top of page
SELECT YOUR PLAYWRIGHT
Level one
Olayinka
Bart-Williams
PLAY: Spare Change
Hailing from Rodeo California, Olayinka Bart-Williams is beginning their early stages of playwriting as a freshman of The Theatre School! Currently having written Sticky Notes, THERAPY, and Black Lives Murdered; she’s excited to continue expanding her repertoire and explore new ideas with a shared audience. Their main goal as an artist is to expand accessibility through widening the scope of lives shown, and magnifying how people buy their cartons of milk rather than the impending doom of an economical disaster.
Greta
Hanson
PLAY: Folk Histories and Other Nonsense
Greta Hanson (She/her, BFA 1 Playwriting) is a playwright, poet, and performer from St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to her degree in playwriting, Greta is pursuing a minor in Public Policy. Her work discusses love, femininity, family, and power. In addition to her writing, Greta loves to bake, be outside, and spend time with her friends and family. Greta is so happy and excited to be participating in Wrights of Spring!
Olayinka
Bart-Williams
PLAY: Spare Change
Hailing from Rodeo California, Olayinka Bart-Williams is beginning their early stages of playwriting as a freshman of The Theatre School! Currently having written Sticky Notes, THERAPY, and Black Lives Murdered; she’s excited to continue expanding her repertoire and explore new ideas with a shared audience. Their main goal as an artist is to expand accessibility through widening the scope of lives shown, and magnifying how people buy their cartons of milk rather than the impending doom of an economical disaster.
Greta
Hanson
PLAY: Folk Histories
and Other Nonsense
Greta Hanson (She/her, BFA 1 Playwriting) is a playwright, poet, and performer from St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to her degree in playwriting, Greta is pursuing a minor in Public Policy. Her work discusses love, femininity, family, and power. In addition to her writing, Greta loves to bake, be outside, and spend time with her friends and family. Greta is so happy and excited to be participating in Wrights of Spring!
Ian
Lafrenz
PLAY: The Last Birthday
Ian Lafrenz is a first-year playwright, performer, and musician from Portland, OR. His work has been read at Lakewood Theatre as part of their annual Young Playwrights Festival in association with Playwrights West, and his play Darling and the Spider was selected for and performed at the Oregon Thespians State Showcase. He is fascinated by stories that blend the personal and the universal, and the beautiful capacity for connection that art and theatre provide. He's very excited to take part in his first Wrights of Spring and support the lovely people in his cohort!
Josiah
Taylor
PLAY: Two White Women of Different
Persuasions Having Brunch in the Year of
Our Lord Twenty-Twenty-Five
Josiah was born in New Jersey, but since a young age, has lived in Fort Worth, Texas, so he calls Texas his home. A Playwriting major, Josiah is also pursuing a double major in History (Pre-Law) and a minor in Music Studies. He fell in love with Chicago while on a show choir trip in his junior year of high school and that is when he knew he had to go to school here. In addition to his deep passion for the theatre and writing, Josiah is also an avid musician and music enthusiast having played the piano for eight years and singing for almost his entire life. Some of his favorite artists are Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, SZA, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and D'Angelo. Josiah would like to thank his family and friends, but especially his mother for her undying support and love.
Ian
Lafrenz
PLAY: The Last Birthday
Ian Lafrenz is a first-year playwright, performer, and musician from Portland, OR. His work has been read at Lakewood Theatre as part of their annual Young Playwrights Festival in association with Playwrights West, and his play Darling and the Spider was selected for and performed at the Oregon Thespians State Showcase. He is fascinated by stories that blend the personal and the universal, and the beautiful capacity for connection that art and theatre provide. He's very excited to take part in his first Wrights of Spring and support the lovely people in his cohort!
Josiah
Taylor
PLAY: Two White Women
of Different Persuasions
Having Brunch in the Year
of Our Lord Twenty-Twenty-Five
Josiah was born in New Jersey, but since a young age, has lived in Fort Worth, Texas, so he calls Texas his home. A Playwriting major, Josiah is also pursuing a double major in History (Pre-Law) and a minor in Music Studies. He fell in love with Chicago while on a show choir trip in his junior year of high school and that is when he knew he had to go to school here. In addition to his deep passion for the theatre and writing, Josiah is also an avid musician and music enthusiast having played the piano for eight years and singing for almost his entire life. Some of his favorite artists are Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, SZA, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and D'Angelo. Josiah would like to thank his family and friends, but especially his mother for her undying support and love.
