The Juilliard School 2018, credit: Gregory Constanza.

My name is Gaven (he/him/his). My name rhymes with Raven. I am a dramaturg, director, playwright, and educator based in New York City. I was born and raised in the East Village by Filipino immigrants, and have lived in different regions of the United States, Germany, and in the Philippines. I have experience with new play development, production dramaturgy, dance dramaturgy, marketing design, community outreach, and audience engagement.

​My aesthetic is eclectic and multi-disciplinary, a stew of movement, text, and visuals. My work often begins with an intellectual investigation on political, religious, racial, cultural, or social justice issues, which evolves into an expression through movement, sound, and text. I believe in an artistic collaborative process that centers on feminist and queer concepts of radical compassion, love, empathy, and community-building. I advocate for LGBTQIA+ and feminist issues, mental health awareness, inclusive accessible theatre, and advancement of diverse representation of people on U.S. stages.

I have had the honor to intern and work at various companies in various artistic, administrative, and dramaturgical positions: The Juilliard School Drama Division, Musical Theatre Factory, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, New York Theater Workshop, Ma-Yi Theatre, the TEAM, Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN), and Bremen Schaulspielhaus. I've worked with artists Ping Chong, Talvin Wilks, Ifa Bayeza, Dustin Chinn, Yilong Liu, Michael Leibenluft, Eugene Ma, Cherry Lou Sy, and Mei Ann Teo just to name a few.

I have a B.A. American Studies from Dickinson College; an M.F.A. in dramaturgy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (under the mentorship of Dr. Priscilla Page); and a graduate certificate of Advanced Feminist Studies from the UMass Amherst Women, Gender, and Sexualities Department. I am also a proud former teacher of Teach for America's Memphis Corps from 2012 to 2014. I recently completed a year-long professional apprenticeship in the Drama Division at The Juilliard School. I currently reside with my 8-year-old dog Ripley in the East Village.