Bio:

Jamie Olah is a playwright and educator hailing from the mighty Midwest. She is a scholar of comedy and is dedicated to creating new, experimental theatre that uses delight to incite positive social change. As a writer, she uses her extensive background in physical theatre to craft works that are athletic, visceral and visually striking. Jamie is currently pursuing her MFA in Dramatic Writing at Carnegie Mellon University, where she won third place in the Alfred P. Sloan Script Competition and was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Playwriting Program. She has specialized training in red nose clown (Paola Coletto), bouffon (Nathaniel Justiniano), commedia dell’arte (Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre), the Michael Chekhov technique (Dawn Arnold), Balinese mask dance (I Ketut Kantor), and holds a BFA in Theatre from Viterbo University. Jamie is the founder of Chicago Playwrights Group, was the co-founder and artistic director of Grassroots Theatre Project, and served as a company member with Dal Vivo and The Moving Dock Theatre Co. Her plays have been presented by New American Folk Theatre, Broken Nose Theatre, The New Coordinates, The Arc Theatre, Links Hall, Physical Theatre Festival Chicago, Adventure Stage Chicago, Clock Productions, Red Tape Theatre, Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Food & Performance, and others. Jamie is a three-time recipient of artistic grants from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. She is a proud registered member of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community in Mole Lake, Wisconsin.