Ellen McLaughlin

Ellen McLaughlin is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of English at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she has taught playwriting since 1995. She is a distinguished playwright and actor, known for her adaptations of classical Greek texts and her seminal performance as the Angel in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America.

Education:

• B.A., Yale University

Her research and creative work focus on playwriting, classical adaptations, and modern interpretations of Greek drama. She blends literary scholarship with theatrical innovation, bringing ancient texts into contemporary political and social contexts, such as in Ajax in Iraq and The Oresteia. Her work bridges creative practice and academic inquiry in theater and performance studies.

McLaughlin has received numerous honors, including:

• Writer’s Award from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund
• Susan Smith Blackburn Prize
• Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting
• Grants from the NEA

She has mentored emerging writers through her teaching and workshops. While specific grant details are not listed, her sustained funding from the NEA and other foundations indicates significant support for her artistic research. Her plays have been produced by leading institutions such as The Public Theater, New York Theater Workshop, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Almeida Theater in London.

She is affiliated with the theater and literary communities through her dual roles as a writer and performer, contributing to both academic and professional stages.