Innovative Dramatists

Mar 01, 2022

Playwrights Gabriel Jason Dean, TS Hawkins, and Krista Knight

Joey Stocks: It could be said that writers are innovators by nature because you routinely create characters, context, relationships, sometimes languages, and even whole worlds in your art. And then in the midst of COVID-19, dramatists have had one of the signature ingredients of theatre—the gathering of both audiences and artists in the same space at the same time—suspended. Or at least so it seemed. These three scrappy and resourceful theatre writers put their well-practiced powers of innovation to use.

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Gabriel Jason Dean

is a playwright, screenwriter, librettist, and lyricist. He’s been dubbed “feisty as hell” by The New Yorker and “a great modern American playwright” by Broadway World. His award-winning work in the theatre has been done all over the US and examines the volatile intersections of class, race, sexuality, and nationalism in America. Gabriel has received numerous fellowships including the DGF Fellowship and Hodder Fellowship from Princeton. He’s a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre/English at Muhlenberg College, an alum of The Civilians R&D Group, and a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop. MFA: UT-Austin. www.GabrielJasonDean.com

TS Hawkins

is an international author, performance poet, art activist, playwright, and member of the Dramatists Guild. Plays, short works, and books include Seeking Silence, Cartons of Ultrasounds, Too Late to Apologize, They’ll Neglect to Tell You, #RM2B, The Secret Life of Wonder: a prologue in G, AGAIN, #SuiteReality, “don’t wanna dance with ghosts...”, Sugar Lumps & Black Eye Blues, Confectionately Yours, Mahogany Nectar, Lil Blaek Book: all the long stories short, and The Hotel Haikus.

Krista Knight

is a playwright and new media artist. Career highlights include scripting a ride for Tokyo Disneyland, writing a musical dance-a-thon to the death with Dave Malloy, and meeting Václav Havel. She drives a pink 1972 Chevy Nova. CRUSH is on YouTube and coming to the Emmy App. www.KristaKnight.com

Related Dramatist(s)

Related Organization(s)

Luna Stage,

Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short-Play Festival