Live</tle><rect width="39" height="22" rx="3" fill="#CB1111"></rect><path d="M5.756 5.66H8.186V15.002H12.506V17H5.756V5.66ZM13.5783 5.66H16.0083V17H13.5783V5.66ZM22.5198 17H20.0718L16.7958 5.66H19.2798L21.3498 13.31H21.4218L23.5098 5.66H25.7958L22.5198 17ZM33.3901 15.002V17H26.5861V5.66H33.3541V7.658H28.9621V10.25H32.3101V12.212H28.9621V15.002H33.3901Z" fill="whe"></path></svg></span>on<span class="styl_img__bxg3Y styl_news-now-img__961yW"><svg width="144" height="16" viewBox="0 0 144 16" fill="none" xmlns="><tle>NBC News Now</tle><g clip-path="url(#clip0_3686_260016)"><path d="M143.711 12.9351H106.432V15.7204H143.711V12.9351Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M138.308 11.0828H141.078L143.924 0.253418H141.218L139.725 6.7182H139.678L138.044 0.253418H135.417L133.77 6.7182H133.708L132.215 0.253418H129.276L132.114 11.0828H135.005L136.655 4.66263H136.747L138.308 11.0828Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M120.534 5.67944C120.534 3.79098 121.713 2.45958 123.394 2.45958C125.074 2.45958 126.254 3.76034 126.254 5.67944C126.254 7.59855 125.072 8.89651 123.394 8.89651C121.716 8.89651 120.534 7.59576 120.534 5.67944ZM123.394 11.3253C126.814 11.3253 129.206 8.89652 129.206 5.67944C129.206 2.46237 126.828 0.0307617 123.394 0.0307617C119.959 0.0307617 117.578 2.45958 117.578 5.67944C117.578 8.8993 119.956 11.3253 123.394 11.3253V11.3253Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M113.118 11.0827H116.427V0.250488H113.625V6.71528H113.564L109.74 0.250488H106.429V11.0827H109.23V4.61234H109.294L113.118 11.0827Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M93.1764 3.4594C93.1764 1.43446 94.8964 0 97.608 0C99.9219 0 101.706 1.11414 102.169 2.87169L99.6474 3.4594C99.3672 2.60987 98.6557 2.15308 97.6613 2.15308C96.7368 2.15308 96.0757 2.54581 96.0757 3.26721C96.0757 5.42029 102.423 3.07224 102.423 7.70427C102.423 9.85734 100.572 11.2946 97.9414 11.2946C94.9664 11.2946 93.1147 9.98825 92.5181 7.70427L95.0981 7.31432C95.2562 7.86892 95.5951 8.35559 96.0616 8.69791C96.5281 9.04022 97.0957 9.21879 97.6753 9.20557C98.7958 9.20557 99.5269 8.68471 99.5269 7.96609C99.5353 5.7406 93.1764 8.09143 93.1764 3.4594Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M85.7161 4.61826H85.6489L84.0157 11.083H81.1051L78.2422 0.248047H81.22L82.7411 6.70726H82.8055L84.4583 0.248047H87.1055L88.7583 6.70726H88.8227L90.3439 0.248047H93.0555L90.2122 11.083H87.4361L85.7161 4.61826Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M77.4499 0.248047V2.53203H71.7633V4.42328H76.2453V6.70726H71.7633V8.79627H77.5815V11.083H68.9199V0.248047H77.4499Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M60.5243 4.61826L60.4571 11.083H57.6138V0.248047H60.9193L64.7543 6.70726H64.8215V0.248047H67.6649V11.083H64.3593L60.5243 4.61826Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M42.5679 5.67658C42.5679 2.35087 44.8818 0.0668945 48.2545 0.0668945C50.899 0.0668945 52.8823 1.43728 53.6779 3.78532L50.9662 4.30619C50.7735 3.76474 50.4145 3.29724 49.94 2.96983C49.4654 2.64242 48.8993 2.47169 48.3218 2.48178C46.6018 2.48178 45.5429 3.72126 45.5429 5.67658C45.5429 7.63189 46.6634 8.87416 48.3218 8.87416C48.8996 8.88405 49.466 8.71291 49.9406 8.38498C50.4152 8.05704 50.774 7.58894 50.9662 7.04697L53.6106 7.57062C52.7506 9.98273 50.899 11.289 48.2545 11.289C44.8818 11.289 42.5679 8.941 42.5679 5.67658Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M32.4521 0.248047H37.741C40.1221 0.248047 41.6433 1.16164 41.6433 3.24786C41.6452 3.75624 41.4774 4.25089 41.1661 4.65418C40.8548 5.05747 40.4177 5.34658 39.9232 5.47614V5.5402C40.9821 5.73796 41.9066 6.52064 41.9066 8.01916C41.9066 10.1722 40.3855 11.083 38.0072 11.083H32.4521V0.248047ZM35.3627 4.49012H37.2788C38.3993 4.49012 38.7999 4.2283 38.7999 3.50968C38.7999 2.79107 38.3377 2.53203 37.2788 2.53203H35.3627V4.49012ZM35.3627 6.51229V8.79627H37.346C38.5366 8.79627 39.0632 8.4676 39.0632 7.68214C39.0632 6.89667 38.5366 6.568 37.346 6.568H35.3627V6.51229Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M24.054 4.61826L23.984 11.083H21.1406V0.248047H24.449L28.284 6.70726H28.3484V0.248047H31.1917V11.083H27.8862L24.054 4.61826Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M16.9526 7.11688C16.5767 7.10716 16.2056 7.20323 15.8822 7.39403L10.6504 11.0274H16.9526C17.473 11.0274 17.9721 