HARTLEY WRIGHT Biography
Born in Kansas City, author and playwright Hartley Wright, is creating his own legacy in theater. His plays have been produced throughout the Midwest, although most have been rewarded production in Missouri. Wright’s work was first presented on stage by a traveling theatre troupe in 1986 and numerous venues have presented his One Act and Short length plays for more than twenty years.
In his work, Wright strives to capture the authenticity of people coping with everyday conflict. This shines through The Heart of Stone, Wright’s first full-length play, which was produced by Stained Glass Theatre in 2001 in Jefferson City, Missouri. The play was also produced in Springfield, Missouri in 2004. Also produced in 2004 was Wright’s full-length, The Great Discovery, in Columbia, Missouri. His full-length comedy, Girl Trouble, featuring an all female cast, was produced by SGT in 2002 and reprised for a second run in 2006 in Jefferson City, Missouri.
A video production of his teleplay, The Prisoner, was produced by Remove the Lens Cap Films in 2007. Workshop and staged readings of Wright’s body of work have including the full-length play Victims of Grace in 2007 and many ten-minute features including Ricochet in 2008 and With or Without in 2009. One of Wright’s short pieces, The Story of Eli Joe was produced within a collaborative full-length stage production in 2009. This year, Wright’s play about autism, Window Pains, was produced by Performing Arts in Children’s Education in Jesse Hall on the University of Missouri Campus.
Today, Wright, 40, feels comfortable both behind the scenes and on the stage. Beyond being a playwright, he also is highly skilled in technical production, directing and acting. He has received awards for his theatre contributions as an actor and director through his wide variety of experience working in community and collegiate theater. He participates in the Missouri Playwrights Workshop and is a member of The Dramatist Guild.
In addition to his contributions as a playwright, Wright’s body of work includes articles and guest editorials published in church-related publications, two comic strips—“Breadman,” a three-volume epic, and “Nick Nimble,” a continuous adventure series, and inspirational material produced as a minister of Columbia’s Woodcrest Chapel.
Wright and his wife, Kelly, live in Columbia, Mo., and are parents to their eleven-year-old daughter, Madison, and eight-year-old son, Micah. Wright currently serves on the Christian Formation Team at Woodcrest Chapel in Columbia. In addition to enjoying swimming and helping others succeed, Wright is a self-proclaimed football enthusiast and a chagrined Oakland Raiders fan
