Meghan Kennedy

Meghan Kennedy is an American playwright known for her emotionally resonant, lyrical dramas that explore themes of family, memory, identity, and resilience. Her work often centers on women’s voices and intergenerational dynamics, delivered with compassion, humor, and poetic honesty.

Kennedy is best known for her critically acclaimed play Napoli, Brooklyn, which premiered at Roundabout Theatre Company in 2017. Inspired by her own family history, the play is set in 1960s Brooklyn and follows three Italian-American sisters navigating the expectations of their immigrant parents and the rapidly changing world around them. Napoli, Brooklyn was praised for its rich character development, heartfelt storytelling, and insightful examination of gender, tradition, and rebellion.

Her earlier works include Too Much, Too Much, Too Many, which premiered at Roundabout Underground, and Light, which was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Kennedy’s plays have been developed or presented by prominent institutions such as the National Theatre of London, The Atlantic Theater Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Ars Nova.

Kennedy has also worked in television, contributing to shows for networks like Apple TV+ and HBO. Her storytelling sensibilities—intimate, character-driven, and emotionally layered—translate powerfully across both stage and screen.

A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kennedy continues to develop new plays and screen projects. She is regarded as one of the vital voices in contemporary American theatre, celebrated for her ability to capture the nuance and complexity of everyday lives with grace and authenticity.