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Bess Wohl

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BIO

Bess Wohl’s plays include SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS (featured in top ten lists in The New York Times, The Guardian, New York Post, and others, currently on a national tour), AMERICAN HERO, BARCELONA (multiple Ovation Award nominations), TOUCHED, IN, CATS TALK BACK and PRETTY FILTHY, in collaboration with Michael Friedman and The Civilians (Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Musical). Her newest play, CONTINUITY, was recently developed at Chicago’s Goodman Theater as part of the New Stages festival.



She also writes for film and television and her film, IRREPLACEABLE YOU, premiered on Netflix in February of 2018, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Christopher Walken, Kate McKinnon and Steve Coogan. She won an Athena Award for her original screenplay, VIRGINIA and her screenplay, IN, was included on Hollywood’s Black List of best scripts. She has developed original television projects for HBO, ABC, USA, FOX and others.

Her plays have been produced or developed at theaters in New York and around the country, including Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, Ars Nova, The Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Geffen Playhouse, Goodman Theater, People’s Light and Theatre Company, The Contemporary American Theater Festival, Vineyard Arts Project, The Pioneer Theatre, The Pittsburgh Public Theater, The Northlight Theater, TheaterWorks New Works Fesitval, Ojai Playwright's Conference, the Cape Cod Theatre Project, PlayPenn and the New York International Fringe Festival (Award for Best Overall Production).

In 2015, Bess won the Sam Norkin special Drama Desk Award for “establishing herself as an important voice in New York theater.” Other awards include the John Gassner Outer Critics Circle Award. She currently holds new play commissions from Lincoln Center, Manhattan Theater Club, Second Stage, The Williamstown Theatre Festival and Hartford Stage. She is a MacDowell fellow, an associate artist with the New York based investigative theater troupe, The Civilians, and an alumna of Ars Nova’s Play Group.

In her previous life as an actress, Bess appeared onstage in New York and regionally, and in numerous films and TV shows where she has given birth, solved crimes, committed crimes, been wrongly accused, and come back from the dead.

She is a graduate of Harvard and the Yale School of Drama.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Off-Broadway]
2004
Alegra


Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2025]
Playwright
 
[Off-Broadway, 2014]
Playwright
 
[West End, ]
Playwright

Writing

Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright

Awards and Nominations

Drama Desk Awards - 2025 - Outstanding Play

Bess Wohl, Liberation

Tony Awards - 2020 - Best Play

Bess Wohl, Grand Horizons


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2017 - John Gassner Award

Bess Wohl, Small Mouth Sounds


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 2015 - Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award

Bess WohlAmerican Hero, Pretty Filthy, Small Mouth Sounds

Videos

News


THE SHARK IS BROKEN, THE CRUCIBLE and More Set for Maryland Ensemble Theatre 2025"2026 Season
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 19, 2025

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) has announced its dynamic 2025–2026 season, which marks the organization’s 28th year of producing bold and engaging theater for Frederick and beyond.
THE CRUCIBLE and More Set for Maryland Ensemble Theatre 2025/26 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 18, 2025

Maryland Ensemble Theatre has revealed their 28th season of MainStage and FUN Company Shows, as well as MET Comedy Night offerings, special events and a new performance space!
Casts Set for THE TOXIC AVENGER: THE MUSICAL and PRETTY FILTHY at Doctuh Mistuh Productions
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 5, 2025

Doctuh Mistuh Productions has revealed the casts for two Austin premieres: the off-Broadway hit, The Toxic Avenger: The Musical and Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards Best Musical nominee, Pretty Filthy. Learn more!
L.A. Theatre Works Launches Streaming Subscription Service
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 2, 2025

L.A. Theatre Works, the world’s foremost producer of audio theater, has launched a monthly subscription service offering global access plays in its catalog of classic, contemporary and original plays, with additional titles added every month.
2025 Drama Desk Awards Winners- The Full List
by Nicole Rosky - Jun 1, 2025

Debra Messing and Tituss Burgess hosted the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards at NYU Skirball. Check out the full list of winners from the big night here!
Photos: Inside the 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards Ceremony
by Bruce Glikas - May 28, 2025

Earlier this month, The Outer Critics Circle announced the winners for the 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards, honoring the 2024-2025 Broadway and Off-Broadway season. Check out photos here!
Photos: Inside The 2025 Drama League Awards
by Bruce Glikas - May 19, 2025