10.8219 18.3401 10.456C18.7081 10.09 18.9149 9.59378 18.9149 9.07631C18.9149 8.55884 18.7081 8.06257 18.3401 7.69667C17.9721 7.33076 17.473 7.12519 16.9526 7.12519V7.11688Z" fill="#0DB14B"></path><path d="M10.8291 10.1962L16.5432 6.29952C16.7602 6.16158 16.9478 5.98248 17.0953 5.77245C17.2427 5.56242 17.3471 5.32557 17.4025 5.07542C17.4579 4.82527 17.4632 4.56673 17.4181 4.31455C17.373 4.06237 17.2784 3.82147 17.1397 3.60565C17.0009 3.38983 16.8208 3.20329 16.6096 3.05669C16.3983 2.91008 16.1601 2.80626 15.9086 2.75119C15.657 2.69611 15.3969 2.69085 15.1433 2.73569C14.8897 2.78054 14.6474 2.87463 14.4304 3.01257C14.109 3.20856 13.8499 3.49107 13.6833 3.82738L10.8291 10.1962Z" fill="#0089CF"></path><path d="M12.5989 0.249348C12.8333 0.357094 13.0439 0.510047 13.2185 0.699339C13.393 0.88863 13.528 1.1105 13.6156 1.35206C13.7033 1.59363 13.7418 1.85008 13.729 2.10657C13.7162 2.36306 13.6523 2.61446 13.541 2.84621L10.8206 8.79378L9.93701 3.17879C9.90412 3.02045 9.93406 2.85561 10.0206 2.71873C10.238 2.3917 10.7843 2.13396 10.7815 2.09793C10.7788 2.0619 10.7286 1.98984 10.5028 1.98984H9.78369C9.79649 1.71105 9.86569 1.43769 9.98716 1.1861C10.0955 0.952999 10.2494 0.743609 10.4397 0.570069C10.6301 0.396529 10.8533 0.262295 11.0962 0.175156C11.3392 0.0880165 11.5971 0.04971 11.855 0.0624465C12.113 0.0751829 12.3658 0.138705 12.5989 0.249348V0.249348Z" fill="#645FAA"></path><path d="M6.41914 0.249348C6.1847 0.357094 5.97407 0.510047 5.79954 0.699339C5.625 0.88863 5.49 1.1105 5.40236 1.35206C5.31472 1.59363 5.27621 1.85008 5.28902 2.10657C5.30183 2.36306 5.36574 2.61446 5.47701 2.84621L8.19747 8.79378L9.22319 2.27251C9.26287 1.89961 9.19624 1.52313 9.03088 1.1861C8.92252 0.952999 8.76869 0.743609 8.57831 0.570069C8.38793 0.396529 8.16478 0.262295 7.92183 0.175156C7.67888 0.0880165 7.42095 0.04971 7.163 0.0624465C6.90504 0.0751829 6.65221 0.138705 6.41914 0.249348V0.249348Z" fill="#C9234A"></path><path d="M2.46669 6.2992L8.18075 10.1959L5.31535 3.82151C5.14952 3.48468 4.89036 3.20198 4.56836 3.0067C4.12998 2.72812 3.59826 2.63411 3.09017 2.74534C2.58207 2.85656 2.13921 3.16392 1.85903 3.5998C1.57886 4.03567 1.48432 4.56437 1.59619 5.06957C1.70805 5.57476 2.01715 6.01507 2.45553 6.29365L2.46669 6.2992Z" fill="#F37021"></path><path d="M2.06533 7.11707C1.5449 7.11707 1.04575 7.32263 0.677748 7.68853C0.309746 8.05443 0.103027 8.55071 0.103027 9.06817C0.103027 9.58564 0.309746 10.0819 0.677748 10.4478C1.04575 10.8137 1.5449 11.0193 2.06533 11.0193H8.36752L3.13566 7.40252C2.81314 7.20881 2.44206 7.10985 2.06533 7.11707Z" fill="#FDB913"></path></g><fs><clipPath id="clip0_3686_260016"><rect width="144" height="16" fill="whe"></rect></clipPath></fs></svg></span><span class="styl_img__bxg3Y styl_chevron-img__sl67n"><svg viewBox="0 0 10 7" fill="none" xmlns="><path d="M1 1.07454L4.96238 5L9 1" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-lep="round"></path></svg></span></div></a></div></div></div></sectn><div class="article-body" data-activy-map="article-article-body" data-taboola-target="read-more"><div class="article-body__grid--ntaer"><div class="ad dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="terstial" data-siz="[[[0,0],[[4,4]]]]" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div class="article-body__sectn"><div class="article-body layout-grid-em layout-grid-em--wh-gutter-s-only grid-l-10-m grid-l-ph-1-m grid-l-6-xl grid-l-ph-2-xl article-body--ctom-lumn"></div></div><div class="article-body__sectn layout-grid-ntaer article-body__last-sectn article-body__first-sectn"><div class="article-body layout-grid-em layout-grid-em--wh-gutter-s-only grid-l-10-m grid-l-ph-1-m grid-l-6-xl grid-l-ph-2-xl article-body--ctom-lumn"><sectn class="mb7"><div class="article-social-share-top"><ul class="styl_ntaer__ZKkl3" data-activy-map="social-share-lks-article-top" data-ttid="social-share-menu"><li data-ttid="social-share-facebook" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_facebook__bOW_X"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-facebook"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-twter" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_twter__ww7sF"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-ptert" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_ptert__CaMm1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-ptert"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-email" class="styl_em__b5A78"><a