About Melanie

Melanie is interested in writing selfish, messy women in pieces that explore our relationship with the planet. She looks up to and is inspired by writers Annie Baker, Rachel Tunnard, Issa López, Duncan Macmillan and the filmmakers Steve McQueen and Francis Lee.

What’s New

Next up: my newest play, Deserted, is a part of Redtwist Theater’s Twisted Playfest in December, with readings happening on December 17th at 5:30pm and December 21st at 2pm.

Excited to announce the World Premiere of Time is a Color and the Color is Blue will be going up with Avalanche Theater in Spring 2025!

I sat down and talked to CBS News Chicago about Today Tonight Soon, Theatre l’Acadie and producing theater on the beach! Give it a watch.

Bio

Melanie Coffey grew up on the Connecticut coast, where she spent her days reading, writing and traveling with her family. She attended Long Island University, Post, where she produced and directed films, wrote screenplays about art thieves (The Left-light Bias), satyrical plays about politics (Politically Immature, Rifle Range Theater, 2017) and graduated early with an Honors BFA in Film. After college she worked as a Curatorial Assistant on the exhibition “Past is Not Post”, in Oldenburg, Germany.

Living in Brooklyn, Melanie focused on art films and experimental filmmaking (Dear You/Love, Me, The 3 Minute Project), shooting and digitizing DV tapes from her 1996 camcorder. She also started writing and producing short plays around Manhattan (I Liked You 5 Minutes Ago, Questions I Have Before You Leave).

Melanie currently lives in Chicago, where she graduated from Northwestern University in 2020, earning her MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage. She is an ensemble member and grant specialist for Theatre l’Acadie. She also recently became an ensemble member of Avalanche Theater and is a member of the Chicago Dramatist’s Guild and the Playwrights’ Center - her plays can be found on New Play Exchange. Her projects have been read/performed/screened in LA, San Diego, NYC, Plattsburgh, NY, New Jersey, Maine, North Carolina, Chicago, Evanston, IL, Mystic, CT, London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland.

(Photos by Eileen T. Meslar)