Wyckham Avery

About the Artist

Wyckham Avery is a playwright. I am a playwright. Yes, I write plays, but I also build them. I am a 'wright' in the very true sense of the word. I make plays. I direct, perform, write, sing, dance, and teach. All of these things make me a playwright. As a writer, I have created many shows for young audiences including The Amazing Adventures of Ariana Astronaut, an interactive play about a young girl with autism who dreams of traveling through space; My Hero, an epic tale about a group of young people marching to Washington and sharing their stories of who inspired them; and Goblin Secrets, a theatrical adaptation of the book by William Alexander. The premiere production of Ariana Astronaut was nominated for Best Youth Theatre Production by the New Hampshire Theatre Awards. I have created two solo performances, Cordelia's Fool, a clownish retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear and Sing Me A Song, the story of a woman passing on the tradition of sharing songs in order to to keep her legacy alive. I am currently developing a new show, untitled as of yet, about an aging drag queen and her struggle to keep up with new trends and technologies. I have been teaching theatre and performance for over twenty years. I have been a student of theatre and performance for even longer. I've been lucky enough to work in Shakespeare and classical theatre, ensemble, devised, immersive, and physical theatre. I work well without a fourth wall. I have worked for some big theatre companies, lots of small companies, and co-created my own upstart company, dog & pony dc, a theatre collective that devises new work with a focus on incorporating the audience in new ways. ln my 8+ years with the company, I was a part of thedevelopment of 10 shows and received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for my work on Beertown. I received my MFA in Acting from The Catholic University of America and trained at the Dell' Arte lnternational School of Physical Theatre. Things that I know: I like freedom to explore... and I like guidelines to work in. I like big theatricality... that is honest and authentic. l believe actors are,.. artists creators playwrights catalysts provocateurs