Playwright Jacob Marx Rice returns to the Finborough Theatre following his production of Chemistry in 2019. He is a playwright and screenwriter, based in Queens, New York. Chemistry also won the Excellence in Playwriting Award and FringeFAVE at the NY Fringe Festival, Producer's Pick at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, and Producer’s Encore Pick at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Jacob’s film adaptation of the play was a semifinalist for the Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is currently in development with the production company Anonymous Content.  Jacob’s plays have been produced and developed at Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The New Ohio, The Flea Theater, Atlantic Theatre Stage 2, and others. He has won the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Faculty Award from the NYU/Tisch Department of Dramatic Writing and a Sloan Foundation Screenwriting Grant. Jacob was the 2017 Playwright Observer at the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. He also wrote the screenplay for See Through featuring Tony-nominated actor Lauren Ridloff (The Sound of Metal, Marvel’s Eternals), which has been featured at the Austin Film Festival, the Cannes’ Festival’s Short Film Corner, and film festivals across the United States.

Director Alex Howarth’s productions at the Finborough Theatre include Jacob Marx Rice’s Chemistry. He was recently named as one of '’Ten Stage Sensations to Watch Out For in 2023’ by The Guardian.
He conceived, directed and co-wrote We Live By the Sea which has been seen internationally including ‘Brits Off Broadway’ at 59E59 Theaters, New York City, where it received Critic’s Pick and Top Theatre of the Year in The New York Times; and at the Adelaide Fringe, Australia, where it won Best Theatre, Critic’s Choice and the Grahame F. Smith Peace Foundation Award for promoting human rights. It was nominated for the Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival, and Best Production and Best Ensemble at the OffWestEnd Awards.
His own play Cassie and the Lights (VAULT Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Underbelly) was nominated for the BBC Writer’s Room Popcorn Award and the SitUp Award for social change, as well as winning Best Theatre at Adelaide Fringe. It will play at 59E59 Theaters, New York City, this June.
He adapted and directed the world stage premiere of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, working alongside the film's writer, Oscar nominee Peter Hedges.
Recent credits include Medea (Guildhall Amphitheatre) which won the Owl Schreame Award for Innovation in Classical Theatre, The Greatest Hits of Lily and John (The Other Palace), Sweeney Todd (Italia Conti), Richard II (Central School of Speech and Drama), the European premiere of [title of show] (Edinburgh Fringe), The Memory Show (Drayton Arms Theatre), Back to Blackbrick (Arts Theatre and Tour), Outlier: A New Opera (Tete a Tete Opera), Misterman (New Wimbledon Theatre and Brockley Jack Theatre), Two Sides (Arcola Theatre), Oh! You Pretty Things (Southwark Playhouse), The Fall (Old Red Lion Theatre and Tour), Beans on Toast (Theatre503 and Tour), and The Red Light (Union Theatre).
Associate and Assistant Direction includes assisting Richard Eyre on La Traviata (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden) and Jeff Clarke on Orpheus In the Underworld (Buxton Opera House).
He leads research and development periods for new writing and has worked extensively in theatre with people with disabilities, having created performances with deafblind adults for the charity Sense, and recently co-created one man show Strictly Lawrie with disabled artist Lawrie Morris.

★★★★★ Five Stars, The Morning Star
★★★★ Four Stars, The Arts Desk
★★★★ Four Stars, London Pub Theatres
★★★★ Four Stars, LondonTheatre1
★★★★ Four Stars, North West End
★★★★ Four Stars, Paul In London
★★★★ Four Stars, Breaking The Fourth Wall

“A warm and thoughtful night…A precarious balance of pain and humour is deftly retained throughout.” Chris Wiegand, The Guardian

“Jacob Marx Rice’s new play is a worthy addition to the Finborough Theatre’s fine record of staging interesting work in its intimate space.” Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk

“This is a most unusual play which does exactly what it says in the title.” John Groves, LondonTheatre1

“Addresses death in a moving and thoughtful way.” John Groves, LondonTheatre 1

“The humour is wickedly pithy, the sadness bittersweet.” Claire Seymour, British Theatre Guide

“The simplicity and the symbolism were moving.” Riana Howarth, North West End

“This world premiere is anything but melancholy.” Simon Parsons, The Morning Star

“To convince us that this is a wholly realised individual across eight decades of a life is a testament to both the acting and the writing that underpins it.” Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk

“Rice controls the structure and pace of his play expertly.” Claire Seymour, British Theatre Guide

