Brandon Bogle

Brandon Bogle is a playwright born to Jamaican immigrants from Bridgeport, CT. His plays uncover the deep compassion, beauty, musicality, and mundanity of being alive. Brandon’s plays work through three overall ideas. He explores what people express with their bodies that they cannot do with their words; sorts through the political and social landscape in order to encourage new possibilities for our society and utilizes his personal experiences to explore the depths of connection and isolation we all feel towards one another. Brandon was named as a 2024 Finalist for the O’Neill National Playwriting Conference, a 2026 Terrence McNally New Works Incubator Semi-finalist and named a Shubert Scholar.

Jessica Charles

Jessica Charles is a Black queer storyteller who submerges her art in Fabulism and the culture to uplift historically underrepresented voices. Her passion is both archiving and bringing to life the magically nuanced stories of people like her/(us). Proud to be born and raised in Oakland, CA, the rich tapestry of Black people, culture, her ancestry, and her upbringing shape the way she walks, talks, sees, and writes about the world.  She graduated from RADA in London and UC Berkeley.  Her play “Antiquated F*ckery” had its debut at 59E59 Theaters. She has been a member of National Black Theatre’s Keep SOUL Alive Micro Development Series 2025-26, The Outrage Queer Writing Residency 2026, New Roots Queer+ Artist Residency 2025, SPACE on Ryder Farm 2024 Creative Residency, Liberation Theater Company’s New Voices Writing Residency 19/20 and a finalist for The Lark’s Van Lier New Voices Fellowship.

Kemiyondo Coutinho

Mo Holmes is a black queer Southern playwright, librettist and dramaturg, born in San Antonio and raised on the long stretch of road from Texas to Alabama. She is a Next Wave Initiative Lorraine Hansberry Award winner, a Sewanee Writers' Conference Tennessee Williams Scholar, a Jane Chambers finalist and a two-time O'Neill National Playwrights Conference semi-finalist. Her writing has been presented and/or developed at the Sam French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, the Playwrights’ Center, Vertigo Theatre, Minnesota Opera, and Atlanta Opera. As a dramaturg and teaching artist, she has supported new play development at Good Apples Collective, the Playwrights’ Center, Guthrie Theater, Jungle Theater, Horizon Theatre Company and Columbia University School of the Arts. She is an MFA Candidate in Playwriting and Undergraduate Writing Program Teaching Fellow at Columbia.

Jabari Elzie

Jabari Elzie is a 22-year old playwright, comedian, and graduate of The New School’s Drama program. His journey in theatre began at the age of eight and later led him to graduate from UNC School of the Arts High School Acting program. There, Elzie began producing, directing, and acting in his original theater and film. His play "Minstrel" has been developed at The New School and The Tank NYC, while an early draft received a full production at the 2023 New York Theater Festival where its lead performer won "Best Actor". In 2024, Elzie ventured into standup comedy, performing at venues including UCB, Union Hall, and The Bell House. Elzie is the recipient of The New School’s "Vinnette Justine Carroll Award Multidisciplinary Award" and was recently accepted into the 2026 New Jersey Play Labs Storyteller Studio. He has also been mentored by Broadway playwrights, Keenan Scott II and Stew Stewart. 

Kendra Ann Flournoy

Kendra Ann Flournoy is a Detroit-bred multihyphenate artist: playwright, visual artist, producer, and arts administrator. Kendra has developed work in DrAW, Más Páginas, and at The Lark. Her plays have been featured in the Billie Holiday Theatre’s 2019 50in50 monologue showcase, The Black Lady Theatre’s 2019 Foundation: New Writings Series, and GPTC’s 2024 New Play Conference. In 2024, her play Bambiland was awarded Best New Script by Encore Michigan's Wilde Awards. She was a 2024 recipient of Detroit Public Theatre’s TAG Residency and was a semi-finalist in the 2025 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference. Kendra co-founded Face Off Theatre, a nonprofit theatre company in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She’s served on leadership teams for a number of theatre organizations including The Lark, Detroit Repertory Theatre, and the Ojai Playwrights Conference. She’s currently the Operations Manager for artEquity. She received her BA in English and MFA in Playwriting from Western Michigan University. 

Camille Simone THomas

Camille Simone Thomas is a 5th generation African-American Detroiter through her father’s side and a first generation Jamaican through her mothers. Her plays have been workshopped and performed Off-Broadway at The Connelly Theatre, MCC, Playwrights Horizons,  JACK, American Slavery Project, Barter Theatre and Blackboard Playwriting series among others. She was a 2023 Broadway Advocacy Coalition Artivism fellow.  A 2023 New Harmony Project finalist,  A 2024 finalist for the Eugene O’neill NPC for her play “At God’s Back”.  A 2026 Eugene O'neil NPC semi-finalist for her play "Mud; or when things get messy and how we live with it". She was in the 2024/2025 Civilians R&D Group, 2024/25 Artistic Research Fellow at The Folger in DC, was most recently the 2024/25 JACKLabs Artist and a 2026 Hedgebrook Writers Retreat recipient.

Director of the 18th annual Ten-Minute Play Program

Candis C. Jones

Candis C. Jones made her introduction to the NY Black theater community with TFTT in 2018 and is thrilled to collaborate with this exciting, new cohort of writers! Candis’ directing credits span World Premiere plays, international theater, and indie film. Selected credits include:”Prima Facie” (Arena Stage), “Mothership” (Penumbra Theater), “Write It Out!” (HERE Arts), “Fabulation” (Chautauqua Theater Co.), “Clyde's” (Studio Theater), “Blues for an Alabama Sky” (Barrington Stage), “Cullud Wattah” and “Shadow/Land” (The Public Theater), “Celebrating the Black Radical Imagination” (Williamstown Theatre), “Detroit 67'” (Signature Theater DC), “53% Of” (The Alliance Theatre), “Everybody” (NYU Tisch), “Pipeline” (American Academy of Dramatic Arts & Detroit Public Theater),”The Wolves” (American Academy), and “TEMBO!” (Zanzibar Film Fest). Candis was the Associate Director of “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway and served as an artistic leader at New Dramatists. Awards and Fellowships include the 2016 Lilly Award, Women's Project Theater Lab, and Drama League Director's Fellowship. Website: www.candiscjones.com

Anthony T. Goss

Anthony T Goss is a former hooper turned award winning actor, playwright and filmmaker from Boston, Ma. He is a current resident playwright with the National Black Theatre of Harlem and a Cohort member of the playwright entrepreneur program with Playpenn Theatre in Philadelphia. He is the Artistic Director of TC Squared Theatre in Boston, and a teaching artist throughout the Northeast. He is thrilled to be a theatre artist for such a time as this, and excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the great Fire This Time Festival!