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

Her plays have been produced in New York City (Cherry Lane Theatre, 224 Waverly Place Theater, Dixon Place, United Solo, NY Int'l Fringe Festival, The Invisible Theatre) and published by Smith and Kraus. 

Her short screenplay Wake Up was produced and directed by Vin Liota, and her short Ghost Ride was produced and directed by Kevin Smyth.

Writing Recognition
Stage Plays:
Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation Grantee
​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
Published by Smith and Kraus

​Screenplays:
Best Feature Screenplay - City of Angels Women's Film Festival
​Grand Prize - StoryPros Awards Screenplay Contest
ARTemis Arts Wisdom Anthology Finalist
Finalist - Best Dark Comedy - Los Angeles Int'l Indie Short Fest
Finalist - Filmmakers International Screenwriting Award 
BRIO Award for Screenplay (Bronx Council on the Arts) ​

SAG/AFTRA
AEA

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With director Gretchen Cryer on Opening Night

Linda's solo show
Perfect Love
was produced at the Cherry Lane Theatre
May 6-22, 2022

​"Linda Manning proves mighty onstage in Perfect Love....  A 70s something female was seeking a type of perfection, beyond the feminine mystique where a young woman could hope not to be devalued or ignored or thrown away.  Linda Manning wants to interrogate this type of perfection.  She repeats sequence by sequence, slowly developing consciousness beyond an unsightly room.  The truth of her teens is nothing like a beautiful confusion.  Yet, her desire to find form and create beauty is constantly present.  Alone on stage, shedding light on passages of time that had been obscured, the solo artist finds dimension in a previously empty space." TheaterPizzazz.com

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Linda's new play
Bite the Apple
was produced March 10 - 13, 2022
at 224 Waverly Place Theater, West Village, NYC
BitetheApplePlay.com
This production was made possible by a generous grant from Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation Grantee

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​Linda was recently seen on NBC's New Amsterdam, episode 8, as psych patient Livonia -- now streaming on Hulu

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​Winner
2021 Best Feature Screenplay 
City of Angels Women's Film Festival
for her script Charlotte

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​Best Supporting Actress
2021 Creation Int’l Film Festival
Mina Martin (feature film) -
written and directed by Anthony Petrucci

• "​... a standout performance by Linda Manning, who plays Jason's mother. Her  delivery of anger and denial and betrayal was riveting. There were moments where I felt uncomfortable, like I was invading someone's personal space... in a sense seeing things I wasn't supposed to see."​​

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The Desire Series
short stories written and performed by Linda Manning
4 women wrestling with their desires

What people are saying:
"Wow…… VERY powerful and moving."
"I related to an aspect of each of these women completely --  all of the stories were wise, funny, sad, smart."​
"It's hard to pick a favorite."

​Evelyn -
making a connection
​
"...loveloveloved the concrete look of realization that falls on her face...too much! Spot on!"

"A very creative idea and quickly goes from light hearted and perverse to expressions of what matters."

Lorena -
looking for the road not taken
​
"This piece is suffused with deep and true emotion. It's a beautiful vignette"

"Your raw directness as both an actor and writer, stops me in my tracks. Every. Single. Time."

​
​Crystal -
clearing the fog

"I actually bark-laughed out loud three times."

"The range of emotions was grip-the-crossbar-rollercoaster-level!"

"I'm laughing and crying AT THE SAME TIME."

​Imogen -
​falling in love again

"I just cried the whole way though...I don’t even know where to start..."

"This was brilliant, moving and interruptive in ways that the soul needs every so often."

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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 prolific 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. 

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

Her family was featured in the
New York Times in their
Habitats column, July 2011

Reviews of Linda's work:
​
"Linda Manning proves mighty onstage in Perfect Love....  A 70s something female was seeking a type of perfection, beyond the feminine mystique where a young woman could hope not to be devalued or ignored or thrown away.  Linda Manning wants to interrogate this type of perfection.  She repeats sequence by sequence, slowly developing consciousness beyond an unsightly room.  The truth of her teens is nothing like a beautiful confusion.  Yet, her desire to find form and create beauty is constantly present.  Alone on stage, shedding light on passages of time that had been obscured, the solo artist finds dimension in a previously empty space." TheaterPizzazz.com

"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
​
"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

"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 


Contact Linda at LindaSManning at gmail.com