href="mailto:?subject=Legendary Playwright Moisés Kfman On Art, LGBTQ Activism& target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-email"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-py" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_py__RACZ3"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-lk"></span></button><div class="styl_pyTooltip__Ut_t1"><span class="in in-alt-check"></span></div></li><li data-ttid="social-share-sms" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_sms__Vohh6"><a href="sms:?&body=Legendary Playwright Moisés Kfman On Art, LGBTQ Activism via nbews - target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-sms"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-prt" class="styl_prt__cw6Gn"><button type="button" class="styl_button__b3sx_"><span class="in in-share-prt styl_in__P3XZT"></span><span class="styl_text___8iNX">Prt</span></button></li><li data-ttid="social-share-save" class="styl_save__ILVuj"></li></ul></div><div class="article-body__date-source"><time class="relative z-1" dateTime="2016-10-26T15:09:00.000Z" ntent="2016-10-26T15:09:00.000Z">Oct. 26, 2016, 3:09 PM UTC<span> / </span>Updated<!-- --> <!-- -->Oct. 26, 2016, 3:09 PM UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name">Rl A. Rey</span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">NEW YORK — Growg up gay Venezuela, <a href=">Moisés Kfman</a> knew what was like to feel like an outsir. The son of a Holot survivor, he was raised an Orthodox Jewish fay a nservative, eply Roman Catholic untry – which led to profound feelgs of isolatn.</p><p class="">“The difficulty was that there were no role mols,” he told NBC News. “But I remember very vividly the first time I found the word ‘homosexual’ the dictnary and beg lighted, bee I thought there mt be one other person the world who is homosexual bee there is a word for .”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">Today Moisés Kfman, 52, is one of the most acclaimed playwrights and directors the Amerin theater.</p><p class="">In September, Kfman was among a select group of Amerins honored at the Whe Hoe wh the highly prtig<a href="> Natnal Medal of the Arts</a>. He termed the experience “excg” bee of his fellow honore. “Some of those people are people I have admired all my life, like <a href=">Mel Brooks</a>, <a href=">Sandra Cisneros</a>,” he said. “There was really a great sense of mararie between all of the recipients. And I love Print Obama, so was really wonrful to receive om him.”</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Image: US-POLITICS-OBAMA-ARTS-MEDAL" height="2500" width="2419"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Print Barack Obama prents director Mois Kfman wh the 2015 Natnal Medal of Arts durg a ceremony the East Room of the Whe Hoe on Sept. 22.</span><span class="ptn__source">SAUL LOEB / AFP - Getty Imag</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Kfman's plays been produced everywhere om Broadway to public high schools. He has been nomated for Tony and Emmy awards. And as his theater group celebrat s 25th anniversary, he n reflect on a body of work that has impacted social and cultural norms worldwi.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="2015 Natnal Medal of Arts and Natnal Humani Medal" height="1633" width="2449"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">On Thursday, September 22, the East Room of the Whe Hoe, Print Barack Obama award the 2015 Natnal Medal of Arts and the Natnal Humani Medal to distguished recipients. First Lady Michelle Obama attend the ceremony.</span><span class="ptn__source">Cheriss May / (C)2016 Photo by Cheriss May, www</span></figptn></figure><p class="">After attendg llege Venezuela, Kfman moved to New York Cy to study directg. He found his theater pany, <a href=">The Tectonic Theater Project</a>, 1991 wh his <a href=">now-hband Jefey LaHoste</a>.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">“We started the dg room of our apartment. The first four years, we were performg church basements,” Kfman said. “Often there were more people onstage than the hoe.”