2023 Annual Benefit – War Words

Michelle Kholos Brooks

Michelle Kholos Brooks is an award-winning playwright with productions staged internationally. Awards and distinctions include the Susan Glaspell Award for H*TLER’S TASTERS and the Riva Shiner Comedy Award for KALAMAZOO, co-written with Kelly Younger. ROOM 1214 was a finalist for The Ashland New Plays Festival. HOSTAGE was a finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award, The Fratti-Newman Political Play Contest, and a Showcase finalist for the National New Play Network. CHAIR received second place in the Firehouse Theatre Festival of New American Plays.

Plays have been produced and/or developed at the Skylight Theatre (World Premier, HOSTAGE) Centenary Stage (World Premiere, H*TLER’S TASTERS), Pacific Resident Theatre, Bloomington Playwright’s Project (World Premiere, KALAMAZOO), The Colony Theatre (World Premiere, FAMILY PLANNING) Florida Repertory Theatre, Boston Court Theatre, The Road Theatre Company, Wordsmyth Theatre, The Barrow Group, Bay Street Theatre, Venue 9 Theatre, Wings Theatre, Laurel Grove Theatre Company, Drama West, Vox Humana Theatre Ensemble, iTheatre Collaborative, New Light Theatre Project, 59E59th St. Theatre, Olive Theatre, Greenside (Edinburgh), Arena Stage (Veteran’s Day 2020, an adaptation of WAR WORDS), New York Rep, Syracuse Stage, City Theatre Miami, InterAct, Syracuse Stage, Stage West, and the Actor’s Gang,

Publications include Dramatists Play Service, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Room literary magazine, and The Daily Beast.

Brooks earned a B.A. from Emerson College and an M.F.A. in Fiction from Otis College of Art and Design. She is the Playwright-in-Residence at New York Rep, a member of The Dramatists Guild of America, The Playwright’s Center, and Pacific Resident Theatre. In addition, she is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. www.MichelleKholosBrooks.com

Jenny Sullivan

Jenny Sullivan is an award-winning theatre and film director, actor, writer and producer. Favorite directing gigs at: The Wallis Annenberg Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Royal Manitoba Theatre, The Acorn Off-Broadway, Long Wharf, Williamstown, Laguna Playhouse, The Lobero, Center Rep, Rubicon and Ensemble Theatre of SB.

Jenny is most proud of the premiere of her play J for J starring opposite Jeff Kober and the late great John Ritter. Jenny’s recent work includes directing the world premiere of Tom Dugan’s Jackie Unveiled (with Saffron Burrows) at the Wallis Annenberg in Beverly Hills, The Rubicon premiere of Jane Anderson’s The Baby Dance: Mixed and the Legend of Georgia McBride for Ensemble Theatre Company of SB. Previously, she directed the four-month Off-Broadway run of Tom Dugan’s Wiesenthal.

She has had a long connection with Santa Barbara having lived here for 30 years. This includes directing numerous productions for Ensemble Theatre Company, The Lobero Theatre, and Access Theatre. Jenny was a founding member of Santa Barbara’s “The Mime Caravan,” which produced theatre and also created the annual Summer Solstice Celebration in the mid-70s. Film credits: Access All Areas and The Next Best Thing (in which she had the good fortune to direct her father Barry).