Playwright Karissa Murrell Myers on the thrill of long-from storytelling and the power of image in live theatre

Playwright Karissa Murrell Myers on the thrill of long-from storytelling and the power of image in live theatre

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On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Karissa Murrell Myers, artistic director of Bramble Theater, actor, director, playwright of Black Bear Island at Alleyway Theatre.

Karissa Murrell Myers is an award-winning Filipino American theatre artist based in Chicago. Her work in acting, playwriting, and advocacy for diversity has been recognized in American Theatre Magazine, and her plays have been produced at numerous prestigious theatres, including Goodman Theatre, The  Court Theatre, and Renaissance Theaterworks.

In Black Bear Island a woman returns home after sixteen years following the mysterious death of her childhood sweetheart, only to be thrust into a nightmare of secrets and lies in the haunting Pacific Northwest forest. As forgotten memories resurface, she must confront the ghosts of her past amidst mystery, guilt, and dangerous nostalgia, where reality blurs and the past refuses to stay buried.

Black Bear Island runs February 14-March 8, 2025 at Alleyway Theatre.  Tickets are available here.

This episode includes:

• Early inspirations
• How her education informs her writing
• How her different artistic disciplines inform each other
• Her work with Bramble Theatre Company
• Her inspirations as a writer
• The genesis of Black Bear Island
• The power of images in plays
• The hopes for audience experiences