Min Kahng is a playwright, composer and lyricist whose work centers on building precise, story-driven theatrical experiences.
His projects range from original musicals and plays to family and youth-facing work, often blending structural rigor with humor, emotional surprise, and a curiosity about how people connect across divides.
Min approaches theatre as a designed experience, in which structure, tone, and audience perspective are treated as foundational tools rather than afterthoughts. He is particularly interested in work that balances clarity and playfulness, allowing formal choices to carry meaning without over-explaining it.
Across his work, three values consistently guide the process: Structure. Mischief. Heart.
Structure provides coherence and momentum. Mischief creates surprise and theatricality. Heart ensures that the experience remains grounded in genuine human feeling. Together, they shape projects that are intentionally built, emotionally accessible, and unafraid of humor even when engaging with complex subjects.
Min’s work has been developed and produced by a range of theatre and institutions, and he frequently collaborates with directors, dramaturgs, and producing partners throughout the development process. He values clear communication, thoughtful iteration, and a shared investment in bringing new work to life.
He is based in the Los Angeles area and works nationally.
Full Biography
Min Kahng (he/him) is an award-winning playwright, composer, and lyricist whose works include Happy Pleasant Valley (NAMT Recommended Musical), The Four Immigrants (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award, NAMT Production Grant, Edgerton New Play Award), Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: A Musical Adaptation, GOLD: The Midas Musical, The Adventures of Honey & Leon, Inside Out & Back Again, Bad Kitty On Stage!, The Song of the Nightingale and Tales of Olympus.
Kahng is a MacDowell Fellow, a Travis Bogard Fellow, and an alumnus of the Playwrights Foundation Resident Initiative, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, Djerassi, and the TheatreWorks New Works Festival. He has been invited as a Guest Lecturer/Artist at Harvard University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, San Jose State University and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Kahng is an NEA Grant Recipient, a Jonathan Larson Grant Finalist, a Richard Rodgers Award Finalist, and a Dramatists Guild committee member.