Robert McEwen is a winner of two of the nation's top awards for dramatists: first prize in the 21st Century Playwrights Festival (for his play "Cholo!") in judging chaired by Edward Albee; and second prize in the Fourth Freedom Foundation competition at The Kennedy Center (for his play "Son Of A Gonne") in judging chaired by Lanford Wilson.

"Cholo!", a drama inspired by the rise and fall of world champion boxer Roberto Duran, was staged at The Harold Clurman Theater on 42nd Street off-Broadway and recommended by Theater Week magazine as a nominee for "Best New Play of 1995."

"Son Of A Gonne" is an epic of Irish independence based on the life of Sean MacBride, an IRA leader in the 1920s who later renounced violence, founded Amnesty International, became an Undersecretary General of the United Nations, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974. "Son" is scheduled for production at The New Heritage Theater in Boise, ID.

His play "The Pull Toy and His Paisan," a comedy set in 1965 featuring tough-talking Italian kids in a New York-area high school, was produced by Collaboraction Theatre in Chicago in the spring of 2006, and was "Recommended" by judges from the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee.

McEwen's newest play is "Cherub's Choice," a psychological drama in which two estranged brothers (and their combative wives) convene after the death of their father to decide who will care for their mentally retarded youngest brother. It received a staged reading at Chicago Dramatists in September 2006.

McEwen's play "Negative Image" -- in which the ghost of Al Jolson begins appearing in blackface at a home for old vaudevillians where all of the patients are elderly Jews and all of the employees are young African-Americans -- won first prize in a nationwide, original script competition held by The Des Moines Playhouse, and was produced there in 1995.

In 1992 McEwen was awarded a 3-year playwriting fellowship in the world-renowned Iowa Writers Workshop, where he wrote the plays referenced above after studying under such respected instructors as Howard Stein, Suzan Lori-Parks, Mac Wellman, John O'Keefe, Lavonne Mueller, Shelley Berc, Theodora Skipitares, Cassandra Medley, Kia Corthron and Ann Bogart.

In 2004 McEwen published "Tales Of The Pea Sea," a collection of 15 short plays and poems. The title is a pun on political correctness, and the subject matter ranges from abortion politics, media bias, and multiculturalism to corporate ethics and the atrophy of Catholicism in America.

Although dramatic writing is his primary vocation, McEwen also is one the public relations profession's most highly respected practitioners, having held senior management positions at three of the world's leading PR firms and counseled scores of Fortune 100 firms over the course of the past quarter-century.

McEwen served Burson-Marsteller as president and CEO of the Midwest region, a territory stretching from Canada to Texas and from Pennsylvania to California. The offices under his leadership employed more than 200 people, and accounted for more than $22 million in annualized fee income from clients including Ford, Kellogg's, Delphi, Accenture, McDonald's, Miller Brewing, and CDW Computer.

McEwen joined Burson-Marsteller after three years with Fleishman-Hillard, where he managed the Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City offices. His work at Fleishman included two award-winning case studies in crisis management: one for United Airlines on September 11th and its aftermath, the other for Sara Lee after deaths caused by bacteria traced to a meatpacking plant. Other clients McEwen has counseled include General Motors, Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, SBC, Office Depot, Lands' End, and Harley Davidson.

From 1996-99, McEwen served as managing director of the Detroit office of Shandwick and head of that agency's national industrial practice group, encompassing the automotive, chemical, energy and telecommunications sectors. Previously he had been a senior vice president and regional director for Hill and Knowlton. Highlights of his 1988-92 tenure with H&K included the worldwide launch of Kodak's revolutionary Photo CD, and the settlement of a 13-count, federal antitrust suit against Kodak by Polaroid.

While a vice-president at Carl Byoir & Associates in the 1980s, Mr. McEwen won three Silver Anvils, the "Oscars" of the public relations profession, for marketing (the disc camera launch) in 1982, employee communications (for corporate restructuring) in 1983, and government relations (for influencing federal monetary policy) in 1984.

McEwen also is a former news reporter and editor who spent five years with The Associated Press in Fresno, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix in the late 1970s. He covered the mass suicides of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple congregation in Guyana; the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk; the murder trial of Black Panther founder Huey Newton; and Cesar Chavez's battles with the Teamsters Union for control of farm labor in California.

McEwen also spent two years coaching junior college basketball as an assistant to Dan Panaggio, now with the LA Lakers. Their 1987-88 coaching record at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., was 46-9. Their nationally ranked teams won two conference titles, and included two junior college All-Americans. McEwen was graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Mr. McEwen played freshman basketball for Georgetown and was the music, film and theater critic for two student publications. He also is a certified facilitator of The Artist's Way At Work, a member of The Dramatists Guild, and a member of the board of directors of Chicago Dramatists.







