Photo by Robert Presutti - part of his Faces of An Beal Exhibit

Linda is an actress and writer in New York City. She has appeared on stage in New York and regionally, and in independent films (imdb).

Her plays have been produced in New York City (Dixon Place, United Solo, NY Int'l Fringe Festival, The Invisible Theatre) and published by Smith and Kraus. Two of her short screenplays have also been produced.

Writing Recognition
Stage Plays:
Finalist - Kentucky Women Writers Prize
Finalist - New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest, NYC
Semi-Finalist - Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference
Ledig House International Writers' Colony Fellowship

Screenplays:
Grand Prize - StoryPros Awards Screenplay Contest
Finalist - Best Dark Comedy - Los Angeles Int'l Indie Short Fest
Quarter-Finalist - PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 
Finalist - Filmmakers International Screenwriting Award 
BRIO Award for Screenplay (Bronx Council on the Arts) 


Linda's blog about her life and art

SAG/AFTRA
AEA

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Articles recently published in The Dramatists Guild Blog

Why I'm Like This: Developing My Solo Show Perfect Love

Tell Your Story: Performing, Producing and Promoting My Solo Show

Linda grew up in Colorado. She started acting and writing at the University of Colorado, Denver, and got her first opportunities at many of the great community theaters in Denver, including Germinal Stage and The Changing Scene.

She then moved to the east coast to study theater in her 20's and got a Master's from
​Trinity Rep Conservatory. 

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Linda now lives in the Bronx with her husband and two daughters.

Reviews of Linda's work:
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"We live in a time when women STILL cannot speak many truths without being morally, personally, socially bludgeoned, but if you are seeking inspiration to not only “speak” the truth, but “live” the truth … You MUST see this show."  
Perfect Love - solo show
Maureen Payne-Hahner, Director, WIN-Writers Innovative Network

"Such an unusual play. Very skillfully crafted.... Beautifully written sexual encounter. The writer bore her soul. She knows the grasp that love can have. Like being possessed by a mysterious, exciting energy of the other."
There Is No You and Me - full length stage play
New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest
2017 Finalist
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"Breathtaking, poignant, and lovely, LEARNING TO DRIVE should be a strong contender for the industry's attention and interest... A spiritual and chronological successor to nostalgic feature masterpieces like THE VIRGIN SUICIDES and ALMOST FAMOUS, LEARNING TO DRIVE is an accomplished, market-ready script ...."
Learning to Drive - feature length screenplay by Linda Manning
The Black List, Featured Script 2015 
Grand Prize Winner - StoryPros Awards Screenplay Contest 2013 

​​“Yes, Linda Manning can make this stuff up and indeed it does not get much better than this well-constructed play...."  
Bite the Apple - full length stage play
David Roberts, Chief Critic, Theatre Reviews Limited, New York, NY

"The ensemble of actresses are remarkable, particularly the evocative and nuanced performance by Manning. Bite the Apple is a smart script with intricate dialogue and beautiful language...."
Bite the Apple - full length stage play
Joseph Samuel Wright, Theatre Is Easy, New York, NY

"Writer-performer Linda Manning gives us a fiercely intelligent  and sexual Charlotte Brontë....   The writing delicately  renders the conflict between family responsibility and the artist's calling, between romantic yearning and the realities of married love." 
Do Something With Yourself! - full length stage play
The Village Voice, New York, NY

"This wonderfully quixotic piece by Linda Manning explores the struggles Charlotte faced, including her own stifling romantic ideals. With a striking level of skill and versatility," 
Do Something With Yourself! - full length stage play
TimeOut New York, New York, NY  

"The Invisible Theatre Company’s adaptation of the classic tale is strikingly fresh, thanks to playwright Linda Manning’s bold vision.... Manning had a dynamic presence .... Deftly handling the madness that lies at the heart of Poe’s tale, Manning oscillated from a petulant little girl, to a proper young lady, to a disturbing sexual force.... The amount of humor that Manning has incorporated into the script, without compromising its horror, is one of its greatest accomplishments.”
Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher - full length stage play
The Off-Off-Broadway Review, New York, NY