“For anyone who enjoys theatrical skills, this show is a real treat.” Heather Jeffrey, London Pub Theatres

“With considered direction from Alex Howarth and a script packed with emotional density from Jacob Marx Rice - there's a lot to enjoy within this production.” Abbie Grundy, Broadway World

“Rice’s dialogue is persuasive—by turns poignant and funny, dark and light.” Claire Seymour, British Theatre Guide

“Jacob Marx Rice’s script which heaves with the most delightful bunch of characters one could ever meet.” Heather Jeffrey, London Pub Theatres

“The script, penned by Jacob Marx Rice, seamlessly transitions through time.” Dave Bush, Everything Theatre

“Jacob Marx Rice has taken on a big subject and his play deals sensitively and thoughtfully with how we face the inevitable as we age.” Jim Cooke, London Living Large

“He’s [Jacob Marx Rice] equally sharp at catching the tenor of childhood ‘logic’, petulant adolescence, and the wisdom of experience.” Claire Seymour, British Theatre Guide

“Well performed by Kathryn Akin, Amelia Campbell, Alejandro De Mesa and Siphiwo Mahlentle beneath designer Alice McNicholas’s golden cluster of lightbulbs.” Chris Wiegand, The Guardian

“Uniformly fine performances from an excellent cast.” Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk

“All five performers on stage give strong, considered performances...multi-rolling is used to great effect throughout.” Abbie Grundy, Broadway World

“Stunning performances and a strong rapport between the cast as well as genuinely funny and searingly sad moments, make this a play well-worth watching.” Riana Howarth, North West End

“Making imaginative use of the Finborough Theatre’s intimate space, his [Alex Howarth] production is particularly notable for the committed and versatile performances of the five actors.” Stephen Bates, The Reviews Hub

“Kathryn Akin’s Gracie’s mother is...delivered with understated emotion and is all the more powerful as a result.” Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk

“Akin imbues this character with so much understanding that we wish she was our mother.” John Groves, LondonTheatre 1

“Kathryn Akin is absolutely perfect.” Jim Cooke, London Living Large

“Amelia Campbell shines.” Jim Cooke, London Living Large

“Vivia Font is compelling from first to last.” Claire Seymour, British Theatre Guide

Vivia Font. “The focus and sensitivity of her performance are impressive.” Claire Seymour, British Theatre Guide

“Vivia Font convinces as the protagonist, Gracie/Grace/Graciela...forthright but charming, vulnerable but strong.” Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk

“Font is superb.” John Groves, LondonTheatre 1

“Vivia Font as Gracie gives a spirited and committed performance.” Simon Parsons, The Morning Star

“A fantastic leading performance from Vivia Font.” Julia Rank, The Stage

“Siphiwo Mahlentle pitches Gracie’s tragic childhood friend, Jordan, with great sensitivity.” Gary Naylor, The Arts Desk

“Siphiwo Mahlentle gives a stand-out performance.” Abbie Grundy, Broadway World

“Mahlentle is adorable and hilarious.” Riana Howarth, North West End

“Siphiwo Mahlentle shines.” Dave Bush, Everything Theatre

“Staged with sensitivity by Alex Howarth.” Chris Wiegand, The Guardian

“Director Alex Howarth’s sensitive treatment.” Heather Jeffrey, London Pub Theatres

“Alex Howarth’s sensitive direction.” Simon Parsons, The Morning Star

“Alex Howarth (who directed Marx Rice’s play Chemistry at this venue in 2019) makes the most of the humour, and persuasively conveys the characters’ strong intergenerational bonds.” Julia Rank, The Stage

“Director Alex Howarth smartly keeps the focus on the people.” Dave Bush, Everything Theatre

“The set design from Alice McNicholas…works wonderfully for the scope of a play that runs over several decades.” Abbie Grundy, Broadway World

“The nature of the play left me wondering why I had volunteered to review this one and the real answer is because it’s at the Finborough.” Heather Jeffrey, London Pub Theatres

“Yet again artistic director Neil McPherson has proved the Finborough Theatre packs a far weightier artistic punch than its small scale would suggest with yet another excellent new production.” Simon Parsons, The Morning Star

“This production offers a warm evening in the lovely Finborough to reflect upon both the beauty and the fragility of our existence.” Dave Bush, Everything Theatre

“Like so many Finborough shows over the years, it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects but relishes great scripts and fine acting.” Heather Jeffrey, London Pub Theatres