Cori Thomas is an author and screenwriter of Liberian and Brazilian descent. Cori is co-writer of

Sara Kruzan Sara Jessimy Kruzan (born January 8, 1978) is an American activist and survivor of child sex trafficking. In 1995, at the age of 17, she was convicted of the first-degree murder of her trafficker, George Gilbert Howard, who began to groom her fo ...

's memoir ''I Cried to Dream Again'', published in May 2022 by Penguin Random House. She is also an award winning playwright whose works include ''When January Feels Like Summer'', ''Lockdown'', ''My Secret Language of Wishes'', ''Pa's Hat'', “Citizens Market” and more.

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� ...

n ambassador.

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 The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) is the only nationwide professional association of theatre critics in the United States. The ATCA membership consists of theatre critics who write reviews and critiques of live theatre for print, broad ...

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'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and was brought back in October 2014 as a co-production between the Ensemble Studio Theatre and the

Women's Project Theater WP Theater (formerly known as Women's Project Theater) is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater based in New York City. It is the nation’s oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of female-ident ...

also directed by Daniella Topol. Other plays include ''Pa's Hat'', which premiered at the Pillsbury House Theatre in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

in 2010, directed by

Marion McClinton Marion Isaac McClinton (July 26, 1954 – November 28, 2019) was an American theatre director, playwright, and actor. He was nominated for the Tony Award for ''King Hedley II''. He won the 2000 Vivian Robinson Audelco Black Theatre Awards, Dire ...

; and ''My Secret Language of Wishes'', which premiered at the

Mixed Blood Theatre The Mixed Blood Theatre Company is a professional multiracial theatre company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1976 by artistic director Jack Reuler, to explore race via the use of theater. History Jack Reuler founded Mixed Blood in 19 ...

in 2011, also directed by McClinton. In May, 2019 Lockdown directed by Kent Gash was produced at Rattlestick Theater in NY. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/theater/lockdown-review.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share Cori is the Andrew Mellon Playwright-In-Residence at WP Theater in NYC. She is also a current New Dramatists Fellow. Cori Thomas is one of five playwrights to win the prestigious Helen Merrill Playwriting award.https://www.broadwayworld.com/industry/article/Five-Playwrights-Receive-Prestigious-Helen-Merrill-Awards-20220908 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.

References

External links

Cori Thomas at Clyde Fitch Report
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/theater/when-january-feels-like-summer-at-ensemble-studio-theater.html?_r=0 * http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2010/04/01/Subway-is-a-platform-for-humanity-in-January-Feels-Like-Summer/stories/201004010361
Cori Thomas
at Dramatic Publishing Co.
Cori Thomas
at Italian & American Playwrights Project * https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/dustin-hoffman-2-1202641525/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Cori Living people American dramatists and playwrights Marymount Manhattan College alumni American people of Liberian descent American people of Brazilian descent Year of birth missing (living people)