Brian James Polak was raised in New Hampshire and currently resides in Madison, WI. His plays include WELCOME TO KEENE, NH, THE PATIENT (The Kennedy Center’s Jean Kennedy Smith Award), LAST TO DIE FOR A LOST CAUSE (The Kennedy Center’s John Cauble Award), HERE RESTS THE HEART, THE GRAVEDIGGERS UNION, and others. His work has been published by Smith & Kraus, Talon Review, Commonplace Books, NoPassport Press, Next Stage Press, and Canyon Voices. Currently writing: HOTEL HOLLYWOOD about the collision between capitalism and homelessness in downtown Los Angeles, and THE MEETING about what artists might do in a fascist society where the arts have been banned. Brian is the producer and host of American Theatre Magazine's "The Subtext," a podcast by/for/about playwrights and playwriting. He received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from the University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts. More can be found at BrianJamesPolak.com