Don Nguyen is a Vietnamese refugee, born in Saigon, Vietnam, and relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of three.  Don studied theatre at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and served as the Artistic Director of the Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha from 1999-2003.  He is currently based out of New York City.  

Full length plays include: THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT (Alley Theatre 2024), THE SUPREME LEADER (Dallas Theater Center, Alley Theatre All-New Festival, Roundabout Underground Reading Series).  HELLO, FROM THE CHILDREN OF PLANET EARTH (The Playwrights Realm), SOUND (Azeotrope/ACT Seattle), RED FLAMBOYANT (Firebone Theatre Company), THE COMMENCEMENT OF WILLIAM TAN (Yale Cabaret), and THE MAN FROM SAIGON (ACT New Strands Festival). 

In addition, Don’s work has been developed or produced at The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Alley Theatre, ACT, Ma-Yi Theatre, The Playwrights Realm, The Flea, New York Stage & Film, Naked Angels, Labyrinth Theater Company, The Civilians, The Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Joe’s Pub, and SPACE on Ryder Farm.  

Don was awarded a Bogliasco fellowship in Italy and is the recipient of the 2015 GAP Prize from the Aurora Theatre and New York Stage & Film Founder’s award and has been a finalist for The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, The Princess Grace Award, the Jonathan Larson Grant and The Woodward International Playwriting Prize.  Nominations include: the Laurents/Hatcher award and the L. Arnold Weissberger Award and a Gregory Award outstanding play nomination for SOUND.

Don is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the Public Theater’s inaugural Emerging Writers Group, The Civilians inaugural R&D Group, a frequent volunteer at the 52nd Street Project.  See a full list of my work

In addition to writing, Don is also an avid astrophotographer.