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, she now writes plays of her own with an eye toward love in all its glory, pathos and humor.
A member of the Monday Night Workshop - an offshoot of Padua Playwrights in Los Angeles - she performed two of her pieces, this is what you should do and
hello :) in their Backyard Plays series in 2023.
Her short play stars in their eyes, about a teenage brother and sister emerging from the covid 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.
FULL-LENGTH PLAYS include:
blue blue moon
-invited to the Last Frontier Playwright’s Conference in Valdez, Alaska
-Featured staged reading at Tangent Theatre’s NEWvember Festival in New York
https://www.facebook.com/TangentTheatreCompany/photos/a.172596109720.114842.171935574720/10155881502279721/?type=3&theater
Strong Force
-Chosen out of 500 blind submissions for featured reading at Tangent Theatre in NY
-finalist in Aurora’s GAP competition
-semi-finalist in BAPF competition
Night Becomes Day
-2nd place in Ebell of Los Angeles Playwright Prize Competition
-Green Read at Theatricum Botanicum, w Ellen Geer illuminating role of MATILDA
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.929429063760646.1073741856.118436738193220&type=3
Short plays that have been produced include:
Catch, produced at the What She Said Festival in Duluth, Minnesota.
The Aegean, produced by Padua at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood; Animal Style, Sap, and His Name Was Luke, produced by the Lost Studio in Los Angeles; Bluebird, produced by Theatre of N.O.T.E. in Hollywood; Out of the Blue, produced by There in 10 at the Acting Barn in Los Angeles.
Ms. Casey received her MFA in Writing at Spalding University MFA program in Louisville. She conceived, edited and contributed to the single edition of her zine, LOVE, which was carried by two popular independent bookstores in Los Angeles. She is the recipient of 6 DRAMALOGUE AWARDS and 8 LAWeekly AWARD Nominations for her work as an actress.
Successes
stars in their eyes, about a teenage brother and sister emerging from the covid 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.
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
-Staged reading at Tangent Theatre’s NEWvember Festival in New York’s Hudson Valley
https://www.facebook.com/TangentTheatreCompany/photos/a.172596109720.114842.171935574720/10155881502279721/?type=3&theater
FULL-LENGTH PLAY Strong Force
-chosen out of 500 blind submissions for featured staged reading at Tangent Theatre's NEWvember Festival in NY
-finalist in Aurora's Global Age Project competition
-semi-finalist in the Playwrights Foundation BAPF
FULL-LENGTH PLAY Night Becomes Day
-2nd place Ebell of Los Angeles Playwright Prize Competition for women playwrights in CA
-"Green Read" at Theatricum Botanicum's Seedlings series in Los Angeles, with Ellen Beer illuminating the role of Matilda
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.929429063760646.1073741856.118436738193220&type=3