Level TWO
Gene
Berg
PLAY: Party Animals
Gene is a second year playwright from Lincolnwood, Illinois. They are super excited to be a part of Wrights of Spring this year. His previous works at The Theatre School include Mutually Assured Self Destruction by Beddie Slatkoff and Sofi Olona (Apple). Most recently, Gene’s play UNO! was produced at Sunstone Theatre in Oregon. In their free time, Gene enjoys drawing, curating playlists, and writing (That’s why he’s a playwright!). You can find him on instagram at @genber59
%20-%20Gene%20Berg.jpeg)
Jordan
Dunne
PLAY: 8 Friends, 2 Might Kiss, Maybe More?
Jordan Dunne is a passionate writer of all genres. She is currently a BFA 2 in playwriting with a business minor. Whether it be screen, stage, or a novel she brings stories to life by drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, Jordan Dunne writes with the purpose of dragging her audience on a journey, and this play will certainly do that. She specializes in psychological thriller however this year she has written a horror-comedy based on a dream.
Gene
Berg
PLAY: Party Animals
Gene is a second year playwright from Lincolnwood, Illinois. They are super excited to be a part of Wrights of Spring this year. His previous works at The Theatre School include Mutually Assured Self Destruction by Beddie Slatkoff and Sofi Olona (Apple). Most recently, Gene’s play UNO! was produced at Sunstone Theatre in Oregon. In their free time, Gene enjoys drawing, curating playlists, and writing (That’s why he’s a playwright!). You can find him on instagram at @genber59
Jordan
Dunne
PLAY: 8 Friends, 2 Might
Kiss, Maybe More?
Jordan Dunne is a passionate writer of all genres. She is currently a BFA 2 in playwriting with a business minor. Whether it be screen, stage, or a novel she brings stories to life by drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, Jordan Dunne writes with the purpose of dragging her audience on a journey, and this play will certainly do that. She specializes in psychological thriller however this year she has written a horror-comedy based on a dream.
Meredith Hope
BlackCreek
PLAY: Somewhere, in the
Middle of Nowhere
Meredith is a second-year playwright at The Theatre School.
Beddie
Slatkoff
PLAY: Keep Off The Grass
Beddie Slatkoff is a second year playwright major at The Theatre School from Chicago, also seeking a minor in Illustration. They are a multi-talented artist, with focuses in performance and visual arts additional to writing. He has a great deal of pride in his ability to produce unique work, and is excited to participate in her second Wrights of Spring at TTS, having already had many incredible opportunities to work on other original pieces with their friends, as a writer, designer, and actor within this same academic year, including Mutually Assured Self Destruction (Co-Writer, AD, Performer) and Gillian McCready's piece, Learn How to Swim (Performer). Thank you to all those who have supported him. Beddie enjoys making people laugh and long walks on cold beaches.
Meredith Hope
BlackCreek
PLAY: Somewhere, in the Middle of Nowhere
Meredith is a second-year playwright at The Theatre School.
Beddie
Slatkoff
PLAY: Keep Off The Grass
Beddie Slatkoff is a second year playwright major at The Theatre School from Chicago, also seeking a minor in Illustration. They are a multi-talented artist, with focuses in performance and visual arts additional to writing. He has a great deal of pride in his ability to produce unique work, and is excited to participate in her second Wrights of Spring at TTS, having already had many incredible opportunities to work on other original pieces with their friends, as a writer, designer, and actor within this same academic year, including Mutually Assured Self Destruction (Co-Writer, AD, Performer) and Gillian McCready's piece, Learn How to Swim (Performer). Thank you to all those who have supported him. Beddie enjoys making people laugh and long walks on cold beaches.
Level THREE
Lily Kate
Cobb
PLAY: What Would Estelle
Do?
Lily Kate Cobb is a BFA III Playwriting major from Charleston, South Carolina. She hopes to tell stories for the rest of her life.
Willa
Colleary
PLAY: The Blank Tenement
Willa Colleary is a playwright from Los Angeles, CA. Past TTS credits include All's Well That Ends Well (Assistant Director), Truebird (Performer/Deviser), A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney (Assistant Director) and The Drunken City (Stage Manager).
Lily Kate
Cobb
PLAY: What Would Estelle Do?
Lily Kate Cobb is a BFA III Playwriting major from Charleston, South Carolina. She hopes to tell stories for the rest of her life.
