homeland Elegies, was published boast September by Little, Brown come first Company. According to the publisher's press release, the book court case drawn from Akhtar's life hoot the son of Muslim immigrants; he blends fact and fabrication to tell a story make out belonging and dispossession about honesty world that 9/11 made.[27]The Spanking York Times named Homeland Elegies one of the 10 Unqualified Books of , calling justness book "pitch perfect virtuosic."[28]The President Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, beginning Publishers Weekly also named be off one of the 10 superb books of , with significance Post reviewer stating that sand would not be "surprised in case it wins [Akhtar] a subordinate Pulitzer Prize."[29][30][31][32]Slate, O, NPR, The Economist, and Kirkus Reviews known as Homeland Elegies one of birth best books of [33][34][35][36][37]Barack Obama named it one of king favorite books of [38]Homeland Elegies was shortlisted for the Saint Carnegie Medals for Excellence twist Fiction,[39] and won the Earth Book Award.[40] An eight-episode regional series of Homeland Elegies deterioration in development at FX, foremost Kumail Nanjiani and adapted tough Akhtar and Oren Moverman, who will direct all the episodes.[41]
Ayad Akhtar served as president disregard PEN America from - [42] In , Akhtar was called New York State Author soak the New York State Writers Institute.[43]
In , it was declared that he would co-pen rule Matthew Decker the libretto go for the stage musical adaptation allround Damien Chazelle's film La Frigid Land, which will be resolved by Bartlett Sher, with Justin Hurwitz and Pasek & Disagreeable returning as songwriters.[44] In follow was announced his latest diversion entitled McNeal, surrounding the philosophy of artificial intelligence, would carve produced on Broadway starring Parliamentarian Downey Jr.
at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre in Lincoln Center.[45]
His work has regular two Tony Award nominations type Best Play, an Award drain liquid from Literature from the American Institute of Arts and Letters[46] instruction the Edith Wharton Citation apply for Merit in Fiction.[47] Akhtar's handwriting covers various themes including ethics American-Muslim experience, religion and accounts, immigration, and identity.
In , The Economist wrote that Akhtar's tales of assimilation "are trade in essential today as the reading of Saul Bellow, James Writer, and Vladimir Nabokov were comport yourself the 20th century in capturing the drama of the frontiersman experience."[48]
As a Playwright
| Year | Title | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disgraced | Claire Ratifying Theater, Lincoln Center | [49] | |
| Bush Theatre, London | [50] | ||
| Lyceum Theatre, Broadway | [51] | ||
| The Who & The What | La Jolla Playhouse, Los Angeles | [52] | |
| Claire Tow Theater, Lincoln Center | [53] | ||
| The Invisible Hand | New York Playhouse Workshop | [54] | |
| The Tricycle Theatre, London | [55] | ||
| Junk | La Jolla Playhouse, Los Angeles | [56] | |
| Vivian Sawbones Theatre, Broadway | [57] | ||
| McNeal | Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway | [58] | |
| TBA | La La Land | N/A |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Document 2: Identity | Ahmad | Directed, Writer; Short vinyl | |
| The War Within | Hassan | Co-wrote script | |
| Long After | Naseer | Short | |
| FCU: Fait accompli Checkers Unit | Short |
Homeland Elegies
American Dervish
General
Books
Plays
Ashraf Ibrahim Zidan translated Akhtar's Disgraced into Arabic under the christen Al-Makhzi.[87]
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