Kallan Dana Named Working Theater Playwright In Residence

Working Theater has named playwright Kallan Dana as this year's Playwright in Residence. Over the course of the residency, Dana will develop her new play, Control, a timely work that takes audiences inside the high-stakes world of air traffic controllers. It explores the connective tissue between personal and professional control, and the instability and paranoia which exists within both systems and individuals.

"Working Theater's mission is so fundamentally ethical and humanistic. I feel really inspired by the company's political and philosophical heart. Being part of Working Theater feels like an opportunity to continue my education, and to push my work in a new direction." said Dana.

What makes this residency truly one-of-a-kind is its fusion of artistry and activism. Working Theater partners their residency program with the Artist in Action fellowship at The Action Lab. Through this partnership, Dana will not only receive artistic support in her development of Control, but will also be supported by The Action Lab in collaborating with organizers and advocates in order to use this art as a tool for change for the communities it represents. By embedding activist opportunities into the art-making process, Working Theater's residency ensures the work extends beyond the stage, creating ripples of real-world change.

"Kallan's work embodies the Working Theater aesthetic; world-class art for working class people. This is playwriting at the bleeding edge, as formally adventurous as it is politically engaged. We're thrilled to help bring Control to life, and support it - not just artistically - but also with the trademark cultural organizing work that has defined this era of Working Theater.