Michael London
Playwright
he/him/his
Michael London is a playwright and the Director of the Ohio Playwrights Circle. He studied playwrighting and the theatre and in a variety of settings including, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in the UK and Ohio State University in the USA. He has a Master of Arts in Screenwriting for Television and Film from Royal Holloway, University of London, in the UK.
His plays have been performed in the US, the UK & Canada. His bio-play on Charles Chaplin, SMILE, was a feature presentation at the International Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Canada and the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival in Scotland. Mike’s Play, “A Dragon’s Heart” closed in February of 2020 just before the Covid Pandemic closed theaters.
In 2007 he received a variety of publishing awards for his original novel, Dearest. In 2010 he received a Silver Medal Award from the Publishers Association of The West, for the design and editing of a three-dimensional edition of the Jane Austen novel, “Lady Susan”. His 2016 play, TREASON, is the story of Benjamin Franklin and his son William and their estrangement over the War for American Independence. Mike is currently Playwright-in-Residence with the Benjamin Franklin House in London, UK.
Mike has taught classes and facilitated workshops on playwrighting in many settings. He was a Teaching Artist and Visiting Playwright for the Ohio Arts Council's Arts-in-Education Program for over 20 years. He was a Guest Professor in playwrighting for Otterbein University, and taught Playwrighting for The Human Race Theatre Company's Education Program for many years. He currently facilitates workshops and public readings of new plays for the Ohio Playwrights Circle.
He is a strong advocate for writers in Ohio and member of the Dramatist Guild, the International Society of Dramatists, & the Authors League of America. Mike is a Lifetime Member of the Ohioana Library Association.
Highlights
Regional Rep: Ohio
I am proud to have been given the opportunity to represent Ohio as the Dramatists Guild Regional Rep. The Regional Reps who have preceded me have been dedicated and I hope to also contribute to the service of our playwrights, composers, lyricists, & librettists. My role will be to listen and support.
I am looking forward to meeting the range of new artists and organizations in Ohio as well as reconnecting with colleagues from across the years. I have been so lucky to have connected with many in our theatre communities. However, I know I have only touched the surface of this rich group of artists.
I am curious about a variety of subjects. I want to know what practices might help us support each other as artists. What are the ways in which intersectionality affects our work? Can we explore models of how we can create stronger mutual working relationships with the theatres in our region?
I know there will continue to be some limitations on our in-person visits and connections, but please know that I am a comfortable virtual journeyman. We can connect today in ways that were just not common practice but a few years ago. Zoom – Zoom….
So I want to ask for your help. These are not just words. I sincerely want your help. I want to hear from you about your work, and any ways that we might support you in the coming years. There are ideas out there that I haven’t even conceived, and I want to hear them and discover which of these new ideas can effectively serve our region.
For me, storytelling is the textbook for life. It is a well-made story that connects us in unique ways, which transports us to new experiences and into another’s world that we may not have known or understood. Stories can help us learn how to live the life we want. I want to support our storytellers, at the writing desk and in the theatres.
Please contact me at ohio@dramatistsguild.com. I want to hear from you about your work, and any ways that we might support you in the coming years, and I hope to meet you soon.
Be Well,
ML