Willa
Colleary
PLAY: The Blank Tenement
Willa Colleary is a playwright from Los Angeles, CA. Past TTS credits include All's Well That Ends Well (Assistant Director), Truebird (Performer/Deviser), A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney (Assistant Director) and The Drunken City (Stage Manager).
Joseph
Frantzen
PLAY: Content
Joseph Frantzen is a director, actor, and playwright from Oak Park, Illinois. This is his fifth year at The Theatre School, having transferred into the playwriting class of 2026. His previous writing credits include "Unconditional," "This Isn't Working," and "Forever Home." previous directing credits include "A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney," "Next to Normal," and "Sight Unseen."
Emily
Haslam
PLAY: Son of the Stranger
Emily Haslam (BFA 3 Playwriting) grew up in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah. She previously worked in The Theatre School's devising piece, "Memo". As a writer, she draws from her own lived experience as a woman and a person of faith.
Joseph
Frantzen
PLAY: Content
Joseph Frantzen is a director, actor, and playwright from Oak Park, Illinois. This is his fifth year at The Theatre School, having transferred into the playwriting class of 2026. His previous writing credits include "Unconditional," "This Isn't Working," and "Forever Home." previous directing credits include "A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney," "Next to Normal," and "Sight Unseen."
Emily
Haslam
PLAY: Son of the Stranger
Emily Haslam (BFA 3 Playwriting) grew up in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah. She previously worked in The Theatre School's devising piece, "Memo". As a writer, she draws from her own lived experience as a woman and a person of faith.
Leo
Wescott Larson
PLAY: Hedonia
Leo is a BFA III Playwriting major from Wichita, KS. Their previous work at The Theatre School include O Willy What a Shadow Thou Doth Cast, Fables for the Firelight, and Rite.
Ivy
McPherson
PLAY: Reunification
Ivy is a third-year playwright from Missouri. Her work mainly focuses on themes of identity, mental health, and coping with all the other issues the 21st century has to offer. Outside of being a playwright she enjoys biking, going on walks, reading, cooking, and hanging out in nature.
Leo
Wescott Larson
PLAY: Hedonia
Leo is a BFA III Playwriting major from Wichita, KS. Their previous work at The Theatre School include O Willy What a Shadow Thou Doth Cast, Fables for the Firelight, and Rite.
Ivy
McPherson
PLAY: Reunification
Ivy is a third-year playwright from Missouri. Her work mainly focuses on themes of identity, mental health, and coping with all the other issues the 21st century has to offer. Outside of being a playwright she enjoys biking, going on walks, reading, cooking, and hanging out in nature.
Level FOUR
Emma
Burkey
PLAY: Freddie
Emma Burkey (she/her) is a director, writer and actor from Dallas, TX and based in Chicago, IL. She is a senior at The Theatre School at DePaul University graduating with a Theatre Arts BFA and a minor in Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies. Emma served as the assistant director on A Lie of the Mind at Raven Theatre directed by Azar Kazemi. She studied with the Prague Shakespeare Company in the summer of 2024 where she played Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Emma has served as an intern at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s inte where she was a production assistant on their new works festival, Fresh Produce. Emma is passionate about devising and new work, and how theatre can be used as a tool for change. She hopes to continue her work in Theatre of the Oppressed, write more plays about young people, and continue to build community.
Gracie
Crone
PLAY: Bury the Snowcats
Gracie is a BFA4 Playwriting major originally from Allen, Texas, but is excited to continue calling Chicago home after graduation! In addition to acting in plenty of theatre and film projects, Gracie’s plays have been produced and performed by educational and community theatres nationwide. Gracie is passionate about arts accessibility and creating inclusive theatre, and in Summer 2024, she wrote The Adventures of Spectrum Sparks, a play for neurodiverse young audiences, on a commission from CenterStage Theatre Works in Frisco, TX, and presented about it at Northwestern University’s Inclusive Theatre Festival in November 2024. Her debut play, The Last Sunrise of August 1973, is a Texas Thespian Festival PLAYWORKS winner and received an Honorable Mention from the YouthPLAYS New Voices One Act Competition. Her plays Median and Painless Regression have been seen at previous years’ Wrights of Spring festivals. GraceEverett.org / IG: @GraceEverett / Find Gracie on New Play Exchange!
