in hand, I was subsequently rejected by every theatre in the country.īut I had continued my computer programming habit on the side, and with my brother Kevin Knight, wrote a movie personalized recommendations program, called MovieMan (worst title ever), which was about 15 years ahead of its time. (Looks like the book is hard to find now, so if you can find it - get it!) I later wrote my own (bad) fictional screenplay centered around this theory. It's a legit theory, detailed in the book The Murder of the Man Who Was Shakespeare by Calvin Hoffman. I believe the historical Shakespeare (the actor) didn't write the plays credited to him, and that Christopher Marlowe did, from exile, after having faked his death. I wrote a paper on Hamlet, and regret never having the opportunity to direct a full length version. I got to be an Assistant Director on some professional productions, like the Boston Huntington Theatre's production of Tartuffe, and King Lear at San Diego's Old Globe (where I worked beneath Jack O'Brien and the late great Hal Holbrook ). I later earned a Masters in Directing from Boston University, where I directed The Actor's Nightmare, Principia Scriptoriae, Steel Magnolias, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, The 15 Minute Hamlet, and Translations. Īnd I drove a school bus full of actors and props around rural New England. I set The Frog Prince to the tunes of Harry Connick Jr.'s soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally. Thanks to my mentor Rick Seer, I got a summer internship at The American Stage Festival in Milford, New Hampshire, where I stage managed a children's theatre troupe, and got to do some writing and directing. My playwriting teacher Heather McDonald told me, "we're all born with the ability to become great writers, but it's suppressed in us as we get older." I still don't know if that's right. I was so worried I hadn't been born with enough talent. I wrote a play called The End of Billy Prancer which won that year's writing award and was produced. Gareth Saxe played a dazzling Tom Wingfield, the original music and live sound effects were chilling, and it wasn't until opening night that we realized there was a pattern of blue roses on the dress that the actress playing Laura wore. It might be the most creatively successful thing I ever did. ![]() I directed a haunting version of The Glass Menagerie by my then-hero Tennessee Williams. I was President of the Studio Theatre Workshop, and did publicity for the school's Drama Department. ![]() And I was involved in over 30+ theatre productions. I wrote a program on my Mac called How to Cut Hamlet, which recommended cuts to the 4+ hour play based on the themes in which a would-be director was most interested. At Colorado College, I majored in Drama and minored in Math & Computers. Later, I got bit by the theatre bug □, but also continued to code. My father brought home an Apple II computer one day in 1977, and I became a self-taught child programmer, and wrote some goofy games. I was one of three boys, and I guess there was a sibling rivalry theme there that was a bit too obvious. I was heavily influenced by Roger Zelazny 's Amber series, and the play-turned-movie The Lion in Winter. Like a lot of folks, from a young age I kind of always wanted to be a writer. I'm currently the GM of Games for The New York Times, working with a talented and passionate group of people who put out some of the world's finest daily puzzles, including Wordle, Spelling Bee, and the iconic New York Times Crossword. (Yes, I once had to take my name out of the Boston phone book, back when there were phone books. ![]() ![]() I'll never be the top search on Google thanks to New Kids on the Block. In my career, I've had the great fortune to work with incredible people, and for incredible companies like Activision, EA, Zynga, and Warner Brothers. I like to cook, taste wine □, read when I have time, argue about politics, and I'm part of a friends & family peloton that cycles on Sundays. I'm married to a wonderfully talented artist □ and strong, inspiring mother. I am a computer and video game maker, former director, husband, father, Californian, Ravenclaw, and general worrier.
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