Tim Bauer – “Us Against Them” (Round 2, Round 3)

Tim Bauer’s plays include Zombie Town (Sleepwalkers Theatre), Gyroball (Magic Theatre commission) and Exit Wounds (Lark Playwright’s Week finalist; PlayLabs semi-finalist). He was a finalist for the 2007 and 2008 Humana Festival’s Heideman Award and just had a short play called Three Little Words in the BOA Festival. See timbauer.wordpress.com for stuff.

Jon Brooks – “The Pitch” (Round 1, Round 2)

Jon Brooks was a co-writer of the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s 2006 and 2007 summer productions: Godfellas and Making a Killing. His plays have been produced in five cities, including San Francisco, New York, and Bologna, Italy. His full-length play, Shoot O’Malley Twice, was a finalist for last year’s Yale Drama Series Award.

Megan Cohen – “21 Different Dreamers’ Dreams in Under 10 Minutes” (Round 2)

Megan Cohen has been produced in NYC and SF (Love Creek, Three Wise Monkeys, Robot Vs Dinosaur). She went to Stanford (BA ’05), has apprenticed as a dramaturg for Tony-and-Obie-winning companies and worked as a blogger for Bill Nye the Science Guy. Special thanks to my love, my light, my eternal muse, your mother.

Ashley Cowan / No Nude Men – “Word War” (Round 3)

No Nude Men, an independent theater company helmed by Artistic Director Stuart Bousel, has been performing in the Bay Area since 2003. Their world premiere run of Giant Bones, adapted from stories by Peter S. Beagle, begins at the EXIT Theater, May 7th. Playwright Ashley Cowan is originally from Avon, CT, and is a graduate of Roger Williams University. She moved to San Francisco two years ago and has been acting, teaching and writing in the Bay Area ever since. Her full-length play centered around the goddess, Athena, will premiere this summer at No Nude Men’s Olympian Festival.

Pamela Davis / Threshold Theater – “Maybe Tov” (Round 2)

Threshold is a dynamic process-based theatre ensemble dedicated to creating bold, innovative work in an environment that embraces risk, growth and change. Maybe Tov was written by Pamela Davis, who is a Core Founding Member of Threshold. In addition to writing, Pamela has acted and directed for Threshold. Next up, Threshold presents TERRORiSTKA by Rebecca Bella, a heartbreaking poetic docudrama about a young Chechen woman who tries to flee her country and ends up joining a rebel faction that trains suicide bombers.

Bennett Fisher – “In It to Spin It” (Round 3)

Bennett Fisher’s plays, which include Exchange, Quicksilver, Query and translations of Cyclops and The Misanthrope have been performed in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Boston and New London. Also an actor and director, Bennett is an associate artist with AtmosTheatre and a founding member of the San Francisco Theater Pub.

Daniel Heath – “Misanthropomorphization” (Round 1)

Daniel Heath won PianoFight’s first ShortLived in 2008 and placed second in 2009 to some jerk named “Bivins.” His full-length, choose-your-own-adventure comedy FORKING! was produced by PianoFight in San Francisco and Los Angeles, followed by A Merry FORKING! Christmas in San Francisco. He has received awards and commissions from PlayGround, and his short plays have been performed across the country.

Richard Jennings / Richard Jennings Music – “Once Again: A Ten Minute Rock Opera” (Round 1)

Richard Jennings. In his life-long search for the artistic Nirvana of creating the Great American Ten Minute Rock Opera, Richard Jennings has pulled together just the company to make a rockin’ good stab at it. Jessica Payne shone in Richard & John Sanborn’s recent Off–Market workshop production of the punk one acts, Goin’ South/Chaos Rules. Recently transplanted veteran East Coast Rocker and leader of his band Nipple, Jhon Thumb, brings great energy to the role of Dave. San Francisco’s own Darrin Earl Fox contributed the most excellent guitar tracks. Benjamin Brotzman, Director and Production Manager of California Theatre Center, directs.

Sam Leichter – “The Witch Doctor” (Round 3)

Sam Leichter is proud to be part of ShortLived 3.0. PianoFight produced his play, The Philadelphian, at the 9th Annual BOA Festival. As an actor, Sam has worked with Marin Shakespeare Company, Center REP, BRAVA and more.

Patricia Milton – “Middle of the Road” (Round 1)

Patricia Milton has spent many unwanted minutes on the shoulder of 880. She is a member of TBA, The Dramatists Guild, ICWP, and is president of the Playwrights Center of SF. More at www.patricia-milton.com.

Kirk Shimano – “Inner Dialogue” (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3)

Kirk Shimano was named after Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise – his fate as a nerd has been sealed ever since. His Love in the Time of Zombies was presented by the Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco’s developmental reading series. Shimano currently works as a Technical Director at Industrial Light and Magic.

Christian Simonson – “Dream Date” (Round 3)

Christian Simonson was one of the writers for ShortLived 2.0, and he is very excited to be involved again in this year’s production. He would like to thank his awesome girlfriend Lisa for her love , support and sharp editorial skills.

Derricka Smith – “Bearnice” (Round 1)

Derricka Smith graduated from UC Davis in 2006 and spent the next two years wandering in the wilderness of finance until being adopted into the PianoFight family through The SHIT Show. Since Derricka’s Monday Night Foreplays debut as a playwright proved her life was ridiculous enough for re-enactment, she’s trying it again with some slight variation. She loves Jesus, her mom, and all of you (in that order).

Lynn Snyder – “En Garde” (Round 2)

Lynn Snyder has written 14 plays, which have been seen in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Roanoke, Lansing and abroad in Toronto, Edinburgh and Bologna. Lynn has been a newspaper reporter in Washington DC, Los Angeles and London and a publicity and speech writer for candidates in California state and local political races.

Evan Winchester – “Witness to a Murder” (Round 1, Round 2)

Evan Winchester is a student at San Francisco State University where he is earning an MFA in Creative Writing. He writes sketch comedy for PianoFight’s S.H.I.T. Show and has performed in other PianoFight projects, including The Position and Monday Night ForePlays. Word on the street is that he’s very happy to be collaborating.

Lauren Yee – “The Parasite” (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3)

Lauren Yee was a MacDowell fellow, a Public Theater Emerging Writers Group member, and a finalist for the Heideman, the Jerome, the PONY, the Princess Grace, and the Wasserstein. Lauren is writing a commission for AlterTheater and treatments for the Kennedy Center’s Heritage Project. This summer she’ll be in Egypt, which will be awesome.