As an artist and educator, I believe deeply in the power of storytelling to create connection, spark healing, and expand cultural understanding. Since 2019, I have served as the Artistic Director of the Veterans 10-Minute Playwriting Contest and Festival, an annual program I created to elevate the voices of military-connected individuals through theatre.

This festival grew out of more than a decade of my work with veterans at Salem State University, where I have centered the arts as a path toward expression, community-building, and transition support. While teaching in the Veteran Scholars Learning Community, I witnessed how creative practice can help veterans process experiences, reclaim narrative agency, and build bridges with civilian audiences. Those early collaborations laid the groundwork for the festival’s ongoing artistic and social mission.

About the Festival

Salem State University’s Veterans 10-Minute Playwriting Contest and Festival issues a national call for short plays (February - June) engaging with military themes from the perspective of veterans, active-duty personnel, family members, caregivers, or civilians. Submissions are evaluated through a blind judging process (July - August), and six plays are selected each year for public staged readings (in and around Veterans’ Day each year).

As Artistic Director, I lead the festival with a focus on:

Storytelling as healing

A supportive space for military-connected individuals to share personal experiences through theatre.

Artistic rigor and accessibility

The 10-minute format welcomes both emerging and experienced writers, while staged readings highlight the power of voice and text.

Community conversation

Each reading concludes with a facilitated dialogue inviting audiences to engage with artists and each other.

Veteran involvement at every level

Veterans help shape the process as playwrights, judges, actors, directors, and production team members.

Impact

Since its inception, the festival has:

• Received 240+ submissions

• Presented 47 plays

• Reached an audience of more than 1,000 people

• Offered creative and leadership opportunities to military-connected artists and community members

The festival honors the voices of military-connected individuals while fostering dialogue and empathy within the wider community.

Submit a Play

If you are interested in submitting a 10-minute play for consideration in the next festival, please visit:
https://salemstateuniversitysoundingseast.submittable.com/submit

Contact

For questions, collaboration inquiries, or additional information about the festival, please contact me.