Acknowledged as one of the most promising playwrights in contemporary American theater, the openly gay Jon Robin Baitz has begun to branch out into films and television. His plays have generally been described as classically structured meditations on morality and they not only challenge and please audiences but also earn critical encomiums.

The son of an executive of Carnation Company, Baitz had a peripatetic childhood, living with his family in Brazil, South Africa and California. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, he worked at various jobs such as an assistant to two producers