Currently residing: Portland, OR

Growing up: We lived in Eugene, OR, until I was 11, then moved to the San Fernando Valley in California.

Creative beginnings: I was in theater in high school with all the queers who didn’t know we were queer yet. We would make silly movies together on the weekends, which was fun. I think the real impact on my creative identity didn’t come until I went to college, majored in literature and saw what other playwrights had done with the form.

What nurtured your playwriting: After college, a former professor of mine became a mentor; my years of discussions with him helped me grow as a writer. More recently, the Fuse Theatre Ensemble in Portland has been a place that’s fostered and championed my work.

Stories you gravitate toward telling: The subjects my imagination gravitates toward are trans identity and the trauma I suffered as a survivor of sexual assault. Those are topics that felt invisible as I was growing up, and it’s cathartic to bring them to life through theater.

Writing process: When I’m writing, I tend to do one or two 90-minute sessions a day. I don’t outline, so first drafts feel like little miracles. For revisions, I usually work in consultation with a director or literary manager, or through a workshop process.

Currently inspired by: I recently had my first production in Portland, and it was a thrill. The prospect of sharing more of my work with audiences inspires me.

Currently in the works: An experimental play about early transition called The Darkroom, a family drama called Everything Hidden Will Be Revealed, and a queer romance called No More Candy.

Most looking forward to at ANPF: Being in Ashland, meeting other artists, visiting with Ellen Lewis, and the chance to develop new work.