Darren Canady is a playwright from Topeka, Kansas, and graduated from Topeka High School. His talent and passion for writing theatre lead him to attend two well-known schools, Julliard and New York University. At Julliard he recieved an Artist Diploma and at New York University he recieved an MFA from the Tisch School of Arts. He is now an Associate Professor of English at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.  

His plays that have been produced include: Brothers of the Dust (Congo Square Theatre; Chicago, IL), You're Invited! (Old Vic New Voices, Old Vic Theatre; London, UK), False Creeds (Alliance Theatre; Atlanta, GA), One Night Dickie Didn't Come Home (New York University; New York, NY), Black Idiot Box (Scotch 'n' Soda Theatre, Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, PA), No Sparkle in the Dust (Scotch 'n' Soda Theatre, Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, PA), No Kerchiefs (The BE Company), Muddy the Water (The BE Company, The Red Room Theatre; New york, NY), How Theo Changed His Name (Music By Matthew Heap, Libretto By Darren Canady), and One Night at Ferns (Quo Vladimus Arts' ID America Festival; New York, NY). His Hardtland (2013) premiered with Topeka's Ad Astra Theatre group. 

According to his KU Faculty page, his family told colorful stories when he was a child, which gave him a knack for story telling.

Bibliography ( - housed in Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection)

Plays:

• TRANSit (American Blues Theater, Chicago, 2016) 
• Brothers of the Dust
• False Creeds
• Muddy the Water 
• Ontario Was Here
• Right On
• You're Invited (contained in The Best American Short Plays, 2010-2011)