HEATHER RAFFO

Heather Raffo is the recipient of a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Special Commendation and the Marian Seldes-Garson Kanin Fellowship for 9 Parts of Desire. Most recently she has received a 2005 Lucille Lortel award for Best Solo show as well as a Helen Hayes nomination, Outer Critics Circle Nomination and a Drama League nomination for Outstanding Performance.

9 Parts of Desire had its first production in August 2003 at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh followed by the Bush Theatre in London's Off-West End. It was selected both as "First Choice / The Best Shows in London" by The Times, and as one of the "Five Best Plays" in London by The Independent. 9 Parts of Desire was next developed at The Public Theatre as part of their New Work Now festival. In October of 2004 it had its New York premiere at the Manhattan Ensemble Theater where it ran for nine sold out months and was a critics pick for over 24 weeks in a row. In 2005 the play began touring the U.S. with productions at the Geffen Theater in Los Angeles, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, Arena Stage, The Guthrie, Actors Theater of Louisville, Wilma Theater, Geva Theater, Lyric Stage and Next Theater as well as many others. It is currently being translated for international productions in France, Brazil, Greece and Sweden. Publication is by Northwestern University Press and Dramatists Play Service as well as a number of upcoming anthologies.

Heather trained as an actress and has spent the last eight years performing off Broadway, off West End, on national tours, in regional theater and in film. Originally from Michigan Heather now lives in New York. Her father is from Iraq and her mother American.