Intro

I’m Ariella, a Brooklyn-based playwright, screenwriter, and aspiring thespian. I studied at the University of Chicago, where I received the 2019 Olga and Paul Menn Prize for Playwriting. That same year, the Writers Guild of America, East, and the Black List named me the Michael Collyer Memorial Fellow in Screenwriting. As you can tell from the photo, I was very flattered.

My written work takes on many forms but tends to explore patterns of concerns: family dynamics, friendship, mental health, Jewish life and culture, loss, and sexuality. In particular, I am drawn to historical settings and lyrical language. I ask Big Questions that I never come close to answering. My interest in acting stems from this lifelong desire to craft vivid characters and express deep, emotional truth.

I’ve had a lot of different jobs — high school journalist, film/TV development intern, bookseller, and art gallery assistant — but I have always been, and always will be, a writer. Believe me, I’ve tried to stop. Ultimately, all my experiences wind up on the page, the stage, and the screen. I make meaning this way, and I hope you find some meaning in my words, too.