Powerstories Theatre is proud to welcome Jenny Kokai—award-winning playwright, director, and arts advocate—as our Playwright-in-Residence and playwriting instructor. Jenny brings a dynamic blend of creative brilliance and community-centered leadership to our stage and classrooms.

Currently serving as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida, Jenny’s plays have been produced across the globe—from Riverside: The National Theatre of Parramatta in Australia to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Plan-B Theatre, Montana Rep, Moxie Theatre, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among many others. Her work spans genres, generations, and geographies, always rooted in bold storytelling and emotional truth.

Jenny’s accolades include selection for the Lark Play Development Center’s Playwrights Week, winner of the 2023 Hippodrome New Play Festival, and semi-finalist honors from the O’Neill National Playwrights and Music Theatre Conferences, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, B-Street Theatre, and Seven Devils. She also served five years in national leadership for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Playwriting Program, championing emerging voices and inclusive feedback practices.

From preschoolers to seasoned professionals, Jenny has taught and mentored playwrights aged 3 to 70+, always centering the artist’s voice and vision. Two of her plays, published by Vanderbilt University Press, will debut this September—further cementing her legacy as a fierce and fearless storyteller.

Whether guiding new writers or crafting her own theatrical worlds, Jenny Kokai inspires with every word. We’re thrilled to have her creative spirit shaping our next generation of playwrights.