fbpx mkaufman | HowlRound Theatre Commons
Profile picture for user mkaufman
MJ Kaufman

MJ Kaufman is a playwright and storyteller. Originally from Portland, Oregon, MJ attended Wesleyan University and is currently an MFA candidate at the Yale School of Drama. They have received awards and commissions from the Program for Women in Theater, the Playwrights Foundation, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, Young Playwrights Inc., and the Huntington Theatre, where they are also a playwriting fellow. MJ was awarded the 2010 Jane Chambers Prize in Feminist Theatre for their play, A Live Dress. Their work has also been performed in Russian in Moscow. Learn more about MJ's work here.

Why Boycott a Play
Essay

Why Boycott a Play

31 July 2017

MJ Kaufman writes about the decision not to see To the End of the Land ​at Lincoln Center. 

How We Grow
Essay

How We Grow

An Interview with Azure D. Osborne-Lee

15 August 2015

MJ Kaufman interviews playwright, director, and performer Azure D. Osborne-Lee about his plays and what he sees in the field as a trans artist.

Believably Trans
Essay

Believably Trans

Who Counts as Trans Onstage?

13 May 2015

In this installation, MJ questions what makes a trans character credible onstage, and how does gender fit into color-conscious casting?

How Do Transpeople Talk? Writing Characters Beyond a Gender Binary
Essay

How Do Transpeople Talk? Writing Characters Beyond a Gender Binary

20 February 2015

MJ Kaufman begins a new blog series, exploring questions of gender and parity in the world of performance. In this installment, he looks at how transpeople talk.

Beyond Cool
Essay

Beyond Cool

Moving Towards True Transgender Visibility

19 October 2014

MJ Kaufman shares insight on the necessity of trans voices being developed and acknowledged in diverse, multi-faceted, and complex narratives. 

Don’t Call me Ma’am
Essay

Don’t Call me Ma’am

On the Politics of Trans Casting

29 September 2013

MJ Kaufman offers compelling insight on the politcs of trans casting.

Gender Power and Politics Series by MJ Kaufman
Series

Gender Power and Politics Series by MJ Kaufman

MJ Kaufman begins a new blog series, exploring questions of gender and parity in the world of performance.