Evan Linder is a playwright and actor hailing from Chicago, IL where he serves as Co-Artistic Director of The New Colony. Evan is a graduate of the College of Charleston and his plays include "Byhalia, Mississippi" (2016 Jeff Award for Best New Work), "5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche" (Winner: Best Production at 2012 NYC International Fringe Festival, published by Samuel French Inc), "The Bear Suit of Happiness" (published by Chicago Dramaworks) and "The Warriors". Named "one of the Chicago theatre's most prodigious talents" in the Chicago Tribune, Evan also teaches playwriting at the University of Chicago. He has acted in over 40 productions and is slated to reprise his role as Jim in "Byhalia, Mississippi" at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in July 2016.