Shawna Casey comes to playwriting from her experience as an award-winning stage actress performing new works by top playwrights in Los Angeles, New York and Europe. Cast in premiere productions by playwrights Irene Fornes, Murray Mednick, Jose Rivera, Michael Sargent and Sharon Yablon (most recently as MARIE in Ms. Yablon's radio play Dear Marie https://www.terribleblooms.net/play/12/ ), she now writes plays of her own with an eye toward love in all its glory, pathos and humor.
In 2021, her short play stars in their eyes, about a teenage brother and sister emerging from the pandemic in rural Ireland, was read at the Birr Theatre's SCRIPTS IRELAND Festival as part of an evening about teens and mental health in today's world.
The initial draft of her most recent full-length play blue blue moon was invited to the Last Frontier Playwright Conference in Alaska, then featured at Tangent Theatre’s NEWvember Festival of new play readings in New York.
https://www.facebook.com/TangentTheatreCompany/photos/a.172596109720.114842.171935574720/10155881502279721/?type=3&theater
Her second full-length play, Strong Force, was chosen out of 500 blind submissions to be featured at Tangent Theatre's NEWvember Festival. Early drafts of Strong Force also received recognition from Aurora’s Global Age Project Competition (finalist), and the Playwrights Foundation BAPF Competition (semi-finalist).
Her first full-length play, Night Becomes Day, was awarded 2nd place in The Ebell of Los Angeles Playwright Prize competition for women playwrights in California. http://ebellplaywrightprize.com/2014-winners/ A subsequent draft of Night Becomes Day was honored with a "Green Read" as part of Theatricum Botanicum's Seedlings, with Ellen Geer illuminating the role of Matilda. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.929429063760646.1073741856.118436738193220&type=3
Produced short plays include: Catch (What She Said Festival in Duluth, Minnesota) http://duluthplayhouse.org/announcing-the-selected-plays-directors-of-what-she-said/ , The Aegean (produced by Padua at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood), Animal Style (produced by the Lost Studio in Los Angeles), Sap (produced by the Lost Studio in Los Angeles), His Name Was Luke (produced by the Lost Studio in Los Angeles), and Bluebird (produced by Theatre of N.O.T.E. in Hollywood).
Recent short plays include: As the Crow Flies (2021), birdsong (2021), Missive (2021), Batten Down the Hatches (2021), Take Me to Church (2020), Read m n Weep (2020).
She received her MFA in Writing at Spalding University MFA program in Louisville, Kentucky. She conceived, edited and contributed to the single edition of her zine, LOVE, which was carried by two popular independent bookstores in Los Angeles, along with her chapbook of short stories FEAR NOT.
She has received 6 DRAMALOGUE AWARDS, and 8 LAWeekly AWARD NOMINATIONS (awarded one LAWeekly) for her work as an actress in Los Angeles.
Successes
In 2021, her short play stars in their eyes was a top ten finalist of the SCRIPTS IRELAND competiion.
short play, Catch, was produced at the What She Said Festival in Duluth, Minnesota.
full-length play blue blue moon, invited to the Last Frontier Playwright’s Conference in Valdez, Alaska, and to Tangent Theatre’s NEWvember Festival of new play readings in New York’s Hudson Valley.
full-length play Strong Force - chosen out of 500 blind submissions for the NEWvember Festival; finalist in Aurora's Global Age Project competition; semi-finalist in the Playwrights Foundation BAPF.
first full-length play Night Becomes Day 2nd place in The Ebell of Los Angeles Playwright Prize Competition for women playwrights in CA; "Green Read" in Theatricum Botanicum's Seedlings series in Los Angeles.