Michael Shayan (Playwright) ​​​(he/him) is a queer Iranian-American writer and performer from “Tehran-geles,” Calif. He recently received the inaugural Sundance Institute Uprise Grant and is a member of the Geffen Playhouse Writers Room. He’s writing a new play commission for Audible, and his work has been seen and developed at La MaMa, New York Stage & Film, Rattlestick Theatre, The Lark, Project Y Theatre, Dixon Place and Art House, among others. He was a Lambda Literary LGBTQ Voices Fellow in Playwriting, and his work has been featured in The Advocate magazine. He is a writer and consulting producer on the upcoming “Book of Queer” (Discovery+) and worked on Season 2 of HBO’s “We’re Here.” At 13, he was the youngest performer at the Hollywood Magic Castle. Shayan studied playwriting at Harvard and received his MFA from Mac Wellman’s program at Brooklyn College. Recipient: Himan Brown Playwriting Award. Distinguished Achievement: Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award, Kennedy Center. Residencies: Stillwright, La MaMa Umbria, Lambda Emerging LGBTQ Voices Retreat. Finalist: New Dramatists, Dramatists Guild Fellowship. Rep: The Gersh Agency.