Lachrisa Grandberry Named As Director Of Northern Sky's NOVA Initiative

A fan favorite, audiences in Door County have come to know Lachrisa Grandberry over her past five seasons with Northern Sky as a performer, playwright, and composer. Starting this year, Grandberry will add 'program director' to her list of roles as she will lead the organization's newly-formed NOVA Initiative.

NOVA stands for Nurturing Original Voices and Artists. It is Northern Sky Theater's next-generation new works development and incubation initiative. The goal of NOVA is to foster, nurture, and expand creative opportunities for alumni, BIPOC, and emerging writers in Northern Sky's development process.

"The Nova Initiative is a reflection of what Northern Sky has always been," said Grandberry. "In my time working on Sunflowered, I learned so much in the writing process and could not have done it without the hands-on support of the leadership staff. I am in no way, shape, or form an expert, but I do have knowledge and resources to further this part of Northern Sky's Mission. I'm excited to pay it forward and be more intimately involved with my theater home. Even more, I'm excited about the infinite possibilities that'll come as we continue to make space for next generation storytellers."

Elements of NOVA include: Writing Circle, explorative writing workshops; The Nesting Place, a writer to writer mentorship program; and Pot of Luck, a writer's retreat festival. In addition to advancing these elements, Grandberry will also serve on Northern Sky's IDEAS Task Force (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Solutions) and will support Northern Sky's marketing efforts to reach new audiences.

"When Lachrisa joined us in the summer of 2018, she didn't just embrace Northern Sky, she embraced Door County," said associate artistic director Molly Rhode. "Lachrisa's commitment to storytelling here in the peninsula has enriched the creative fabric of our company. We are overjoyed that she'll be lending her leadership skills to our team as we look to Northern Sky's future.

Grandberry was recently named one of Wisconsin's 52 Most Influential Black Leaders.

Photo Credit: Rachel Lukas

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