Episodic Lab 2021

Our 2021 Episodic Program is behind us and we could not be happier to have these writers in our community. Alan R. Baxter, ayla xuan chi sullivan, Kate Torgovnick May, and Marcus Raye Perez were selected from a hugely talented pool of nominated writers. Their stories ranged from a suspenseful thriller set inside a 14-story "mini-city" in remote Alaska to a dark comedy serial killer adventure exploring generational trauma to a satirical drama about a fictional startup trying to take “sugar dating” mainstream to a comedy about four Latino cousins in Texas written by our creator-performer who developed a hilarious and fresh role based on his own life.

This year’s mentors were exceptional: Matt King, Meredith Scardino, Albert Kim, and Brian Wright with cameos by Donick Cary and Jennifer Gwartz. It’s always inspiring to see how generous our mentors are with creative, professional, and personal advice. Real learning and real opportunities come from these relationships and that’s what we want.

With each program our writers learn from each other and from mentors but we also learn from them. We take away lessons from every program that will improve our organization and we’re grateful for that. The most important point of view on our programs is that of the writers; their experience is paramount to us. We hope each of them returns to their home desks with valuable lessons, epiphanies even, that guide them in their life’s pursuits.

LYDIA CAVALLO ZASA