Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks is a playwright, bookwriter whose BroadwayWorld credits include The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess and Golden Boy. Awards include Drama Desk Awards for Plays for the Plague Year (2023).
Birth Place: Kentucky, USA
Latest News on Suzan-Lori Parks:
Photos
Productions
Writing
Lyricist
Movies
[ 1996 ] writer
[ 2010 ] Skye Brown - the director
[ 2021 ] writer
Awards and Nominations
Suzan-Lori Parks, Plays For The Plague Year
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Plays for the Plague Year
Suzan-Lori Parks, The Harder They Come
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, White Noise
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts I, II, & III
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog / Underdog
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog
Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog
Suzan-Lori Parks, In The Blood
Suzan-Lori Parks, In the Blood
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Venus
winner
Suzan-Lori Parks, Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom
Videos
Video: Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood in TOPDOG/UNDERDOG at Steppenwolf
by Stephi Wild - 2026-09-30 09:21:58
Video: Watch Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood in TOPDOG/UNDERDOG at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Nicole Rosky - 2026-09-25 10:13:42
Video: TOPDOG/UNDERDOG Preview Teases Steppenwolf Season Opener
by Allison Henry - 2026-09-11 10:01:10
Video: SUFFS Hosts Roll Call With Representatives from the 36 States that Ratified 19th Amendment
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-08-25 10:11:28
Video: Watch a Trailer for THE BOOK OF GRACE at Arcola Theatre
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-05-11 16:34:18
News
by Team BWW - Oct 1, 2026
Chicago is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month. Selections for October 2026 include TOPDOG/UNDERDOG and more.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 30, 2026
The Public Theater revealed its 2026-27 season lineup, expanding to 18 productions. The season includes world premieres from playwright Caryl Churchill and theater company Elevator Repair Service, plus new works by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen.
by Stephi Wild - Sep 30, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company has launched its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Kenny Leon. Check out an all new video clip from the show here!
by Rachel Weinberg - Sep 28, 2026
Steppenwolf opens its 51st season with a blistering and captivating production of Suzan Lori-Parks’s Topdog/Underdog. This play has long been on my theater bucket list, and it’s absolutely what I think of when I think of a “Steppenwolf play”: A gritty family drama about brothers undergoing hard times, grappling with racial injustice and the fallacy of the American Dream. With direction by Kenny Leon, Steppenwolf Co-Artistic Director Glen Davis and Ensemble Member Namir Smallwood are dazzlingly suited to take on the roles of Lincoln and Booth. While they tell us their names are a joke by their parents, it’s also revealing of their sibling dynamic and their fates. Though American society at large may view them as insignificant and non-contributors to capitalism, Lincoln and Booth nonetheless feel pressured to constantly one up each other — though they may have few means to do so.
by Nicole Rosky - Sep 25, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company shared a new video promoting its current production of Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, running in Chicago through November 1.
by Stephi Wild - Sep 25, 2026
The Performance Project@University Settlement will present original theater, dance, and performance art created by six fellows at Speyer Hall on the Lower East Side.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 23, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company has launched its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon. See photos!
by Rachel Stone - Sep 22, 2026
National Black Theatre will present UNDERSIEGE, a staged reading featuring work from over 35 playwrights including Danai Gurira and Suzan-Lori Parks, at the Studio Museum in Harlem as part of the Fall of Freedom initiative.
by Marissa Faith Curley - Sep 20, 2026
Inferno is set to present Bitcoin Bad Boy, a new comedy written by Ben Schiller and directed by Meg Gomez-Campbell, running as part of the Factory Series at the Chain Theatre in Midtown Manhattan for twelve performances.
by Allison Henry - Sep 11, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company shared a preview clip of Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, opening its 51st season in Chicago this fall.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 9, 2026
The 2026 Horton Foote Prize has been awarded to Talene Monahon for her play Meet the Cartozians. Ms. Monahon will be honored at a private celebration at New York’s Lotos Club.
by Stephi Wild - Sep 3, 2026
National Black Theatre and Theatre for a New Audience will host a series of post-show discussions during the run of AMERICA, WHO HURT YOU? at Polonsky Shakespeare Center, featuring Sarah Jones and guest panelists.
by BWW Special Offer - Sep 3, 2026
American Theatre ranked it #3 among the most influential shows of the past 25 years. Now see Topdog/Underdog at Curious.
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 2, 2026
People's Light will co-produce Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning TOPDOG/UNDERDOG with Arden Theatre Company, starring Akeem Davis and George McGriff, directed by Amina Robinson.
by Marina Kennedy - Sep 3, 2026
Two River Theater kicks off their 2026/2027 Season with August Wilson's The Piano Lesson directed by Francois Battiste. Previews begin September 12 and the production runs through October 4 in the Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater.
by Stephi Wild - Sep 2, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon. Check out rehearsal photos here!
by Stephi Wild - Sep 1, 2026
Elijah Jones and Alano Miller will star as brothers Booth and Lincoln in Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III at The Old Globe in San Diego.
by Tessa Nelson - Aug 31, 2026
Two brothers inherit a joke, a rivalry, and a whole lot more in Curious Theatre’s Topdog/Underdog.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Aug 26, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog. Topdog/Underdog will play a limited engagement
by Stephi Wild - Aug 25, 2026
San Jose Stage Company will present five productions in its upcoming season, including the Bay Area premiere of BARCELONA along with CLUE, THE FULL MONTY, TOPDOG/UNDERDOG and NETWORK.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Suzan-Lori Parks has written 9 shows including Unchain My Heart (Bookwriter), The America Play (Playwright), Urban Zulu Mambo (Playwright), Topdog / Underdog (Playwright), F-ing A (Composer), The Book Of Grace (Playwright), The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World (Playwright), The Red Letter Plays: In the Blood (Author), White Noise (Playwright).
Outstanding Play (The Lortels) for Plays For The Plague Year, Outstanding Music in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Plays for the Plague Year, Outstanding Book of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Harder They Come, Playwriting Award (Obie Awards) for White Noise, Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee (The Lortels) for , Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts I, II, & III, Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Topdog/Underdog, John Gassner Playwriting Award (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Topdog / Underdog , The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for Topdog/Underdog, Best Play (Tony Awards) for Topdog/Underdog, The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for In The Blood, The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for In the Blood , Guest Judges (Obie Awards), Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Venus and Best New American Play (Obie Awards) for Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom.
Suzan-Lori Parks has received several awards throughout her career, including Outstanding Music in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Plays for the Plague Year; the Playwriting Award (Obie Awards) for White Noise; Playwrights' Sidewalk Inductee (The Lortels); Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts I, II, & III; Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Topdog/Underdog; the John Gassner Playwriting Award (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Topdog/Underdog; The Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Topdog/Underdog; Guest Judges (Obie Awards); Playwriting (Obie Awards) for Venus; and Best New American Play (Obie Awards) for Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom.
