Dyslexic, disorganized and generally uninterested in all things academic Eliam Kraiem was an unlikely candidate for a life as a writer. In his forth semester at CalArts Kraiem took a basic playwriting class and wrote, a now lost, one-act play. At the end of that semester he was dismissed from the acting program but asked if he would like to complete his degree as a playwright. Dubious, but at the same time not sure of what else to do he accepted the offer. From CalArts, he went on to win the Fourth Freedom Playwriting Award along with a grant from the Kennedy Center. He was invited to participate in The Sundance Theater Lab in 1997. In 2002 his play Sixteen Wounded received a workshop production at the Cherry Lane Theater. The play was then produced as part of The Long Wharf Theater’s 2003 season starring Academy Award winner Martin Landau. Sixteen Wounded opened on Broadway in April of 2004, starring two-time Tony winner Judd Hirsch, and directed by Tony winner Garry Hynes. Since 2004 Sixteen Wounded has been recorded by LA Theater Works for broadcast on the nationally syndicated radio show, The Play’s The Thing and there have been sellout productions in Germany Italy and Austria. Productions are planned for both France and Sweden.
Eliam also wrote and directed the Feature Film String Theory. The film Premiered at the 2004 Santa Fe Film Festival and in now available for download at Jaman.com.
Most recently Eliam finished work on his new play Gabriel and is currently writing a play for the Druid Theatre Company of Galway, Ireland. Outside of writing and directing Eliam has also worked as a river guide and traveled extensively throughout America, Europe and the Middle-East. Although he has lived in New York and London for the last decade, Eliam currently calls Los Angeles home.