</p><p class=""><strong>RELATED: <a href=">The Latos Were Honored wh Natnal Medals for Art, Humani</a></strong></p><p class="">The Tectonic Theater Project <a href="> a unique procs</a> for nceivg and reimagg theater known as “Moment Work.” It <a href=">enabl actors</a>, wrers, signers, and directors to llaborate creative storytellg.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Mois Kfman" height="1762" width="2186"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Venezuelan-born playwright/director. Mois Kfman. </span><span class="ptn__source">The LIFE Imag Collectn/Getty Imag</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Usg this technique, Kfman wrote and directed <a href=">Gross Incency: The Three Trials of Osr Wil </a> 1997. This off-Broadway play, which The New York Tim <a href=">lled</a> “absolutely grippg,” utilized actual ttimony and transcripts om the trials of the inic Wil. Kfman won a <a href=">Lambda Lerary Award</a>, an award given for works that explore LGBT them, for "Gross Incency" 1998.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">That same year, jt three months after <a href=">the btal murr of gay stunt Matthew Shepard</a>, Kfman took his theater group to Laramie, Wyomg to terview people the town where the killg had taken place. They nducted over 200 terviews, totalg 400 hours, and the pany then ed the oral histori to wre <a href=">The Laramie Project</a>.</p><p class="">“The muny was shock,” Kfman relled. “They never expected a murr like that to occur their midst. We managed to pture, I thk, somethg of the rawns and the experience the town was havg at that time.”</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="The Kfman siblgs as siblgs." height="4032" width="3024"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Kfman and his siblgs. </span><span class="ptn__source">Mois Kfman</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Actrs<a href="> Merces Herrero</a>, who llaborated the creatn of "The Laramie Project," scribed the procs as “pretty extraordary.”</p><p class="">“I me om the Stanislavski (actg) tradn,” Herrero said. “Moisés was g this experimental form, not only gatherg terviews, but also lerally wrg current events as they were happeng. This was a <a href=">new kd of theater</a> to me, and was md-blowg.” Herrero, who -stars <a href=">Hoe of Cards</a>, add that workg wh Kfman has ma her “a more polilly aware beg.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">"The Laramie Project," about the town’s reactn to Shepard’s btal killg, went on to bee one of the most acclaimed plays of the year, and one of the most-produced works of the . It has been performed worldwi, and is often ed to te people about homophobia and anti-LGBT vlence. It was also ma to an HBO film wrten and directed by Kfman.</p><p class="">Judy Shepard, the mother of Matthew Shepard, told NBC News that "The Laramie Project" was very special to her. “I thk everybody n relate to an actor who is on stage. The dience is seeg somebody who is like them,” she said. “It brgs home how differently we all feel about thgs, and how we rpond to thgs.”</p><p class="">“It (the play) is not specifilly about Matt,” Shepard poted out. “But shows how society looks when we don’t accept each other for who we are. It shows what happens when we are at odds wh each other for no reason.”</p><p class="">Shepard said that she hears om people all over the untry who have “e out” as LGBT after seeg or havg been a part of the play.</p><div class="pullquote pullquote--small"><p class="pullquote__quote">“People say to me, are you a Lato wrer? Are you a gay wrer? Are you a Jewish wrer? And I say y to all."</p></div><p class="">“Moisés has absolutely moved the needle terms of how people view bullyg and hate crim agast LGBT people,” said Shepard.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Kfman and his theater pany <a href=">revised Laramie</a> to produce <a href=">The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later</a> 2008.</p><p class="">In 2003, Kfman directed the Pulzer Prize- and Tony Award-wng play <a href=">I Am My Own Wife</a> on Broadway. Also on Broadway, 2009 <a href=">he directed</a> Jane Fonda <a href=">33 Variatns</a>, and Rob Williams <a href=">Bengal Tiger</a> at the Baghdad Zoo 2011. Kfman’s most recent Broadway show was a 2012-2013 revival of<a href="> The Heirs</a>, starrg Jsi Chasta.