Josh Hartwell (Writers Group) is an Artistic Company Member at Curious Theatre Company in Denver, and an Ensemble Member at Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado (BETC). He was Colorado’s first Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild. A playwright, teaching artist, and actor, Hartwell won the Denver Post Ovation Award for “Best Actor in a Comic Role” for his work in Clybourne Park in 2011, and a True West Award in 2017.
As a playwright, Hartwell is represented by Abrams Artists Agency in NY. Contrived Ending (Ovation Award and Henry Award nominees) earned feature film and Off-Broadway contracts with Starry Night Entertainment. The Rank and the Bloodrush was a finalist for The O’Neill Festival’s New Play Conference and won second place at the Bottletree One Act Play Competition in Kingston, Ontario. A Different Client was produced in Auckland, NZ; Melbourne and Sydney, AU; and Buffalo NY. Hartwell’s “splattershock” holiday play Resolutions had its world premiere in 2017 at Edge Theatre. Queen of Conspiracy was commissioned by and premiered at Miners Alley Playhouse in 2019. Home, Oblivion was a Curious Theatre commission and workshop with director M. Graham Smith and NNPN’s residency program for National Directing Fellows.
Hartwell was co-writer for Buntport Theater’s monthly family-friendly shows, Trunks and Duck Duck Dupe. He has written plays for Curious Theatre Company’s “Denver Stories” since 2005—including RIDING ON A RIVER OF BEER: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE HON. JOHN HICKENLOOPER. He has been a mentor and instructor for emerging playwrights with Curious New Voices since 2008, The Denver Center for Performing Arts since 2014, and BETC’s (inter)Generations since 2020.
