David Mark Cohen (October 2, 1952–December 23, 1997) was an influential playwriting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Cohen held a BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1974 and an MFA in Theatre Arts from Brandeis University in 1976, where he studied with Israel Horovitz. His Piaf … A Remembrance opened on Broadway when he was only 24. His other writings include Tanglewood and Friends Indeed! (off-off Broadway); Where Credit Is Due (regional); The Incredible Dream (PBS-TV with Ed Asner); Baby Grand; and the feature film Friday the 13th: Part V.
The David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award, supported by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, and Dramatic Publishing Company is named in his honor.