What's New?

Welcome! I hope you are doing well during these challenging times. Please stay safe and healthy by responsibly social distancing and wearing masks when in public. I'm happy to share that I am continuing to program virtual community events and gatherings with New York Theatre Workshop to support artists, audiences, and communities affected by COVID-19. I've also returned to Musical Theatre Factory as an associate dramaturg for Makers Cohort 2. On the side, I'm illustrating for New York Theatre Workshop, National Queer Theater, and Dixon Place. Also writing a new play tentatively called The Believers while finally spending some time editing and revising my play Learning How to Read by Moonlight.

​Upcoming Projects:

• ​May 29, 2020. Engaging in a lively hour discussion with NYTW Tow Playwright-in-Residence Victor I. Cazares and Immigration Activist & Medical Professional Ilon Rincon Portas in a NYTW ZOOM webinar about the political intersections of art, activism, immigration, and queerness. This conversation is in collaboration with National Queer Theater and Immigration Equality. Register here.
• June 2020. Directing Garrett David Kim's Are You There Truman? for Pride Plays 2020. Producers are Nick Mayo, Michael Urie, and Doug Nevin. Read more here.

My name is Gaven, rhymes with "Raven"...

He/him/his. I am a theatremaker based in New York City. I have experience with new play development, production dramaturgy, audience engagement, direction, and arts administration. I am a globally conscious and interdisciplinary artist who believes that theatre is a transformative tool for underrepresented communities to imagine and create radically new inclusive worlds. I continue to work closely with LGBTQIA community leaders, artists with disabilities, and international artists whose work focus on Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging (EDIB) Initiatives. 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 and off 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. B.A. American Studies, Dickinson College; M.F.A. Dramaturgy, University of Massachusetts Amherst; and 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. I am the Community Engagement Associate at New York Theatre Workshop.

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First ZOOM all staff meeting. Photo/GIF credit: Kacie Chow

New York Theatre Workshop and Covid-19 Resources
Out of continued concern for the health and safety of our audiences, artists and staff, NYTW will not return to public events in the 2019/20 season.
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Resources for Artists
New York Theatre Workshop staff have compiled list of resources for our diverse community. The list is growing and will be updated periodically. Click here to access the list.

Free Virtual Programming
Beloved members of NYTW’s artistic community will be leading master classes on directing, writing, performance and beyond on Monday afternoons while we’re on hiatus. Wednesdays are dedicated to artist conversations and talks, while the rest of the week is filled with music jam sessions, open mic night events, more! Click here to read more and register.