Life Jacket Theatre Company Announces Inaugural Cohort Of WRITERS ROOM

Life Jacket Theatre Company has announced the six playwrights selected for their inaugural cohort of WRITERS ROOM, a groundbreaking dramaturgical initiative designed to uplift and support emerging LGBTQ+ playwrights in the NYC area.

The Spring 2025 WRITERS ROOM cohort includes:

Cori Diaz (she/her)

Nick Flatto (he/him)

Sam Gravitte (he/him)

Dena Igusti (they/them)

Nilan Johnson (he/him+)

Sam Mueller (they/she)

The six playwrights were chosen from an impressive pool of over 200 applicants, reflecting a growing demand for dedicated spaces that nurture LGBTQ+ voices in theater.

WRITERS ROOM is an innovative program inviting playwrights interested in creating new investigative works inspired by real people and events to develop their projects in a collaborative environment. The inaugural cohort will run from March to May 2025, offering a structured space for emerging playwrights to refine their craft while engaging in meaningful dialogue with their peers.

“The mission of WRITERS ROOM is simple but vital: to provide a creative home for emerging LGBTQ+ playwrights to hone their craft and amplify their voices,” said Program Director Gianfranco Lentini (he/him). “Particularly now—as we experience yet another unprecedented era of current events—LGBTQ+ playwrights must feel empowered to use story as a way to foster community, diversity, and meaningful conversation. WRITERS ROOM is about much more than just developing plays—it's about gathering artists who are committed to investigating the untold stories that our LGBTQ+ community needs, now more than ever, to survive and thrive.”

Throughout the program, playwrights will meet twice monthly for six writing studio sessions, where they will workshop full-length plays in development, exchange feedback, and collaborate in a dynamic, artist-led environment. The program will culminate in May 2025 with an invited reading, showcasing excerpts of the playwrights' works.

“In a world where LGBTQ+ voices are still underrepresented in many mainstream spaces, it's critical that we offer a platform for these artists to not only find their voice, but to shape the cultural landscape with the power of their stories,” Lentini continued. “Storytelling has become an essential tool for keeping understanding, empathy, and change alive, especially as we face so many political and social challenges. WRITERS ROOM seeks to be a place where new, investigative plays can address both the personal and the political, exploring the complexities of identity, history, and beyond.”

With WRITERS ROOM, Life Jacket Theatre Company reaffirms its commitment to championing bold, investigative storytelling that reflects the richness and diversity of the LGBTQ+ experience.

For more information about WRITERS ROOM and Life Jacket Theatre Company, please visit: www.lifejackettheatre.org/writers-room.

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