A Multimedia Catalogue of Barbara's plays is available at no charge.
This is on CD-ROM for your Windows computer.
Barbara with Edward Albee
Barbara with Ellen Stewart of LaMama E.T.C.
Barbara with Charles Busch
Barbara's mom with Tony Randall at Torch of Hope AwardsBarbara Kahn is a multi-award winning playwright, actor and director. She started acting in Philadelphia while a teenager. She received a B.A. degree in Theatre Arts from ADELPHI UNIVERSITY in New York while continuing her professional career. She returned to Philadelphia in 1998 to appear in her own play "CO-OP" and in 1999 in "Cyma's Story." "Cyma's Story" was presented in Los Angeles by the Jewish Women's Theatre Project in January 2002at the NOHO (North Hollywood) Theatre Festival in Hollywood and the University of Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, in 2003. She has directed plays in New York, Paris and at the National Theatre in London.
Barbara's plays have been produced in New York, California, Boston and Philadelphia and have won awards on both coasts. Theater for the New City, now in its 32nd season, has been the New York City home for her plays since 1994, including The Lady Was a Gentleman, opening in March 2003. Unorthodox Behavior was presented by Moving Parts Theatre Group in Paris, France in January 2003.
Barbara was honored with the TORCH OF HOPE AWARD for "lifetime achievement," following past recipients Terrence McNally, John Guare, August Wilson, Horton Foote and A.R. Gurney. She received the JAMES R. QUIRK AWARD for the Performing Arts for her "memorable contributions to American theatre" and was awarded participation in The Field's Independent Artist Challenge Program.
Barbara's play "Whither Thou Goest" waspublished in the anthology, MAKING A SCENE: The Contemporary Drama of Jewish-American Women (ed. Sarah Blacher Cohen, Syracuse University Press. 1997) Most recently, her work was published in More Monologues for Women by Women (Heinemann Press) and Harrington Lesbian Fiction Quarterly (Haworth Press) Memorabilia from her early productions are in the permanent collection of the Cultural History Collection at the New York State Museum in Albany. She co-authored the lyrics for the song "Actions Are the Music of the Free" for "Bringing Beijing Home" rally at NYU, later performed on request at the United Nations Memorial to Dame Nita Barrow.
Barbara has been a panelist at the OutWrite conference in Boston and a panel moderator at the International Conference of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations. She was the sole U.S. presenter at the Jewish Women’s Writing Conference in Mainz, Germany in 2003. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild, Sisters On Stage (co-founder), Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild.
BARBARA KAHN: PLAYS
"THE BALLAD OF BAXTER STREET" (a play with music about the notorious Five Points neighborhood in 1855 New York City) Theater for the New City. (2005) "THE LADY WAS A GENTLEMAN" (a docu-comedy about 19th century actress Charlotte Cushman ) Theater for the New City. (2003).
full length plays
"PYRATES! THE COURTSHIP CHRONICLES" (a musical about real-life pirates in 1720 Jamaica) Theater for the New City. (2004)"WAR BONDS" (WWII drama about women pilots and WACs).Theater for the New City. (2002).
"THE TEMPEST-TOSSED" (post WWII drama).
Theater for the New City. (2001)"JOANNA" (Lower East Side lesbian love fable) Theater for the New City. (2000)
"THE GREENEH PASTURES" TRILOGY:
"HEAVEN AND EARTH" (historical drama) Theater For the New City, February-March (1999).
"WHITHER THOU GOEST" (historical drama) Theater For the New City, February-March (1997).