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="USA - "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" Curta Call New York Cy" height="2508" width="4185"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Glenn Davis, Brad Fleischer, playwright Rajiv Joseph, Rob Willams, director Mois Kfman, Arian Moayed & Hrach Tizian durg the Broadway Openg Night Curta Call for 'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo' at the Richard Rodgers Theatre New York Cy.</span><span class="ptn__source">(C) Walter McBri/WM Photography / Corbis via Getty Imag</span></figptn></figure><p class="">“He is a lovely person, wh a really nice energy,” said <a href=">stg director</a> Jam Calleri, who worked wh Kfman on "33 Variatns."</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">“Actors seem to want to work wh him a lot," said Calleri. "And he has very strong feelgs about what the work should be.”</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">The fact that Kfman’s work has alt wh ntroversial them, Calleri stated, has ntributed to s succs regnal productns.</p><p class="">“His stuff has been very on-topic and prent, which, if anythg, has helped have an impact outsi New York, lleg and lol productns. "The Laramie Project" has even been done high schools.”</p><p class="">Kfman’s plays have generated their share of ntroversy. When "The Laramie Project" was first beg produced at lleg, <a href=">there were protts</a> om people who claimed was beg ed to rec stunts to homosexualy. Last year, Rsia <a href=">cut off fundg</a> for a productn of "Gross Incency" at the Mosw New Drama Theater bee of s gay them.</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Broadway wrer/director Mois Kfman as a young actor. " height="675" width="640"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">Broadway wrer/director Mois Kfman as a young actor. </span><span class="ptn__source">Mois Kfman</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Kfman is currently workg on an adaptatn of the opera "Carmen," and has several events planned for this fall. On November 7, Jane Fonda will host <a href=">the 25th anniversary gala</a> for the Tectonic Theater Project. The event will feature celebri readg excerpts om Tectonic’s plays, cludg The Laramie Project and <a href=">33 Variatns. </a></p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">On November 10, Kfman <a href=">will be prented</a> wh the Amerin Artist Award by Arena Stage Washgton D.C.</p><p class="">The Artistic Director of Arena Stage, Molly Smh, said that she was proud to have known Kfman for almost two s. “I watched him the ial stag of velopg "The Laramie Project." I have been so moved by his batn of theater, social mentary, and polil fervor the projects he has taken on,” Smh said. “He is a bold theater artist, and I thk our dience lov that.”</p><p class="">When Barack Obama signed the <a href=">Matthew Shepard and Jam Byrd, Jr. Hate Crim Preventn Act</a>, Smh noted, the print<a href="> had Kfman there</a> as a regnn of the impact of his work.</p><p class="">Smh also mentned that Kfman was “one of the most grac and warm dividuals you uld ever meet.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">Throughout his reer, Kfman has alt wh issu of inty. “People say to me, are you a Lato wrer? Are you a gay wrer? Are you a Jewish wrer? And I say y to all,” he said. “If I am any good at what I do, then I’m a Lato wrer and I am a Jewish wrer and I’m a gay wrer, and I’m a New York wrer. And I’m a wrer of all the thgs that I am as a human beg.”</p><p class="">Still, Kfman said that LGBT youth ntue to face challengg circumstanc as they grow up. “Anyone who has ever had the experience of g out will tell you that is a procs. It is a procs for the person g out, and for the people you are g out to,” he said. In his se, he explaed, bee his work alt so publicly wh issu of genr and sexualy, his parents had to learn how to al wh .</p><figure class="styl_leImage__yAWZ0 styl_medium__OMa6x styl_portra__NRWbO"><picture class="styl_image__1qciH"><source media="(m-width: 1000px)" srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="Undated photo of Mois Kfman and his father Jose." height="1024" width="768"/></picture><figptn class="ptn styl_ptn__Pe5JC"><span class="ptn__ntaer" data-ttid="ptn__ntaer">A picture of Mois Kfman and his father Jose.