The best of Broadway gathered at the at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 16 to celebrate the 91st Annual Drama League Awards. Check out photos from the event here!
Photos: Inside the the 2025 Lucille Lortel Awards
by Jennifer Broski - May 5, 2025

The 2025 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were handed in 16 categories, with three honorary awards also bestowed. Big winners included Here There Are Blueberries, Three Houses, Vanya, and more. Check out photso from the red carpet here!
2025 Lucille Lortel Awards- Full Winners List
by Nicole Rosky - May 4, 2025

The 40th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards – the only New York theatre award to exclusively honor Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway – are being presented tonight, Sunday, May 4, 2025, at NYU Skirball. Check out live updates from the ceremony here!
THE GIRL WHO TURNED INTO A FEATHER Industry Reading Takes Place This Week
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 30, 2025

On May 1, 2025, Emerald Phoenix LLC will present an invitation-only industry reading of Kleban Award-winner Christian Duhamel's new play, THE GIRL WHO TURNED INTO A FEATHER.
2025 Drama Desk Awards Nominations- The Full List
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 30, 2025

Nominations for the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced. This year’s awards, hosted by Debra Messing and Tituss Burgess, will be held on Sunday, June 1 at 6:15pm at NYU Skirball  Check out the full list here!
May Hermitage Programs Feature Tony-Nominees Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Bess Wohl, And More
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 15, 2025

The Hermitage Artist Retreat has announced two new programs in May, with additional May and June programming to be opened for registration in the coming weeks.
A History of Nudity on Stage
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Apr 5, 2025

The play Liberation which is currently playing at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre off-Broadway features nudity. How often do plays and musicals feature nudity on stage? We're breaking it down!
Photos: SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS At The Sauk
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 4, 2025

“Small Mouth Sounds,” a play by Bess Wohl, is coming to The Sauk in Jonesville this weekend. Check out photos from the production!
DRAG: THE MUSICAL, OUR CLASS, THREE HOUSES Lead 40th Annual Lucille Lortel Nominations
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 2, 2025

Nominations for the 40th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards – the only New York theatre award to exclusively honor Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway – were just announced. Check out the full list of nominees here!
Interview: Claire Warden on the Intimacy Movement: 'There Is Space for Everyone'
by Caitlin Hornik - Mar 31, 2025

This March, BroadwayWorld is excited to spotlight five incredible female theatre-makers who are changing the game from offstage. In this final edition of 'Female Theatremakers' we are catching up with Broadway Intimacy Director Claire Warden.
Photos: Playwright Bess Wohl Featured At Dramatists Guild Foundation Salon, In Conversation With Gretchen Cryer
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 27, 2025

The Dramatists Guild Foundation hosted an intimate Salon on Monday, March 24th, featuring Tony Award-nominated playwright Bess Wohl. See photos from the event.
Interview: Bess Wohl on Writing the Women’s Lib Movement in 2025: 'It's Meeting the Moment'
by Caitlin Hornik - Mar 24, 2025

Who run the Broadway world? Girls. This March, BroadwayWorld is excited to spotlight five incredible female theatre-makers who are changing the game from offstage. In this second edition of 'Female Theatremakers' we are catching up with acclaimed playwright Bess Wohl.
Interview: Whitney White Reflects on How Shakespeare Impacts Her Work: ‘Everyone Has Their Moment’
by Caitlin Hornik - Mar 17, 2025

This March, BroadwayWorld is excited to spotlight five incredible female theatre-makers who are changing the game from offstage. In this second edition of 'Female Theatremakers' we are catching up with director extraordinaire, Whitney White.
Photos: Gloria Steinem Stops By LIBERATION Off-Broadway
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 14, 2025

On Tuesday evening, Gloria Steinem attended the new feminist play, Liberation, and visited with the cast and creative team after the show. Check out photos from her visit!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has Bess Wohl written?

Bess Wohl has written 5 shows including Small Mouth Sounds (Playwright), Continuity (Playwright), Make Believe (Playwright), Grand Horizons (Playwright), Liberation (Playwright).

What awards has Bess Wohl been nominated for?

Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Liberation, Best Play (Tony Awards) for Grand Horizons, John Gassner Award (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Small Mouth Sounds and Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award (Drama Desk Awards) for American Hero, Pretty Filthy, Small Mouth Sounds.

What awards has Bess Wohl won?

Bess Wohl has won the John Gassner Award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Small Mouth Sounds. She has also received the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award from the Drama Desk Awards for her work on American Hero, Pretty Filthy, and Small Mouth Sounds.

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