Prince Duren was born in Itta Bena, MS. Prince graduated from Jackson State University in 2009 with a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in English. While in college, Prince was involved in many productions including Before it Hits Home (Douglas), The Colored Museum(Walter Lee Bo Willie), Mama I Want to Sing (DJ), and Bubbling Brown Sugar (Skip). He was a member of MADDRAMA Performance Troupe (S.C.E.N.E 25). After graduating from JSU, Prince pursued his MFA in Playwriting at the University of Arkansas. During this time, he performed in the productions: Waiting to Be Invited (Palmeroy Bateman), Anonymous (Pascal), and Exonerated (Delbert Tibbs).
Even though he enjoys acting, Prince garnered his most notable success as a playwright. He was the winner of the Lorraine Hansberry Award in Playwriting at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. His works have been produced at various colleges and university including Jackson State University, Bethune Cookman University, Coppin State University, Grambling State University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff just to name a few. During the fall of 2016, his play Like Fine Wine debuted at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, TX.
Prince has won several awards in playwriting including the Mississippi Theatre Association Award in Playwriting. In 2016 alone, he published 5 plays. Prince currently serves as the President of the National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts Incorporated. He is also the Primary Advisor of MADDRAMA Performance Troupe He is married to his college sweetheart Alicia Duren. When it comes to theatre, Prince feels he has yet to construct his greatest dialogue, create his most memorable character, or conceived his greatest play. Therefore, he is always working towards that ultimate goal. Prince lives by the saying “In a world where you can be anything, why not be yourself?”
