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Kristoffer Diaz

Clinical Associate Professor
kkd2000@nyu.edu
(212) 992-3739
716 - 1 Wash Pl

Office Hours
Tuesday 12:30-2:00 (BY APPT)
Wednesday 11:00-2:00
Thursday 12:30-2:00 (BY APPT)

B.A., Individualized Study, New York University, 1999
M.F.A., Dramatic Writing, New York University, 2002
M.F.A., Performing Arts Management, Brooklyn College, 2009

Kristoffer Diaz is a playwright, screenwriter, musical librettist, and educator. His teaching interests include dramatic writing and contemporary US theater, with a special focus on new American plays and musicals. His play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, and has gone on to more than thirty productions nationwide. Other full-length titles include Hercules (adapted from the Disney film for the Joseph Papp Public Theater's Public Works program), Welcome to Arroyo’s, #therevolution, Rebecca Oaxaca (Lays Down A Bunt), Expect Victory, and The Unfortunates. His work has been produced, commissioned, and developed at The Public Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Geffen Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, The Goodman, Second Stage, Victory Gardens, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Chelsea Factory, American Theater Company, The Atlantic, InterAct, Mixed Blood, The Orchard Project, Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Lark, Summer Play Festival, Donmar Warehouse, and South Coast Repertory, among many others. Awards include the Guggenheim, Jerome, Van Lier, NYFA, and Gail Merrifield Papp Fellowships; New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award; Lucille Lortel, Equity Jeff, and OBIE Awards; and the Future Aesthetics Artist Regrant, among others.

As a screenwriter, Kristoffer adapted the musical Rent for the Fox network, wrote on the Netflix series GLOW, and has developed original television pilots for HBO and FX. Kristoffer holds a BA from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, an MFA from NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing, and an MFA from Brooklyn College’s Performing Arts Management program. He teaches in both Gallatin and the Department of Dramatic Writing at the Tisch School of the Arts. Kristoffer sits on the board of New Dramatists (where he is an alumni playwright) and serves as an officer on the council of the Dramatists Guild.

His play Reggie Hoops will have its professional world premiere in February 2024 at Portland's Profile Theatre. His musical Hell's Kitchen (created with Alicia Keys) premieres in November 2023 at New York's Public Theater.

Performances, Productions, Exhibitions & Releases

2023

Welcome to Arroyo's

Kristoffer Diaz’s play "Welcome to Arroyo's" was staged at Profile Theatre (Portland) and Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and his play "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" was staged at Profile Theatre (Portland), Hippodrome Theater (Gainesville, Florida), Zach Theatre (Austin), and at Chance Theatre (Anaheim).

2020

Diaz's Work Streamed

Kristoffer Diaz, alongside an array of artists, contributed to 24 Hour Plays, with Round Six - Musicals, including “Five Minutes in this Hallway,” with lyrics Diaz wrote, airing on Instagram TV. His script for Football Football Football Football (or I love Lave Dash), which placed as a finalist, was virtually streamed for the 2020 Ink Playwriting Festival following the award, hosted by the American Theater on May 1-4, 2020.  

Books

2011

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Kristoffer Diaz's play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was published by Samuel French Inc.

 

Teaching and Research Interests

playwriting  screenwriting  comedy  contemporary american theater  historical drama/comedy  contemporary Latina/o playwrights  contemporary playwrights of color  performing arts management 

Recent News

AWARDS AND HONORS

In 2018, Diaz was elected to the Board of Directors of New Dramatists. In 2017, he was elected to the Dramatists Guild Council.

Diaz served as the first Playwright-in-Residence at Temple University, where he was commissioned to write Reggie Hoops, an original full-length play for the MFA Acting Program.

PUBLICATIONS AND PERFORMANCES

Diaz’s adaptation of the Disney film Hercules premiered in Central Park on August 31-September 8, 2019, as part of the Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Public Works program.

Diaz adapted the musical Rent: Live as a television movie for FOX which aired on January 27, 2019.

Diaz adapted the Jonathan Larson musical RENT for Fox; "Rent Live!" was broadcast on January 27, 2019. Diaz was the story editor for the Netflix original series GLOW, which debuted in the summer of 2017.The show was nominated for two Screen Actor Awards. For ESPN, Diaz created The Butt Fumble: A One-Man Play.

Kristoffer Diaz