From Coal Country to Combat: Stacey Isom Brings "The Longest Walk" to Modern Works Festival
Playwright Stacey Isom returns to Urbanite Theatre's Modern Works Festival for a second year — this time with a brand-new first draft, The Longest Walk, about two female Marines whose friendship is forged and fractured by their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this conversation, Stacey talks about growing up all over the country (Alaska, Georgia, California, Appalachia) and how that constant movement shaped her ear for dialogue and her drive to write. She also breaks down what makes Modern Works Festival unique — three female-identifying playwrights, a week of rehearsal, and two live stage
Playwright Stacey Isom returns to Urbanite Theatre's Modern Works Festival for a second year — this time with a brand-new first draft, The Longest Walk, about two female Marines whose friendship is forged and fractured by their service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In this conversation, Stacey talks about growing up all over the country (Alaska, Georgia, California, Appalachia) and how that constant movement shaped her ear for dialogue and her drive to write. She also breaks down what makes Modern Works Festival unique — three female-identifying playwrights, a week of rehearsal, and two live staged readings in front of real audiences — and why that audience feedback is essential to shaping a play before it ever reaches full production.
We also dig into the state of new play development nationally: shrinking grants, closing programs, and why festivals like this one matter more than ever for underrepresented voices in theatre.
The Longest Walk reads as part of the Modern Works Festival this September in Sarasota, FL.