Kevin Kling is a commentator for National Public Radio. NPR logo NPR redirects here. ...

Humorist and playwright, Kevin Kling describes his zodiac sign as "Minnesota with Iowa rising," and his accent and parlance could be right off the set of the movie "Fargo." While many of his reference points are specific to the upper Midwest, his childhood stories and topical observations touch upon universal human experiences, with plenty of absurdity and irony in the mix. He is a talented writer with the ability to capture the complexities of a moment in just a few words. As he explains it "I have a small command of the English language so I try to make each word a hero."

Kevin grew up in Osseo, Minnesota and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1979 with a B.A. in Theatre. His storytelling started when a friend, from the now defunct Brass Tacks Theatre, asked him to perform his stories. Since then he has gone on to be awarded just about every prestigious arts grant and fellowship. The National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Bush Foundation, The Jerome Foundation and others have all recognized Kevin’s artistry.

Kevin built his reputation in the Twin Cities during the 1990s with his groundbreaking plays "21A" and "Fear and Loving in Minneapolis" and toured a one-man show of "Home and Away" across the US in the early part of the decade. While his writing and performing continue unabated, he has probably become best known for his regular story-telling contributions to NPR’s "All Things Considered."

He has performed his one person play "21A" (based on a South Minneapolis bus route) in Sweden, Louisville KY, Off Broadway in NYC, Sydney and Perth Australia, Edinburgh Scotland, and in the Czech Republic. "Lloyd's Prayer" was workshopped at the Sundance Institute. His autobiographical piece "Home and Away" (ESD 81582) has been seen at the Seattle Rep, The Goodman Theater, The Jungle Theater, Second Stage (off Broadway), the Denver Center Theater and the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. "Fear and Loving in Minneapolis," another autobiographical play, has been staged for the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina, The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and ACT in Seattle. Kevin is a proud member of the performance trio, "Bad Jazz." He describes the band's lively performances as "three men playing to the best of their abilities."

In 2001, East Side Digital reissued Home and Away (ESD 81582, originally on the Gang of Seven label) and released the new work Stories Off the Shallow End (ESD 81592).

Some of his favorite roles include:

 * Vladimir in "Waiting for Godot" * Madman in "Diary of a Madman" * Sean Keogh in "Playboy of the Western World" * Peter Quince in "A Midsummer’s Night Dream" 

Plays by Kevin Kling:

 * 21A * Home and Away * Fear and Loving in Minneapolis * Lloyd’s Prayer (premiered at The Actor’s Theater of Louisville) * The Ice Fishing Play * (premiered at The Actor’s Theater of Louisville) The Seven Dwarves * (written for Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis) Auguste Modern: The Life of a Marketing Analyst Born With the Face of a Clown as Told by the Right Side of His Brain * (premiered at Quicksilver Theater) Gulliver: A Swift Journey * (written for Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis) The Education of Walter Kauffmann (commissioned by the Public Theater in New York, * premiered at the Denver Center Theater and the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen) Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log * Mississippi Panorama * (premiered at the Children’s Theater in Minneapolis) Thief of Man * Gravity vs. Levity 

Adaptations by Kevin Kling:

 * Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile * (for the Children’s Theater in Minneapolis ) Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse * (for the Seattle Children’s Theater with Michael Bogdonov) The Venetian Twins (premiered at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis) 

Grants/Awards won by Kevin Kling:

 * Heideman Award, Best short play, 21A (1986) * Bush Fellowship (1988) * NEA Grant (1989) * McKnight Fellowships (1990, 1999) * Jerome Grant (1993) * Whiting Literary Award (1993) * Minnesota State Arts Board Grant (1996)