Sheila Cowley is a playwright and audio producer based in St. Petersburg FL. She works with actors, dancers, visual artists, scientists and musicians on performance works and Sparks Creative Stories, free illustrated audiobooks that welcome kids of all abilities – on YouTube in English, Spanish and ASL.

"From a career in audio, voice is what drew me to theatre – and voice actors brought me back to audio storytelling for children through plays performed live on the telephone early in pandemic lockdown. Living in a vibrant arts community, I thrive on the energy of collaboration and work with actors, dancers, scientists, sound and visual artists of all ages, ethnicity, gender identity and ability to create performance works that none of us can make alone."

"I'm committed to creating and sharing free audio stories for kids of all abilities in English, in Spanish and in ASL that tell stories of creative kids taking action, and celebrate the wonder, the humor, diversity and humanity in our challenging world."

Her stage plays embrace many artforms and ask big questions — about gender roles and family, and tiny daily acts of heroism – from Flying, about what happens after women fly military planes in WWII, to The Burlesque Astronomy Play, exploring femininity with dance, abstract art and onstage science experiments. Her work has been produced around the U.S and in London, South Korea, Sydney and Dubai.

"At a time when everything is labeled, it’s vital to me that my plays embrace diverse casting. Wherever I can, I create characters open to actors of any gender and a range of ages. I want to create worlds where anyone, can happen."

2024 NEA Creative Placemaking grant recipient for a year-long collaboration with artists with physical and developmental disabilities at Creative Clay St Pete and the University of South Florida College of Marine Science. The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance named Sheila Cowley the city's Literary Muse 2018.

Available on the New Play Exchange.