Michael Oatman
Michael Oatman earned an English Degree from Cleveland State University in 2004. In the summer of 2008, Michael will graduate with a Masters of Fine Arts from the Northeastern Ohio Masters of Fine Arts consortium. In October of 2007, Michael was appointed Playwright-In-Residence at The Karamu Theater, the oldest black theater in the country. His playwrighting credits include The Rainy Season at The Church; Lost Prospect at the Ingenuity Festival in 2006; Not a Uterus In Sight, Oglephish and Indelible at the Factory Theater; staged readings of Indelible and In Man at Karamu Theater, and a staged reading of The Chittlin’ Thief by the African American Playwright Exchange in Washington D.C. He has also directed the staged reading, Hip Hop for Eva at Karamu Theater and Billy’s House of Pancakes and The Way of the Dance, at Cleveland State University. In June of 2007, Oatman was featured in the National Public Radio Essay Series, This I Believe. February 29th, Oatman’s piece, Let It Bleed premiered at The New Work, New Ways Festival hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, February 29th, 2008. May 7th, Cleveland Play House, Before I Die: The War Against Tupac Shakur at its annual FusionFest. Michael Oatman has been a reporter and columnist for the Cleveland Free Times, City News, I.E., The Crusader, The Cauldron, The Vindicator and Cleveland Life. He also served as a reporter for the Botswana Gazette in Southern Africa covering the AIDS crisis.
An outstanding playwright, who’s mind never rests:
- Cleveland Arts Prize, Emerging Artist Award
- Interview in Plain Dealer
- One of 2010′s Most Interesting People, Cleveland Magazine
- Playwrights Unit, Cleveland Play House
