Born in Fresno, raised in Los Angeles, Lynn Manning is an award winning playwright, poet, actor, and former World Champion Judo player. He has accomplished this after being shot and blinded in 1978. He appeared on TV shows such as Popular, Sienfeld, The Sinbad Show, and Dream On. He has been featured in commercials for Nike Shoes, Hewlet Packard, Sweppes, Bank Of America and Sprint Long Distance. Lynn wrote and stars in the independent short film, "Shoot!", which world premiered on HBO/Cinemax this past August.

This past summer, Lynn completed 3 years as California arts Council's Artist In Residence with the Mark Taper Forum's "Other Voices Project." As resident, he conducted playwriting and storytelling workshops for the physically disabled and visually impaired. He is also a current member of The Mark Taper Forum's writer's Workshop' and The actor's Studio's West-coast Writers/Directors Unit. He is co-founder of The Watts Village Theater Company and is also president of The Firehouse Theater Co, dedicated to expanding participation of persons with disability in all aspects of the theatrical performing arts.

Lynn's plays have been produced in both Los Angeles and New York. His most recent excursions into "one man shows" have combined both Lynn's talents for poetic self-expression and dramatic storytelling. The Mark Taper Forum's critically acclaimed 2001 "Taper Too" production of Lynn's autobiographical one man play, WEIGHTS received 3 NAACP Theater Awards for Local theater.

In October 2001, Weights was toured for 4 weeks to Los Angeles area colleges with The Taper's Performing For Los Angeles Youth (P.L.A.Y.) program which bussed high school students in for the performances.

Weights will be remounted by Watts Village Theater Company for a 6 week run at The Los Angeles Theater Center beginning in February 2002.

Lynn's follow-up to WEIGHTS called MIDDLE PASSAGE was presented at The Mark Taper Forum's New Works Festival on November 17, 2001.

In 2000, the Watts Village Theater Company's World Premiere production of Lynn's THE LAST OUTPOST was critically acclaimed and was nominated for 4 NAACP Theater Awards. Lynn's one act plays, SHOOT, THE CONVERT, and THE COLORIZED VERSION have been produced in both Los Angeles and New York. L.A. productions of Lynn's trilogy of 1 acts, ON THE BLINK, and his 1 act double header, VISITATIONS, earned him Dramalogue Critic's Awards for playwriting (1994 and 1997 respectively). Lynn's full length ADAPTATIONS: PRIVATE BATTLE (Actor's Gang Theater, 1997) was also well received. CENTRAL AVE. CHALK CIRCLE (Cornerstone Theater Co. 1995) received an Ovation Award for the year's Best Small Theater Production. Lynn's original full length play, LOVE IS BLIND was workshopped at The Mark taper Forum's 1996 New Works Festival and further developed at Crossroad Theater's 1998 Genesis Festival..

While pursuing a career in the fine arts, Lynn achieved 'world class' status in competitive judo. He represented the United states in the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Lynn went on to become the U.S. Olympic Committee's "Blind Male Athlete Of The Year" after winning the Blind Judo World Championship at the 1990 World Victory Games in Holland. He also won the first World Cup for blind judo in Italy in 1991, and took a silver medal in the 1992 Paralympics at Barcelona. Recently retired from competition, Lynn is currently Judo Representative on the Paralympic Athlete Advisory Council. He also teaches judo to blind and visually impaired students at the Braille Institute, in Hollywood.

Lynn's poetry has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies: Most recently, STARING BACK (THE DISABILITY EXPERIENCE FROM THE INSIDE OUT), and GRAND PASSION, an anthology of Los Angeles poets. His solo spoken word' CD, CLARITY OF VISION was release on New Alliance Records in 1994.

For further information on Lynn's plays, contact:

Ms. Morgan Jenness
Helen Merrill Ltd.
(212) 226-5015 ext. 12

Lynn's commercial and theatrical representative is: