Samuel D. Hunter

Samuel D. Hunter
Hunter in 2013
Born	1981 (age 43–44) Pullman, Washington, U.S. [1]
Education	New York University (BFA) University of Iowa (MFA) Juilliard School (GrDip)
Spouse	John Baker
Children	1

Samuel D. Hunter (born 1981) ^[2] is an American playwright living in New York City. ^[3]

Hunter was born in Pullman, Washington and raised in Moscow, Idaho. ^{[1] [4]} He is best known for plays A Bright New Boise, which won the 2011 Obie Award for playwriting, and The Whale , which won the 2013 Drama Desk Award and the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play. ^[3] He is also the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship. ^[2] He has also been a guest lecturer at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Fordham University, and other universities. ^[5]

Hunter is also a writer and producer for the television show Baskets . ^[6] A film adaptation of The Whale, written by Hunter and directed by Darren Aronofsky, was released in December 2022 and received two Academy Awards.

Personal life

Hunter was forced to leave his Christian school after being outed as gay. He has a daughter with his husband, John Baker. ^{[7] [8]}

Produced plays

• I Am Montana (2009) ^[9]
• Five Genocides (2010) ^[10]
• Jack's Precious Moment (2010) ^[11]
• A Bright New Boise (2010) ^[12]
• Norway (2011) ^[13]
• A Permanent Image (2011) ^[14]
• The Whale (2012) ^[15]
• Pocatello (2014) ^[16]
• The Few (2014) ^[17]
• A Great Wilderness (2014) ^[18]
• Rest (2014) ^[19]
• Clarkston (2015) ^[20]
• Lewiston (2016) ^[21]
• The Healing (2016) ^[22]
• The Harvest (2016) ^[23]
• Lewiston/Clarkston (2018) ^[24]
• Greater Clements (2019) ^[25]
• A Case for the Existence of God (2022) ^{[26] [27]}
• Little Bear Ridge Road (2024)
• Grangeville (2025)

Awards and honors

• 2008–2009 Lark Play Development Center Playwrights of New York Fellowship ^[28]
• 2011 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Play ^[29]
• 2011 Obie Award for Playwriting ^[30]
• 2012 Whiting Award ^[31]
• 2013 Resident Playwright at Arena Stage ^[32]
• 2013 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New York Theatre (Broadway and Off-Broadway) ^[33]
• 2013 Drama Desk Special Award ^[34]
• 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play ^[35]
• 2014 MacArthur Fellowship ^[2]
• 2015 Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Idaho ^[36]
• 2019 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Play ^[37]
• 2013–2020 Resident Playwright at New Dramatists
• 2020 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Play ^[38]
• Premiere Writer-in-Residence at Signature Theatre Company ^[39]
• 2022 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play ^[40]
• 2023 Critics Choice Nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay ^[41]
• 2023 BAFTA Nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay ^[42]
• 2023 Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award ^[43]

See also

• List of playwrights

Notes

1. Soloski, Alexis (November 27, 2019). "Samuel D. Hunter's Own Private Idaho". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 14, 2025.
2. "Samuel D. Hunter - MacArthur Foundation". John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
3. "Samuel D. Hunter - New Dramatists". New Dramatists. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
4. "Writer of 'The Whale' on the Oscars and his play at Seattle's ACT". The Seattle Times . January 31, 2024. Archived from the original on December 24, 2024.
5. "About Brendan Fraser's Fat Suit in "The Whale"". The New Yorker . 2022-12-07. Archived from the original on 2023-07-14.
6. "Samuel D. Hunter - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
7. Harms, Talaura (January 18, 2023). "How Samuel D. Hunter's Own Battle With Self-Loathing Inspired The Whale". Playbill . Retrieved October 27, 2025.
8. Delgado, Emily (April 10, 2023). "Iowa Theatre alumni Samuel Hunter; John Baker inspire students during campus visit". University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences . Retrieved October 27, 2025.
9. "I Am Montana - Arcola Theatre". Arcola Theatre. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
10. "Five Genocides - clubbed thumb". clubbed thumb. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
11. "Page 73 >> Jack's Precious Moment". Page 73. Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
12. "Season Eight - Partial Comfort Productions". Partial Comfort Productions. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
13. "Norway". Boise Weekly. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
14. "Review: A Permanent Image". Boise Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
15. "The Whale: Playwrights Horizons". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
16. "Pocatello: Playwrights Horizons". Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
17. "The Few - Rattlestick Playwrights Theater". Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Archived from the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
18. "A Great Wilderness:Synopsis". Seattle Repertory Theatre. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
19. "Rest". South Coast Repertory. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
20. "Clarkston". Dallas Theater Center. Archived from the original on 2015-09-22. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
21. "Lewiston". Long Wharf Theatre. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
22. "Samuel D. Hunter's The Healing Opens Tonight". Playbill Inc. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
23. "Photos: First Look at LCT3 Production of The Harvest". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
24. Grode, Eric (18 October 2018). "Pull Up a Seat. Two Plays, Dinner and Western History Are Served". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
25. Shaw, Helen (December 10, 2019). "Theater Review: Greater Clements, a Small-Town Drama Where the Town's Disappearing". New York . Retrieved December 10, 2019.
26. Shaw, Helen (2022-05-02). "Two Men, Twin Falls: Samuel Hunter's A Case for the Existence of God". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
27. Schwartz, Alexandra (May 30, 2022). "Making a case". The Critics. The Theatre. The New Yorker. 98 (14): 74–75. Online version is titled "Mottled morals and a fight for justice in 'Golden Shield'", but also reviews 'A Case for the Existence of God'.
28. Jones, Kenneth (8 July 2008). "Samuel D. Hunter is Lark's 2008 Playwriting Fellow". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
29. Gans, Andrew (29 April 2011). "56th Annual Drama Desk Nominations Announced; Book of Mormon Scores 12 Nominations". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
30. "New York OBIES: The Village Voice's 56th Annual Obie Awards". VillageVoice, LLC. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
31. "Samuel Hunter".
32. https://www.theatermania.com/washington-dc/news/08-2012/samuel-d-hunter-named-2013-resident-playwright-at_60469.html/ ^{[ bare URL ]}
33. Hetrick, Adam (18 March 2013). ""Smash" and The Whale Win NYC GLAAD Media Awards". Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
34. "2013 Drama Desk Award Winners". Drama Desk Awards. Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
35. "2013 Nominations". The Lucille Lortel Awards. Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
36. Honorary Degrees, President's Medallion, and Alumni Distinguished Idahoan Award. YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-10.
37. "Nominations for the 2019 Drama Desk Awards Announced; Oklahoma!, Tootsie, Rags Parkland Lead the Pack". Playbill, Inc. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
38. "2020 Drama Desk Nominations: Soft Power, The Wrong Man Lead the Pack in Condensed Season". Playbill, Inc. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
39. "Samuel D. Hunter".
40. "'A Case For The Existence of God' Named Year's Best Play By New York Drama Critics' Circle; 'Kimberly Akimbo' Best Musical". Deadline. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
41. "Film Nominations Announced for the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards, hosted by Chelsea Handler – Critics Choice Awards".
42. "Film in 2023 | BAFTA Awards".
43. "The Dramatists Guild Announces Initial 2023 Award Recipients | Dramatists Guild".

External links

• Samuel D. Hunter's New Dramatists Page
• Profile and Production History at The Whiting Foundation
• "A Conversation with Samuel D. Hunter". The Whale (PDF). South Coast Repertory. pp. P3 –P4.