Norman Allen

Librettist Playwright
he/him/his

Norman Allen’s work has been commissioned and produced by the Kennedy Center, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre (VA), Olney Theatre Center, and the Karlin Music Theatre in Prague. Recent projects include Alix in Wonderland: A Gender Journey Down the Rabbit Holewith composer/lyricist Buzz Mauro for The Theatre Lab.

Norman received the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play for In The Garden. His solo drama Nijinsky’s Last Dancewon the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Play prior to productions across the U.S., Europe and South Africa. His work in musical theatre includes the concert adaptation of Sweet Adelineat Encores!, New York City Center; The Christmas Carol Rag, featuring a classic ragtime score, and Frank Wildhorn’s Carmen, which has played for more than a decade in Prague and been produced in Austria, Lithuania, South Korea, and Japan. 

Norman's essays and feature stories have appeared in The Washington PostBoston Globe, and Houston Chronicle; in Smithsonian, Yes!and Washingtonianmagazines; on WAMU-FM; and on numerous web sites including Sojourners,Tikkun, OnBeing,Howlround, and Tin House. His work for television includes Emmy-winning scripts for PBS documentaries on Mary Cassatt and the Phillips Collection of Modern Art.

Norman received his Masters of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary and was ordained by All Souls Church Unitarian in March 2019. He proudly serves as Minister to the Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Camp Springs, Maryland.