</span><span class="ptn__source">Mois Kfman</span></figptn></figure><p class="">Although Kfman scrib his mother and late father as “very proud and supportive” of his work, he strsed that young LGBT kids often stggle wh acceptance. “The qutn of whether thgs are gettg better for LGBT youth is a plited one,” he said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">“On the one hand, y, they are gettg better. Havg said that, there is an epimic of bullyg high school, pecially agast LGBT kids,” Kfman ntued, mentng the <a href=">high rat of suici</a> and <a href=">prsn</a> among LGBT youth.</p><p class="">“So I thk that y, thgs are gettg better," said the playwright. "But there is still a lot of work to do.”</p><p class="endmark"><strong>Follow NBC News Lato on <a href=">Facebook</a>, <a href=">Twter</a> and <a href=">Instagram</a>.</strong></p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name">Rl A. Rey</span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-facebook"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Rl A. Rey, a lawyer, is a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors. He has wrten for The New York Tim, the Los Angel Tim, The Christian Science Monor, Texas Monthly and the Huffgton Post.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail layout-grid-em grid-l-4_5-l grid-l-3_5-xl grid-l-ph-half-xl"><div class="ad article-body__right-rail--ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxrail" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[300,250],[360,360]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="10" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="body-bottom-remend"><div class="ad ad--midrponsive ad-ntaer dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="midrponsive" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[[700,1],[5,5]]],[[758,1],[]],[[0,0],[]]]" data-offset="300" data-reh-terval="0" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div></div></div></div></article></div></div><div id="hfs-footer" class="dn-prt" data-activy-map="hfs-footer"><footer class="hfsf" ><div class="ner"><div class="logo"><a href="><svg class="peack" viewBox="578 62 67 39" xmlns=" fill="currentColor"><g fill-le="evenodd"><path d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M579.074 90.58c1.717-4.494 6.472-6.08 10.697-3.37l18.29 12.754h-22.18c-4.62 0-8.252-4.23-6.8-9.385"></path><path class="feather" d="M597.563 75.863l9.442 21.613-19.478-13.35c-4.887-3.24-3.896-8.79-1.19-11.237 3.83-3.24 9.245-2.12 11.226 2.97"></path><path class="feather" d="M610.57 70.93l-3.433 24.19-9.772-23c-2.113-5.75 2.64-9.516 5.81-9.583 3.632-.396 8.188 2.38 7.396 8.394"></path><path class="feather" d="M625.494 72.103l-9.707 23.067-3.102-20.82c-.265-3.17 1.716-3.237 2.443-3.832-.133-.463-1.124-.463-1.124-.463h-1.848c-.198-5.42 4.028-7.8 7.462-7.535 3.697.132 7.856 4.428 5.876 9.583"></path><path class="feather" d="M635.338 84.167L615.86 97.584l9.177-21.348c2.775-6.742 9.245-5.42 11.556-2.842 2.51 2.51 3.235 7.6-1.255 10.773"></path><path class="feather" d="M637.448 99.9h-22.515l18.29-12.756c4.49-2.975 9.244-.266 10.498 3.635 1.327 4.36-1.65 9.12-6.27 9.12"></path></g></svg></a></div><nav class="lks"><ul class="lks__wrap" data-l-2="14" data-l-3=15><li><a href=" target="_self">About</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Contact</a></li><li><a href=">Help</a></li><li><a href=">Careers</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ad Choic</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Policy</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Do Not Sell My Personal Informatn</a></li><li><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CA Notice</a></li><li><a href=">Terms of Service (Updated JULY 7, 2023)</a></li><li><a href=">NBC News Semap</a></li><li><a href=">Advertise</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Shoppg</a></li><li><a href=" target="_self">Select Personal Fance</a></li></ul></nav><div class="py"><p>© 2023 NBC UNIVERSAL</p><div class="brands"><a href="><svg viewBox="0 0 120 20" fill="none" xmlns=" aria-labelledby="nbc_news_logo"><tle class="nbc_news_logo">NBC News Logo
.