PLAYWRIGHT Oya Mae Duchess-Davis 

"I’ve been a weaver of tales since I could speak my apparitions into existence. My muse for storytelling comes from being black in America. I'm compelled to conjure my folklore so that I can cultivate black joy. Playwriting allows me to grab an audience and hold space for laughter,
rejoicing, and revolutionary love. My artistic mission is to bring life onto the stage that reflects the black youth in my community. In doing so I hope to provide a service of communal engagement that reminds us of the glory and heartache of our past but propels us toward a
revolutionary future.

My first professional playwriting experience came while I was earning my bachelors degree in Sociology from Augsburg University in 2015. I was awarded The Many Voices Mentorship from The Playwrights’ Center. The culmination of my mentorship was a reading of my play Waiting For Superman. From the mentorship, I had the opportunity to be a part of Pillsbury House Theatre’s 2016 Late Nite Series and their 2019 Great Divide Series. During The Late Nite Series I created a piece called The Brotherhood which was an examination of how reconnecting with siblings can heal sexual trauma. The Great Divide Series allowed me to create a piece called WADE IN THE WATER which was an investigation of black femme politics through the lens of science fiction. In 2017 I was a fellow for The Apothetae and Lark Playwriting Fellowship. Being a fellow gave me the gift of trying to The Lark Theatre and seeing myself clearly in an artistic space which made me proud to be a disabled playwright. I’m currently an I AM SOUL recipient through The National Black Theatre and The Apothetae and Lark Playwriting Fellow at The Lark Theatre."