Marin Gazzaniga

Marin Gazzaniga’s play The Unbelieving had its world premiere at 59E59th October 2022. Produced by The Civilians, it was a NYT’s Critic’s Pick and is based on interviews of non-believing clergy conducted for Daniel C. Dennett’s and Linda LaScola’s study “Caught in the Pulpit,” as well as her own interviews. Her first play, So Close, was co-produced by Rising Phoenix Rep (Time Out NY Critic’s Pick). It was inspired by interviews she conducted while writing for Victim Services and told the story of a violent relationship. She co-produced and acted in the independent film version (which streamed on iTunes and Amazon). Her plays have been developed by The Civilians, LAByrinth Theater Co. and Primary Stages ESPA in NY, Echo Theatre in Dallas, and Santa Fe Playhouse. In Ways Both Frivolous and Deep was produced by Ashland New Plays Festival’s Play4Keeps podcast (Apple Podcasts and Spotify). Her plays have received support from National Endowment for the Arts, the Pilgrim Project, and Venturous Theater fund of the Tides Foundation and have been finalists for Ashland New Plays Festival and the Heidemann Award, and semi-finalists for the O’Neill Playwrights Festival, and the Relentless Theater Award “Picket Plays.” She received her BA from Columbia, her MA in creative writing from City College and studied playwrighting at Primary Stages’ Einhorn School of Performing Arts.

Gazzaniga started her career in journalism (NBC News, Vogue, MSN.com and Fortune.com) has written and edited several nonfiction books, and produced award-winning digital features for HBO, Turner, Lionsgate and AMC. She co-created and starred in the IFC web series Like So Many Things… and was director of the Filmmakers’ Workshop for New York Stage and Film for five years. She has written comedy pilots for Hulu and Freeform, and is currently an Emmy-winning writer for The Young and the Restless (CBS).

WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: https://www.maringazzaniga.com/
IG: @itookthispic

MORE ABOUT ME
I wrote my first play over twenty years ago and ended up co-producing it with Rising Phoenix Rep and then making and selling the feature film. This past fall I had the world premiere of my second produced play at 59E59, with the Civilians. In the interim, I studied playwriting and have written several plays that have been developed by various companies (see bio), receiving workshops and readings and award recognition. Not having gone to an MFA playwriting program, I've at times felt at a disadvantage being outside the pipeline for produced playwrights. But that hasn't deterred me from persevering to write and find outlets for my plays - all while making a living as a full-time writer in other fields (mostly journalism and TV). In spite of success in other media, it is theater where I feel I can tackle the most complicated questions that haunt me like: What does it mean to mourn a child that never was? Is there love in a violent relationship? What does it feel like to go from clergy member to atheist? I return to theater because it is a place that doesn't demand pat answers - but allows you to explore these questions with an audience. It is where you can begin a dialogue, instead of end one.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
The questions I’m circling around now are: Can you avoid the fear of losing someone? If you could, how? At what cost?

KEYWORDS
Science, faith, atheism, domestic violence, social issues, dark comedy, infertility, documentary theater