Sara Cooper

Sara Cooper is a Lecturer in the Playwriting and Screenwriting program at State University of New York, Purchase College, within the School of Film and Media Studies. She is a New York-based playwright and lyricist with a focus on musical theatre writing and dramatic storytelling.

• Education: BFA and MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University's Tisch School of Arts.

Her research interests include playwriting, screenwriting, musical theatre composition, lyricism, and socially engaged narrative structures. She specializes in creating original works and adaptations, often blending contemporary themes with innovative formats.

Sara's recent works include Perpetual Sunshine & the Ghost Girls (2025 development with Paper Mill Playhouse) and SINGULARITY (2024 Purchase College grant project). Her plays have been developed at institutions such as the Kennedy Center and New York Theatre Barn.

• Scientific Awards:
  • The ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award (2021)
  • Richard Rodgers Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters (2022)
  • Jonathan Larson Grant, American Theatre Wing (2014)
  • Queens Council on the Arts Grants (2018, 2016, 2012)
  • National Endowment for the Arts Grant (2013)

She is affiliated with the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP, and her work has received recognition in publications like Time Out New York as a Critics’ Pick (2014).