Cori Thomas is a dramatist and screenwriter of Liberian and Brazilian descent. Her works include the plays ''When January Feels Like Summer'', ''Lockdown'', ''My Secret Language of Wishes'', ''Pa's Hat'', and ''Citizens Market''.

Early life

Thomas is the daughter of a

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

n ambassador, and the granddaughter of Cora Ann Pair Thomas who emigrated to Liberia as a missionary and founded the Lott Carey Mission.

Career

The world premiere of Thomas's ''When January Feels Like Summer'' was directed by Chuck Patterson, her late husband, at the City Theatre In Pittsburgh in 2010 and won the American Theatre Critics Association Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award for an emerging playwright. It was subsequently co-produced by the

Ensemble Studio Theatre The Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) is a non-profit membership-based developmental theatre located in Hell's Kitchen, New York City. It has a dual mission of nurturing individual theatre artists and developing new American plays. Overview The E ...

and Page73 Productions in the Summer of 2014 in New York and directed by Daniella Topol. It was a Critics Pick of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' and was brought back in October 2014 as a co-production between the Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Women's Project Theater also directed by Daniella Topol. Other plays include ''Pa's Hat'', which premiered at the Pillsbury House Theatre in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

in 2010, directed by Marion McClinton; and ''My Secret Language of Wishes'', which premiered at the Mixed Blood Theatre in 2011, also directed by McClinton. In May 2019, her play ''Lockdown'' directed by Kent Gash was commissioned and produced at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Thomas is the Andrew Mellon Playwright-In-Residence at WP Theater in New York City. She is also a New Dramatists alum. Thomas is one of five playwrights to win the prestigious Helen Merrill Playwriting award. Her fellowships and residencies include the Sundance Theatre Lab in 2008. O’Neill National Playwright’s Conference in 2018. And many other fellowships and residencies. Thomas is co-writer of Sara Kruzan's 2022 memoir ''I Cried to Dream Again''.

References

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/13/us/san-quentin-film-festival-prison.html

External links

Cori Thomas at Clyde Fitch Report

Subway is a platform for humanity in 'January Feels Like Summer'

Cori Thomas
at Dramatic Publishing Co.
Cori Thomas
at Italian & American Playwrights Project
Dustin Hoffman Accused of Exposing Himself to a Minor, Assaulting Two Women (EXCLUSIVE)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Cori Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American dramatists and playwrights American people of Brazilian descent American people of Liberian descent Marymount Manhattan College alumni