Published in Making A Scene: The Contemporary Drama of Jewish-American Women, Syracuse Univ Press, 1997"UNORTHODOX BEHAVIOR" (historical drama inspired by genealogical research)
Theater For the New City, NY (1995). Reading: Moving Parts Theatre Group, Paris, France (2003)."CROSSINGS: Where W.11th Meets W.4th St., Greenwich Village" (lesbian romantic comedy vignettes)
Theater For the New City, March (1998)."SEATING AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS" (lesbian romantic comedy)
Labrys Theatre, San Diego, CA (1992), Wings Theatre, NY (1994), Triangle Theatre, Boston, MA (1996)."PEN PALS" (political drama inspired by Amnesty International) Theater For the New City, NY (1994), The Fresh Fruit Festival (2005)
"THE FORGOTTEN TRUTHS" (historical drama about George Sand, with Colleen Curtis)
New York Public Library (1982), Calico Productions at The Acting Studio, NY. (1987), Segment of "Daughters, Mothers, Sisters and Others..." (one-act version) at Madison Avenue Theatre, NY (1994)."HELL'S KITCHEN HAS A TUB IN IT" (romantic comedy) Calico Productions at Studio 603, NY (1988).
"GRAVEDIGGERS" (musical comedy, with Ray Hagen) (book and some lyrics) LaMaMa E.T.C., NY (1972)
one-acts and monologues
`SUMMER IN THE CITY'
(series of monologues) segment of: EEGO's "Midsummer Revels"--Southampton, NY. 1982; "Out...In Our Town"--The Duplex, NY. 1993; The Crystal Quilt, NY. 1993; "Miracle On East 4th Street"--W.O.W. Cafe, NY. 1994. One monologue published in Even More Monologues by Women for Women (Heinemann) 2001."THE WEAVER" (prologue for the theatre) Westbeth Theatre Center, NY--Westbeth 20th anniversary; Strolling Players: Abbey of Regina Laudis, Bethlehem, CT. 1991.
"SIX DEGREES OF GRADUATE STUDY IN THE AMERICAN THEATRE" (skit)
Gala in honor of Joe Cino (Caffe Cino) at Theater for the New City. 1992."SEATING AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS" Love Creek Productions (one-act version) Nat Horne Theatre, NY; Phoenix Ensemble's Fire Festival (one-act version) NY. 1995; Arts Project of Cherry Grove, Fire Island (one-act version). 1998.
"CO-OP" Commissioned and produced by Theater for the New City for the 1st Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. 1996; W.O.W. Cafe, NY. 1996.
"CO-OP: The Next Generation"Commissioned and produced by Theater for the New City for the 2nd Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. 1997.
"CO-OP" (a combination of above two plays) Philadelphia Fringe Festival. 1998.
"ANNIE GET YOUR PUN" Commissioned and produced by Theater for the New City for the 4th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. 1999
"A DAY TO REMEMBER: The Staten Island Ferry" 3rd Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.
"10014" Commissioned and produced by Miranda Theatre Company for "Manhattan Zip." 1996. Triangle Theatre, Boston, MA. 1996.
"THE CAT'S MEOW" Commissioned and produced by Miranda Theatre Co. 1996.
"LIFELINE" Reading at Village Playwrights. 1997; First Look Series, Goldman Y, NY. 1998. Woodstock Theatre Co. Theatre Festival 2002
"STRAY CATS" 5th Annual LES Festival of the Arts. 2000.
"VANILLE: The Lost (Last) Xena Episode." 6th Annual LES Festival. 2001.
"CYMA’S STORY" One woman adaptation of trilogy. Philadelphia Fringe Festival 1999; Expanded Arts, NY, 1999; Jewish Women’s Theatre Project, Los Angeles, 2002. NOHO (North Hollywood) Theater Festival 2003; University of Gutenberg, Mainz, Germany, 2003. Published in Harrington Lesbian Fiction Quarterly (Haworth Press) 2001.
"LAW & ORDER; P.I." (a film noir satire about detectives and dames on the Lower East Side) 10th Annual Lower East Side Festival. 2005.
BARBARA KAHN: DIRECTOR
"The Diary of Nijinsky" (adapted by Nina Kethevan)
Lincoln Center, N.Y.
Theatre Lucernaire, Paris
The National Theatre, London
"Into Love and Out Again" by Dorothy Parker (adapted by Colleen Curtis)
Drama Tree, N.Y.
"Burning Bridges" by Nancy Dean
Madison Avenue Theatre Productions
"Shvesters" by Kevin Brofsky
Madison Avenue Theatre Productions
"Late Afternoon" by Beverly Thompson
Madison Avenue Theatre Productions
"The Heidi Solution" and "The Way It Is" both by Pennell Somsen.
