2024 Playwrights

INTRODUCING OUR 2024 PLAYWRIGHTS!

NICOLE OBIODIAKA (NG/NL)

Nicole Obiodiaka is the founder of Centra, an organization committed to curating cultural experiences. Under Centra she produced & directed “Blank Page” an African love story for St. John’s shorts. She has starred in various theatre plays in her home country - Lagos, Nigeria. Where she also performed spoken words. Nicole is passionate about celebrating black culture through theatre and multi-sensory cultural experiences.

You can see Nicole's play Beauty Behind the Norms at the festival February 29th-March 3rd.

SUSAN KELSEY (NL)

Susan Kelsey (she/her) is a multidisciplinary performer and playwright based in St. John’s. Her journey with the play Goldstar Girlfriend began in 2022 when she started doing serialized excerpt readings and she is so excited to have it be a part of this year’s festival. Other shows she has written are Choose Your Own Adventure: Comedy Edition and Catcalled, both a part of the St. John’s Shorts Festival. In addition, she is an actor, comedian, dancer, poet, and producer. Currently, you can see her as Gertie on CBC’s Son of a Critch and you can follow her at @vvproductionsnl to see the shows that she is producing.

You can see a reading of her play Goldstar Girlfriend as part of the festival from February 29th to March 3rd.

BRYNN CUTCLIFFE (PEI)

Brynn Cutcliffe is a playwright, director, and (sometimes) performer from Charlottetown, PEI. Her plays have been seen at art pop ups, parks, and long term care homes, and delivered through the mail as part of an interactive pandemic theatre experience. Last summer, her play The Prick received the PARC Award and Patron’s Pick at the Island Fringe Festival. Current works in development include The Weatherman, which was recently workshopped at Fresh From the Island, and Waiting for Her, which was the winner of Toronto Fringe’s 24 Hour Playwriting Contest in 2023.

Waiting for Her is inspired by her experiences working with Smile Theatre, bringing music to seniors and other folks living in care.

AUGUST CARRIGAN (NL)

August is a spoken word poet from St. John’s, NL. They have performed at such events as The Vagina Monologues, Femfest, and Slut Walk and have work published in Riddle Fence, Ink and Marrow, and Salt Pages zine. August is currently one of two hosts and organizers of Spoken Word St. John’s Poetry Open Mic where they also perform their own work. They have a self published chapbook titled The Mechanics of Grieving which you can purchase from their IG @windblownpoet. August teaches writing workshops in-person and online, stay tuned to their socials for information on the next one. August has been working on their first play Tea for Two for longer than they’d wish to admit and hope that being in this festival will finally allow them to finish it.

You can see a reading of their play Tea for Two as part of the festival February 29th to March 3rd at the LSPU Hall.

SHARON KING-CAMPBELL (NL)

Sharon King-Campbell is a theatre and literary artist based in Ktaqmkuk, colonially known as Newfoundland. She was the 2017 recipient of the Rhonda Payne Award, and is a four-time winner of the Arts and Letters Awards in fiction, dramatic script, and poetry. Her plays Original and Give Me Back have reached audiences throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and mainland Canada, and the Canadian premiere of Dayboil was the winner of 6 Robert Merritt Awards. Her collection of poetry, This Is How It Is, was published in 2021, and Dayboil is due out in 2024, both with Breakwater Books. Sharon holds a BFA and a MA from Memorial University, where she is currently pursuing her PhD.

You can see a reading of their play Factory Girls as part of the festival February 29th to March 3rd at the LSPU Hall.