A critic once said of my work, "Templeton's plays have almost nothing in common with each other, aside from his frequently-demonstrated ability to make audiences laugh and cry at the exact same time." I think that, in a way, sums up what I am after as a playwright: to not just make people feel things, and feel them deeply, but to then set those feelings somewhat against each other in ways that are unexpected, thought-provoking, inspiring and even a little disturbing. A lifelong lover of books, films, spoken word, opera, musicals and theater, I've written countless short stories (favorite genre: holiday-themed horror stories) and have an active personal practice as a graphic artist (Since the early days of COVID-19, I have drawn a cartoon monster every day, purely as therapy, an odd pastime that has provided constant comfort in surprising ways). As a writer (aside from my day job as a journalist), I have primarily lent my energies to the art of playwriting and stage performance because, in my experience, that's where the juiciest fruit seems to grow.