Kloepfer Productions. WOW Cafe.
"Our Lady of Stone" by Vanda
oobr one-act play festival. Impact Theatre.
Grove Street Playhouse.
"Holiday Madness" by Carol Holland.
Break a Leg! Prods. Manhattan Plaza.
"Secrets and Orphans" by Kevin Brofsky.
Theater for the New City.
"Midsummer Revels" (assistant director)--Southampton, N.Y.
"The Forgotten Truths" by Colleen Curtis and Barbara Kahn
N.Y. Public Library
The Acting Studio
Barbara Barondess Theatre Lab
"Hell's Kitchen Has A Tub In It" by Barbara Kahn
Calico Productions. Studio 603, N.Y.
"Pen Pals" by Barbara Kahn
Theater for the New City
"Six Degrees of Graduate Studies..." by Barbara Kahn
Cino Gala, Theater For the New City
"A Day to Remember: The Staten Island Ferry" by Barbara Kahn
Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.
"Annie Get Your Pun" Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.
"Crossings: Where W.11th Meets W.4th St., Greenwich Village"* by Barbara Kahn
Theater For the New City
"Unorthodox Behavior" "Whither Thou Goest" "Heaven and Earth" "Joanna" "The Tempest-Tossed" "War Bonds"* "The Lady Was a Gentleman"*--by Barbara Kahn, all at Theater For the New City* Co-directed with Lisa Marjorie Barnes
THE HEATHER COMPANY at Westbeth 20th ann'y celebration (co-director)
THE CRYSTAL QUILT members party--director of entertainment program
CINO GALA for THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY--co-dir. of entertainment
BARBARA KAHN: AWARDS
* TORCH OF HOPE, 1995, for lifetime achievement in playwriting, following previous honorees including Terrence McNally, John Guare, Horton Foote, A.R. Gurney, August Wilson.
* LOVE CREEK PRODUCTIONS, NY, Gay and Lesbian One-Act Play Festival:
first prize for SEATING AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.
* CELEBRATION THEATRE, Los Angeles, nationwide new play contest:
third prize for SEATING AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS (full-length).
* JAMES R. QUIRK AWARD FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, December 1996, for her memorable contributions to the American Theatre.
* THE FIELD. Awarded participation in The Field's Independent Artist Challenge Program in 1997.
* JEROME FOUNDATION grants for commission and production of WHITHER THOU GOEST, HEAVEN AND EARTH, CROSSINGS, JOANNA, THE TEMPEST-TOSSED, WAR BONDS and THE LADY WAS A GENTLEMAN at Theater For the New City.
* ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE 1998 NATIONAL 10-MINUTE PLAY CONTEST. Finalist for "The Mole."
* PERISHABLE THEATRE'S 6TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL. Finalist for "Lifeline."
* ARCH AND BRUCE BROWN FOUNDATION. Unprecedented three production grants: JOANNA, February 2000; THE TEMPEST-TOSSED, March 2001; WAR BONDS, April 2002. All at Theater for the New City.
BARBARA KAHN: MISCELLANEOUS
Panelist: OutWrite conference in Boston.
Panel moderator: International Conference of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations.
Panel organizer/moderator: Sisters On Stage Annual Acting Out Conferences, 1995-1999
Guest Speaker/presenter: Jewish Women's Writing in Great Britain and the United States from the 1990's and Beyond, Mainz University, Germany. January 2003.
Co-author: lyrics for the song "Actions Are the Music of the Free" (in honor of Bella Abzug) for "Bringing Beijing Home" rally at NYU, later performed on request at the United Nations Memorial to Dame Nita Barrow and at Bella Abzug memorial birthday benefit.
Memorabilia from Ms. Kahn's productions are in the permanent collection of the Cultural History Collection at the New York State Museum in Albany.
Director: THE DIARY OF NIJINSKY, a production that moved from LINCOLN CENTER in New York to the THEATRE LUCERNAIRE in Paris (in French, with the collaboration of the late director Marika Hodjis). The original English version, again under Barbara's sole direction, went on to play at the NATIONAL THEATRE in London.
