Ike Holter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ike Holter
Born	1985 (age 39–40) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation	Playwright
Education	DePaul University (BFA)

Ike Holter (born 1985) is an American playwright. A playwright is someone who writes plays for the theater. He is known for his exciting and thoughtful plays. In 2017, he won a special award for his writing. Ike Holter is also a resident playwright at Victory Gardens Theater. This means he often writes plays for them. He has also been asked to write plays for other big theaters. These include The Kennedy Center and The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Early Life and Inspiration

Ike Holter was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When he was eleven years old, he saw a play. The play was called Sweeney Todd. He saw it at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. He has shared that seeing this play made him want to work in theater. He went to Minneapolis South High School. After that, he studied playwriting. He went to The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago.

Ike Holter's Career in Theater

Early Plays and Success

Ike Holter's play Hit the Wall was produced in 2012. It was part of Steppenwolf Theater Company's Garage Rep. The Chicago Tribune newspaper listed it as one of the "Top Ten Plays of 2012." Later, Hit the Wall was shown in New York City. This was an "Off-Broadway" production. Off-Broadway plays are professional shows. They are usually in smaller theaters than Broadway shows. The play was also performed in many cities across the country. In Los Angeles, it was very popular. It sold out and was extended three times.

Notable Works and Themes

In 2014, Ike Holter wrote Exit Strategy. This play was for Jackalope Theater. A theater critic named Chris Jones praised it. He said it was "poetic, political, sad, funny, timely, complex and compassionate." The play tells the story of a Chicago public school. This school is facing its final days. It is about to be torn down. Exit Strategy has also been performed in other cities. These include Philadelphia, Boston, and Houston.

Ike Holter has written many other plays. Some of these include B-Side Studio (2013) and Sender (2016). He also wrote The Wolf at the End of the Block (2017) and The Light Fantastic (2018). In 2019, his play Lottery Day premiered. This play was the last of a seven-play series. The series was about a made-up Chicago neighborhood called Rightlynd.

Television Work and Future Projects

Ike Holter has also worked in television. He was a staff writer for the FX series "Fosse/Verdon". This show was produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Holter wrote the sixth episode of the series. He continues to be a resident playwright at Victory Gardens Theater.

As of 2025, Ike Holter has been working on a TV miniseries. This series is about the 1983 election in Chicago. It also covers the time mayor Harold Washington was in office. Harold Washington was the first African American mayor of Chicago.

Awards and Recognition

In 2017, Ike Holter received a major award. He was one of eight winners of Yale's annual Windham-Campbell Literature Prizes. This is one of the highest awards for playwriting in the world. It recognizes great writers.

In 2018, he was honored again. The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) chose him as a finalist. This was for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award. This award recognizes the best new plays. These are plays that premiered outside of New York City. Holter was recognized for his play The Wolf at the End of the Block.