
Rajiv Joseph
Playwright
Explore this guide
Biography
Rajiv Joseph
Rajiv Joseph is an American playwright. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he graduated from Miami University with a BA in Creative Writing and from New York University with an MFA in Dramatic Writing. He has been writing steadily since his first play, Huck & Holden, debuted off-Broadway in January 2006. One of his best-known plays, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo debuted in May 2009 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play, about two American Marines and an Iraqi translator who encounter a tiger stalking the streets of Baghdad, had a 2011 Broadway production with actor Robin WIlliams in the title role of Tiger. Gruesome Playground Injuries, Joseph’s most-produced play, is a two-person one-act that explores the relationship of two people over a period of 30 years.
Joseph’s work is influenced by his mixed-race background, with issues of identity and culture often at the forefront. His plays frequently feature a character who is an outsider-often a young Indian American, drawing on his father’s Indian ethnicity. He also draws on his experience in Senegal as a member of the Peace Corps for three years. In addition to plays, Joseph has written for two seasons of the TV series Nurse Jackie and was a co-writer of the films Draft Day and Army of One. Joseph’s plays have been produced at the Mark Taper Forum, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Alley Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre. In 2018, his play Describe the Night won the Obie Award for Best New American Play.
Known For
Shows
Shows associated with Rajiv Joseph
Monologues
Monologues from shows associated with Rajiv Joseph
Songs
Songs from shows associated with Rajiv Joseph
Scenes
Scenes from shows associated with Rajiv Joseph
Videos
Videos associated with Rajiv Joseph
Quizzes
Quizzes associated with Rajiv Joseph
Learning Modules
Learning modules associated with Rajiv Joseph
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Additional Information
Whiting Foundation Bio Credits and Awards Biography Backstage