Playwright, composer, and lyricist Mark Friedman fell in love with musicals as a kid growing up in the Midwest and even built his own theatre in the basement of his home, complete with lighting grid and sound, performing for people in the neighborhood. Paying for college by playing in bands and performing onstage, Mark graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Education and a Master of Arts. After college, he produced free Shakespeare in the Park in Cincinnati; created a family-friendly theatre called Peanut Butter Theatre, helped launch the acclaimed Artreach Touring Theatre, and toured the country himself with The Fountain Square Fools – all in his twenties! He has taught drama and playwriting at high school and collegiate levels, and was a featured faculty member at the Tennessee Arts Academy in Nashville.