“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison
POOL
A Black Trans Mythology by Temidayo Amay
An afro-surrealist girlfriend comedy set in the Historic Atlas District of Washington, DC, POOL is part love letter to 1960’s Chocolate City, part instructions for 21st century séance.
Run Time: 85m
Cast (all Trans): 2 NB, 2 W, 2 M
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POOL received its developmental commission at Theatre Alliance as part of their Quadrant Playwright’s series.
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POOL received it’s first 15-hour developmental workshop as part of Breaking the Binary’s New Works Program (pictured)
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POOL is seeking literary agents and 29-hour workshops for continued development
Pictured (L-R): Marquise Vilson (he), Sam Morreale (they), Temidayo Amay (they/he), Angie Salazar (they/she), Garnet Williams (she/they), Jayae Riley (she/they), Qween Jean (she)
The Invention of Wọmén
by Temidayo Amay
The Invention of Women is a deep exploration of the colonial creations of western womanhood through personal stories from women, men, and non-binary people in the wake and surge of anti-trans legislation. The play includes interview based anecdotes, song, and oratory storytelling.
Run Time: approx 75m
Cast: 1 to 2 NB
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The Invention of Women was first performed at the Olney Theatre Center as part of the “Just Arts: My Heritage, My History” festival (2021)
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The Invention of Women received it’s second excerpt reading as part of Musical Theatre Factory’s Collective Liberation salon (2023)
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The Invention of Women seeks full written expansion for a 2-person play that will be workshopped and presented as a reading for an audience
Pictured: Temidayo Amay, seated on an outdoor stage, reciting from their play, “The Invention of Women,” to an audience seated on the grass.
The Legend of Zora
A three-part animated mini series, The Legend of Zora chronicles the life of renowned demi deity Zora, stuck in a loop of Evernight, as they find their way back to their home universe. Based on traditional Yoruba song and video games from the turn of our century, The Legend of Zora asks the question, who rescues the knight in shining armor?
Run Time: Three (3) 30-minute episodes
Cast: 1 AFAB NB, 1 W, 1 M
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The Legend of Zora was originally written as a 3 part audio play for Spotify
Bell/e
Based on the book by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, and the teachings of acclaimed author bell hooks, Belle tells the story of a young poet, princess, and adventurer searching for their identities within their small Afro-Parisian village. Their aptitude to day dream and penchant for testing their boundaries sometimes gets Bell/e into trouble. But through their storytelling, their friends and a library of magic, it always works out for Bell/e in the end.
Bell/e : The Musical is currently being written alongside Musical Theatre Factory’s Makers Fellowship, and MAESTRA’s mentorship. If you’d like to be part of Bell/e’s creation, email the writer. They’d love to hear from producers, composers, and literary agents.
Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that is uncomfortable.
— Michaela Coel
Trans Too
Commissioned by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, I was invited to speak to the graduating students, professors, and community class of 2021. I wrote this poem to uplift the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ identity and queer immigration, to celebrate overcoming obstacles, and honor the vestiges of identity that help us reach our milestones.
Trans Too is a visual poem installation celebrating the liminality and omnipresence of Trans existence and Trans identity at the intersection of embarking new chapters and honoring pivotal, transitional moments in Time.
Trans Too premiered as part of the Lavender Graduation Ceremony at Brooklyn College on May 26, 2021. Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted on numerous campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, intersex, and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University. The Lavender Graduation Ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo at the University of Michigan in 1995.
Trans Too was filmed in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Feel free to listen, meditate with and breathe.
Freshman Year
by Temidayo Amay
As part of the third annual Word Becomes Action Festival at Theatre Alliance, six new works ask us to confront the revolutions and moments of resilience within our daily lives. Shining the spotlight on local theater artists, the Word Becomes Action Festival offers a dynamic glimpse into the themes and topics explored throughout the main-stage season.
August 6 - 18, 2019
Freshman Year by Tẹmídayọ Amay | A time for new choices, new experiences, new opportunities to prove your the shit. Five young queers gather in a quad to rise up, get down, and make a whole lot of noise.
The Word Becomes Action Festival is made possible through the generous support of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Reva and David Logan Foundation.
What’s On Your Walls?
Created by Temidayo Amay, John King, and Rex Daugherty
Directed by Rex Daugherty and Rebecca Wahls
Limited Engagement: December, 2020
The wealthy deceased of Ancient Egypt were buried with their belongings, with food and furniture and depictions of the major events of their lives. What would you take with you, if you could? What would you save from a fire? Where’s all this stuff going after you’re gone, and who decides? What’s On Your Walls? is an intimate and informal show-and-tell, an opportunity for audiences to present an everyday artifact and the story behind it, however small. A gentle, interactive celebration of story-telling, curiosity, and nosiness.
Why I Write
