Steve Cosson

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Steve Cosson (born August 1968) is an American theater director and writer who creates new work inspired by real life. He founded The Civilians, a New York–based investigative theater company, and serves as its Artistic Director. Cosson grew up near Washington, D.C., earned a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA in directing from UC San Diego, where he studied with Les Waters.

He led The Civilians as the first theater company in residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He wrote The Great Immensity, the first major American play about climate change; it sparked controversy in Congress and right-wing media and was featured as a TED Talk in 2012. He frequently collaborated with composer Michael Friedman on Civilians projects until Friedman’s death in 2017. Notable works include This Beautiful City, I Am (Nobody’s) Lunch, and Gone Missing. He also helped develop and direct Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, which The New York Times named one of the best American plays of the last 25 years.

Cosson has directed and created for many venues, including A.R.T., Actors Theatre of Louisville, La Jolla Playhouse, MoMA, HBO’s Aspen Comedy Festival, Gate Theatre in London, and Soho Theatre. His other directing credits include Ethel’s Documerica at BAM, Stoop Stories, Spring Awakening, Bus Stop, A Devil at Noon, Adventures in Reality, and the U.S. premiere of Attempts on Her Life. His plays have been published by Oberon Books, Dramatists Play Service, and Playscripts.