About me
Marie Kohler is an American playwright, director, writer, and producer renowned for her impactful contributions to the stage. Her work has garnered multiple nominations, including for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (three times), the Harold & Mimi Steinberg / American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, and the Playwrights' Center PlayLabs Festival, among others. Her acclaimed play BOSWELL (published by Dramatic Publishing) received four-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and went on to a sold-out Off-Broadway run at 59E59 Theaters in 2022. Kohler is also recognized for her skill in adapting classic literature for the stage, with works like A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST (published by Dramatic Publishing) and MIDNIGHT AND MOLL FLANDERS showcasing her deep engagement with literary texts. A passionate advocate for the arts, she co-founded Milwaukee’s Renaissance Theaterworks and served as its Co-Artistic Director and Resident Playwright for two decades. Her dedication to the arts earned her “Artist of the Year” and “Friend of the Arts” honors from the Milwaukee Arts Board. In 2024, Kohler was elected a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters.A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University, Kohler holds an MA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She serves on the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Arts Board and the Wisconsin Humanities Board, and is also a committed environmental conservationist. Kohler resides in Spring Green and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her actor husband, Brian Mani.
