Was your writer identity formed by grief? Where does grief live in your art now? 

Dec 01, 2025

Top L-R: Nikki Brake-Silla, Nathan Yungerberg, Blossom Johnson, Audrey Cefaly; Bottom L-R: Jeannie Barroga, Jaymes Sanchez, Matthew Paul Olmos, Dipika Guha

erriam-Webster defines grief (noun) as a) deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement, b) a cause of such suffering. How has grief informed my identity as a writer? I would not be a writer were it not for my grief. Writing and grieving are the same; both help me before I realize I am mourning. My characters tell me how to say goodbye, allow me to immortalize my ancestors and friends, and process the wounds left in their wake.

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Nikki Brake-Sillá

’s full-length plays include Invisi(bility), ReWombed, Say It Ain’t So, GTFOH, In Defense of Ourselves, Trouble of the World, and Dear Ann. Her work has been developed with Bechdel Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Lark, and Orlando Shakes. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. ginifilms.com

Nathan Yungerberg

is a Brooklyn-based Afro-surrealist storyteller and single father of two. He is head writer for the podcast Live from Mount Olympus and a member of the Drinking Gourd Fellowship. His plays have been developed by National Black Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Joe’s Pub, and the Playwrights’ Center.

Blossom Johnson

is a Diné playwright and screenwriter. Her work has been developed and presented by Bag&Baggage and Native Theater Project, Alternative Theater Ensemble, La Lengua, Mixed Blood Theatre, Durango PlayFest, Pillsbury House Theatre (CAP), and New Native Theatre. She is a 2025-2028 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow.

Audrey Cefaly

is a Southern writer known for her intimate, character-driven plays, including Alabaster, Maytag Virgin, and The Gulf. Her work has been produced at Signature Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Florida Rep, Merrimack Rep, and many others. She is a recipient of the Lambda Literary Award, the Calicchio Prize, and the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

Jeannie Barroga

, Lifetime Member-Dramatists Guild, has works archived at Stanford Green Libraries. Awards (selected): Gerbode/Hewlett Foundations: Buffalo’ed; NEA Access to Artistic Excellence Grant: Walls; and the Arty for Best Original Production: Banyan). Productions: TheatreWorks, Bindlestiff, AATC, ETC, Pan Asian, Taper Forum, Kumu Kahua, etc. Publications: Amherst Press, Temple, Rutgers, Routledge. Projects: Tree Moss and Keakalehua Playwrights readings.

Jaymes Sanchez

is a Texan playwright, actor, and educator living in Brooklyn. Jaymes’s plays have been supported by Latinx Playwrights Circle, New York Theatre Workshop, The Orchard Project, and many others. He was a runner-up for the 2025 Venturous Playwriting Fellowship and is a founding member of DIEZ.

Matthew Paul Olmos

is a Mexican-American playwright who creates space for marginalized, underrepresented communities and gives them heightened poetic language and theatricality. While his work is always personal, it is aimed at reaching across sociopolitical boundaries, showing the ridiculous of how separate we are, and illuminating hope for future generations.

Dipika Guha

was born in Calcutta and raised in Russia and the UK. Her plays include Yoga Play (South Coast Rep, Playmakers Rep, SF Playhouse), The Art of Gaman (Theatre 503, London), and most recently Asilomar (Sloan Commission, MTC). She was the inaugural recipient of the Shakespeare’s Sister Award, the Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University, and the Venturous Fellowship for her play Passing. She is currently writing plays for South Coast Repertory, Berkeley Rep, and Hampstead Theatre.