Kenny Finkle

Kenny Finkle is currently completing his third year at Columbia University's graduate playwriting program. In June of 1998, his play, The Fantastic and Naturally Tragic Ballad of Esmeralda and Mr. Sinclair,was performed at the House of Candles Theatre for three weeks after winning an Excellence in Performance Award at 1997's First Annual NewYork Fringe Festival. His short play, Hussy, was seen two summers ago at HERE's American Living Room Series and was reprised as part of their "Best of the Living Room" Festival in the fall of '97. This past summer, its sequel, Hussy Returns, was once again featured in the Series. In August 1998, his play, Kinsey's Report, which has had readings at both New dramatists and Rattlestick Productions, was presented by the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, directed by fellow Columbia student, Lane Savadove.

At Columbia, an excerpt from his play, Daddy, was presented in the fall, and in the spring he directed an excerpt from classmate Sheri Wilner's play, Hiding Places, --both as part of Columbia's New Works Series. A graduate of NYU's Experimental Theatre Wing, Kenny presented several original works at NYU including Against the Tide, which won the
Washington Square Player's New Writer's Award. Between studying at NYU and Columbia, he worked for Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre for two seasons. along with directing numerous reading of new work, he also directed the Philadelphia premiere of Christopher Durang's For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls for the Walnut's Studio Theatre.

This year, Kenny in conjunction with the Dream Yard project has been"Artist in Residence" at the Harvey Milk School/Hedrick Martin Institute, as well as a "Playwright in Residence" for Theatre for New Audience. He is also a member of Techtonic Theatre Group led by Moises Kaufmann who wrote/directed the Off-Broadway show, "Gross Indecency."