JONATHAN KIM PHILLIPS is a playwright
Jonathan Kim Phillips is a queer, Korean-American playwright living in NYC. His work has been developed at Theater for the New City, New Light Theater Project, Primary Stages/ESPA, Larry Singer Studios, and with The Fishbowl Collective. In 2021, he became a member of American Theater Group’s PlayLab - a writers group centered around BIPOC and LGBTQ+ playwrights. He was also a recipient of the Mary Louise Rockwell scholarship at Primary Stages for their 2021-2022 season. He received his BA from Muhlenberg College.
HERE ARE THE PLAYS
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5:55 10:80
ONE ACT - DRAMA
CAST OF 12 (I KNOW, IT’S A LOT)
SYNPOSIS: The hour leading up to first rehearsal can be stressful. This is morning prep in real time. A play about hierarchy, complicity, and rehearsal studios.
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RICH FUCKS AND THE SHIT THEY DO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
FULL LENGTH - DARK COMEDY
CAST OF 8
SYNOPSIS: In a stylish apartment complex on the UWS, the disappearance of a Korean, Chinese food delivery man sets off an odd chain of events involving murder, amateur espionage, amateur parenting, and well... more murder. A play (not really) about white collar murder, human trafficking, generational expectations, sexual fluidity, hacksaws, adoption politics, strap-on dildos, dumpster fires, xenophobia, dating apps, and people making really (really) [really] dumb choices. Like, really dumb choices.
Reading - ATG PlayLab (2022)
Reading (Excerpt) - Primary Stages/ESPA (2021) -
SEDONA
FULL LENGTH - HORROR
CAST OF 4
SYNOPSIS: In memoriam. Never forgotten. A home encased in glass looks out over a red rock-lined valley. A son reluctantly returns home. A familiar voice drifts through the night. A colossal juniper tree hovers overhead. A play about the death of others, death of self, and the death of something greater.
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SCYLLA + CHARYBDIS
FULL LENGTH - DARK COMEDY
CAST OF 3
SYNOPSIS: The abrupt homecoming of Daphne’s childhood friend, Breen, brings forth painful memories as strong as the Pacific current. What caused this rift and is there any way to salvage what has essentially already been ravaged by time? A play about suicide, adoption, and empathy.
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UNDER THE FLUORESCENT SKY
FULL LENGTH - DRAMA
CAST OF 3
SYNOPSIS: During the final months of their senior year of high school, best friend duo of Wally and Greg struggle with the idea of graduating. Without any acceptance letter in sight, the two boys confide in the edgy, leather jacket-wearing gas station attendant named Casey. Oh, and aliens. A play about small town life, dancing through the pain, and searching for the unknown.
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THE DESIRED EFFECT
ONE ACT - DRAMA
CAST OF 2-3
SYNOPSIS: After a devastating break-up with his boyfriend, Emmett strives to get his life back together. He turns to a collection of self-help exercises to dive into his memory pool and create closure. However, the deeper he searches, the more tainted and augmented his memories become. A play about depression, insomnia, gay love, and the desire to keep the forward momentum.
Recording - Pride Pieces/Pride Plays (2020)
Reading - The Fishbowl Collective (2017)
Reading - Theater For the New City (2017) -
CAUSALITY
ONE ACT - DRAMA
CAST OF 3
SYNOPSIS: A horrific accident is discovered on Route 50. But how is it linked to a domestic abuse case from the year before? A violent breaking point is retraced through the desperate narratives of nine individuals (portrayed by three actors). A play about parental influence, negligence, and gun violence - told through monologue.
Reading - Larry Singer Studios (2018)
Reading - Muhlenberg College (2013)
Reading - New Light Theatre Project (2013)
HERE IS THE ARTISTIC STATEMENT
I’m drawn to people who are going through it. I myself am usually going through something and it’s in that chaotic state where I am typically compelled to sit down and write. Sometimes that means I don’t generate anything new for months - maybe even years, and I’ve learned to just say, “that’s the way it is”. I wrestle with a lot internally. I’m naturally anxious and carry a lot of the burden on my characters. They help guide me to something - finality, an epiphany, maybe even a happy ending. As bleak as some of my plays can be, I never lose hope in my characters - because that would mean losing hope in myself. And life is already too depressing to start doing that.