Emma
Burkey
PLAY: Freddie
Emma Burkey (she/her) is a director, writer and actor from Dallas, TX and based in Chicago, IL. She is a senior at The Theatre School at DePaul University graduating with a Theatre Arts BFA and a minor in Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies. Emma served as the assistant director on A Lie of the Mind at Raven Theatre directed by Azar Kazemi. She studied with the Prague Shakespeare Company in the summer of 2024 where she played Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Emma has served as an intern at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s inte where she was a production assistant on their new works festival, Fresh Produce. Emma is passionate about devising and new work, and how theatre can be used as a tool for change. She hopes to continue her work in Theatre of the Oppressed, write more plays about young people, and continue to build community.
Gracie
Crone
PLAY: Bury the Snowcats
Gracie is a BFA4 Playwriting major originally from Allen, Texas, but is excited to continue calling Chicago home after graduation! In addition to acting in plenty of theatre and film projects, Gracie’s plays have been produced and performed by educational and community theatres nationwide. Gracie is passionate about arts accessibility and creating inclusive theatre, and in Summer 2024, she wrote The Adventures of Spectrum Sparks, a play for neurodiverse young audiences, on a commission from CenterStage Theatre Works in Frisco, TX, and presented about it at Northwestern University’s Inclusive Theatre Festival in November 2024. Her debut play, The Last Sunrise of August 1973, is a Texas Thespian Festival PLAYWORKS winner and received an Honorable Mention from the YouthPLAYS New Voices One Act Competition. Her plays Median and Painless Regression have been seen at previous years’ Wrights of Spring festivals. GraceEverett.org / IG: @GraceEverett / Find Gracie on New Play Exchange!
Perse
Grammer
PLAY: Left Unheard
Perse Grammer (they/them) is a BFA IV Playwriting major with a minor in Creative Writing. Theatre School credits include "Witch" (Assistant Director) and "Her Father’s Daughter" (Assistant Director). Their play "burn my body before they find" it was read at Wrights of Spring in 2023. In 2024, Perse presented “Spotlighting Invisible Disabilities in My Playwriting” at Northwestern University’s Inclusive Theatre Festival, and was awarded the Zach Helm Endowed Playwriting Scholarship for “working to illuminate narratives of the exploited, oppressed, and marginalized”. Perse’s latest play, "Left Unheard", will be running during Wrights of Spring in the New Playwrights Series. Website: persegrammer.com
Chris
Lawson
PLAY: Disconnect and Back to School
Chris Lawson is a multidisciplinary writer exploring all manner of entertainment media from playwriting to YouTube. Through the lens of comedy, Chris's work explores themes of marginalization and exploitation; particularly within and in relation to the Black community. His most recent work, “Back to School” will receive an educational production at the DePaul Theater School in the spring of 2025. DePaul, BFA 2025.
%20-%20Chris%20Lawson.jpg)
Perse
Grammer
PLAY: Left Unheard
Perse Grammer (they/them) is a BFA IV Playwriting major with a minor in Creative Writing. Theatre School credits include "Witch" (Assistant Director) and "Her Father’s Daughter" (Assistant Director). Their play "burn my body before they find" it was read at Wrights of Spring in 2023. In 2024, Perse presented “Spotlighting Invisible Disabilities in My Playwriting” at Northwestern University’s Inclusive Theatre Festival, and was awarded the Zach Helm Endowed Playwriting Scholarship for “working to illuminate narratives of the exploited, oppressed, and marginalized”. Perse’s latest play, "Left Unheard", will be running during Wrights of Spring in the New Playwrights Series. Website: persegrammer.com
Chris
Lawson
PLAY: Disconnect and
Back to School
Chris Lawson is a multidisciplinary writer exploring all manner of entertainment media from playwriting to YouTube. Through the lens of comedy, Chris's work explores themes of marginalization and exploitation; particularly within and in relation to the Black community. His most recent work, “Back to School” will receive an educational production at the DePaul Theater School in the spring of 2025. DePaul, BFA 2025.
Connor
Yokley
PLAY: Get Down
Connor Yokley is a multidisciplinary artist who specializes in apocrypha, second worlds, and new ways of doing. His body of work seeks to blend the line between actor and audience, creating intense and formally-innovative work that prompts spectators to think about their place in the world and their relationship to the show’s subject matter. His play Get Down will receive an educational production at DePaul’s Theatre School in its 2024-25 season. Connor received the John R. And Joyce L. Watts Scholarship at TTS in 2024, and was also selected as a winner of the AT&T High School Playwriting Contest at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 2021. (BFA Playwriting 2025, DePaul University)
Location
The Theatre School at DePaul University
2350 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
© 2025 by Wrights of Spring. Made with Wix Studio™
bottom of page