A graduate of the Iowa Playwrights Workshop (MFA, 2007) and recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” (2014), Samuel D. Hunter is a New York City-based playwright whose plays include A Bright New Boise (2011), The Whale (2013), Lewiston/Clarkson (2018), A Case for the Existence of God (2018), and Little Bear Ridge Road (2025). His plays have received an Obie Award, Drama Desk Awards, and New York Drama Critics’ Awards, and his film adaptation of The Whale received two Academy Awards. Little Bear Ridge Road had a successful run on Broadway with Laurie Metcalf and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play. Hunter is in Iowa City to serve as Grand Marshal in the 2026 Homecoming Parade. In this conversation with current MFA Playwright Alexander Ameen, he will discuss the development of his career as a playwright and screenwriter, and the challenges of writing for stage and film.