
John J King is part Texan and part Tyrannosaur, and lives in New York City where he writes Serious Comedy. His mission: To Create and Spread Delight.
John J King is part Texan and part Tyrannosaur, and lives in New York City where he makes plays, jokes, stories, and songs, often all at once. He has a B.A. in Theatre & English from SUNY Boondocks, and an accent from his mama. His mission: To Create and Spread Delight.
In 2020, John’s play 7 MINUTES reached the finalist shortlist for Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries Cycle 3 at the American Shakespeare Center, and was a finalist for the National Playwrights Conference at the O’Neill Theater Center. His web series HOME OFFICE – created and written with his wife – about a couple learning to work from home together during lockdown, received rave reviews from the Boston Globe, and WBUR’s The Artery.
In January 2019, John’s play MARTHA’S (B)RAINSTORM: A BOSTON FAIRY TALE, was awarded the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Fellowship in Dramatic Writing. John served as the inaugural Playwright in Residence at the Boston Public Library, 2017 - 2018, and is a proud alum of the Huntington Playwriting Fellows.
John’s newest play, MUSEUM PIECE, a farce about institutional (personal, and national) diversity, was developed at Speakeasy Stage Company, part of the 2019-20 Boston Project.
Plays include: 7 MINUTES (Finalist, Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries), BLUESHIFT (O'Neill Theatre Center National Playwrights' Conference Finalist, 2016); FROM DENMARK WITH LOVE (IRNE nomination: Best New Play); an adapted libretto for Marschner’s Gothic opera DER VAMPYR. He is currently finishing book, lyrics and music for his glam-rock opera THE RISE & FALL OF OEDIPUS T REX & THE GOAT SONG OF THEBES.