	Robert McEwen PLAYWRIGHTS ON THE WEB		Robert McEwen Resident Playwright-Chicago Dramatists Robert McEwen is a winner of two of the nation's top awards for dramatists: first prize in the 21st Century Playwrights Festival (for his play "Cholo!") in judging chaired by Edward Albee; and second prize in the Fourth Freedom Foundation competition at The Kennedy Center (for his play "Son Of A Gonne") in judging chaired by Lanford Wilson. "Cholo!", a drama inspired by the rise and fall of world champion boxer Roberto Duran, was staged at The Harold Clurman Theater on 42nd Street off-Broadway and recommended by Theater Week magazine as a nominee for "Best New Play of 1995." "Son Of A Gonne" is an epic of Irish independence based on the life of Sean MacBride, an IRA leader in the 1920s who later renounced violence, founded Amnesty International, became an Undersecretary General of the United Nations, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974. "Son" is scheduled for production at The New Heritage Theater in Boise, ID. His play "The Pull Toy and His Paisan," a comedy set in 1965 featuring tough-talking Italian kids in a New York-area high school, was produced by Collaboraction Theatre in Chicago in the spring of 2006, and was "Recommended" by judges from the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee. McEwen's newest play is "Cherub's Choice," a psychological drama in which two estranged brothers (and their combative wives) convene after the death of their father to decide who will care for their mentally retarded youngest brother. It received a staged reading at Chicago Dramatists in September 2006. McEwen's play "Negative Image" -- in which the ghost of Al Jolson begins appearing in blackface at a home for old vaudevillians where all of the patients are elderly Jews and all of the employees are young African-Americans -- won first prize in a nationwide, original script competition held by The Des Moines Playhouse, and was produced there in 1995. In 1992 McEwen was awarded a 3-year playwriting fellowship in the world-renowned Iowa Writers Workshop, where he wrote the plays referenced above after studying under such respected instructors as Howard Stein, Suzan Lori-Parks, Mac Wellman, John O'Keefe, Lavonne Mueller, Shelley Berc, Theodora Skipitares, Cassandra Medley, Kia Corthron and Ann Bogart. In 2004 McEwen published "Tales Of The Pea Sea," a collection of 15 short plays and poems. The title is a pun on political correctness, and the subject matter ranges from abortion politics, media bias, and multiculturalism to corporate ethics and the atrophy of Catholicism in America. Although dramatic writing is his primary vocation, McEwen also is one the public relations profession's most highly respected practitioners, having held senior management positions at three of the world's leading PR firms and counseled scores of Fortune 100 firms over the course of the past quarter-century. McEwen served Burson-Marsteller as president and CEO of the Midwest region, a territory stretching from Canada to Texas and from Pennsylvania to California. The offices under his leadership employed more than 200 people, and accounted for more than $22 million in annualized fee income from clients including Ford, Kellogg's, Delphi, Accenture, McDonald's, Miller Brewing, and CDW Computer. McEwen joined Burson-Marsteller after three years with Fleishman-Hillard, where he managed the Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City offices. His work at Fleishman included two award-winning case studies in crisis management: one for United Airlines on September 11th and its aftermath, the other for Sara Lee after deaths caused by bacteria traced to a meatpacking plant. Other clients McEwen has counseled include General Motors, Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, SBC, Office Depot, Lands' End, and Harley Davidson. From 1996-99, McEwen served as managing director of the Detroit office of Shandwick and head of that agency's national industrial practice group, encompassing the automotive, chemical, energy and telecommunications sectors. Previously he had been a senior vice president and regional director for Hill and Knowlton. Highlights of his 1988-92 tenure with H&K included the worldwide launch of Kodak's revolutionary Photo CD, and the settlement of a 13-count, federal antitrust suit against Kodak by Polaroid. While a vice-president at Carl Byoir & Associates in the 1980s, Mr. McEwen won three Silver Anvils, the "Oscars" of the public relations profession, for marketing (the disc camera launch) in 1982, employee communications (for corporate restructuring) in 1983, and government relations (for influencing federal monetary policy) in 1984. McEwen also is a former news reporter and editor who spent five years with The Associated Press in Fresno, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix in the late 1970s. He covered the mass suicides of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple congregation in Guyana; the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk; the murder trial of Black Panther founder Huey Newton; and Cesar Chavez's battles with the Teamsters Union for control of farm labor in California. McEwen also spent two years coaching junior college basketball as an assistant to Dan Panaggio, now with the LA Lakers. Their 1987-88 coaching record at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., was 46-9. Their nationally ranked teams won two conference titles, and included two junior college All-Americans. McEwen was graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Mr. McEwen played freshman basketball for Georgetown and was the music, film and theater critic for two student publications. He also is a certified facilitator of The Artist's Way At Work, a member of The Dramatists Guild, and a member of the board of directors of Chicago Dramatists.