Zhu Yi

Zhu Yi is a Lecturer of Playwriting in the Department of Playwriting and Screenwriting at the School of Film and Media Studies, State University of New York at Purchase. She is also affiliated with Nanjing University, where she teaches playwriting. Her international artistic affiliations include Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Youngblood, New York Theatre Workshop, Royal Court Theatre’s International Playwrights Programme, Ma-Yi Writers Lab, and Clubbed Thumb’s Emerging Writers Group.

Education:

• BA in Drama, Nanjing University
• MFA in Playwriting, Columbia University

Zhu Yi’s creative work centers on contemporary playwriting with a focus on cross-cultural narratives, particularly between Chinese and Western theatrical traditions. Her plays explore themes of identity, memory, time, and intimacy in the digital age, often blending English and Chinese languages and dramaturgical styles. She is known for her innovative use of form, including video-conferencing performances and bilingual staging.

Her recent body of work reflects a strong engagement with global theater festivals and international collaborations, spanning productions in the UK, China, Norway, Mexico, Argentina, and the US. The plays frequently examine diasporic experiences, urban alienation, and the fluidity of personal and cultural identity across borders.

Scientific and Artistic Awards:

• First Prize, 2015 World Sinophone Drama Competition
• Outstanding Playwright of the Year, 2015 Shanghai Drama Valley One Drama Awards
• Emerging Artist Fellow, New York Theatre Workshop

Zhu Yi has advised emerging playwrights through her involvement in writers’ labs and fellowships. While no formal grants are listed, she has received support such as the New York Theatre Workshop Emerging Artist Fund. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and actively contributes to new play development.

Though not leading a formal lab, Zhu Yi is embedded in several collaborative theater collectives, including Ma-Yi Writers Lab and Clubbed Thumb’s Emerging Writers Group, which function as creative incubators for experimental and diverse voices in American theater.