Dorie

Playwright | Spoken Word Artist | Director

Member since 2025

Dorie is a playwright, spoken word artist, director, actor, and multidisciplinary storyteller whose work explores loyalty, resilience, faith, family, and transformation. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, her artistic practice has been shaped by hardship, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the power of community to change lives.

Working across theater, spoken word, writing, performance, and fashion design, Dorie creates stories that center people who are often misunderstood or overlooked. As the longtime director of prison drama programs, she has written and directed productions ranging from traditional faith-based plays to original contemporary works that address family, trauma, survival, and hope. Through every project, she seeks to tell deeply human stories that challenge assumptions while offering audiences both understanding and the possibility of healing.

Artist statement

I have always been a creative person. From an early age, I realized I could draw, design and make clothing, write, direct, act, rap, and perform spoken word. Out of everything I create, theater and spoken word have become the places where my voice feels most at home.

What matters most to me is telling relatable stories in ways they have never been told before. I don't want to simply expose problems—I want every story to carry a solution. Whether I'm writing a play, directing actors, or performing spoken word, my goal is to help audiences understand people they may have spent their lives misunderstanding.

Loyalty is the thread that runs through all of my work. My life has taught me both the beauty and the cost of loyalty, and those experiences continue to shape every story I tell. I want people to leave my work with greater compassion for those who have been judged, discarded, or forgotten, while also recognizing the strength it takes to love a life that has not always loved you back.

My creative process begins by understanding the space I'm working in, the audience I'm speaking to, and the story that needs to be told. I believe art should be honest, but it should also be kind. It should open people's eyes to realities they may have never experienced while leaving them with hope instead of despair.

My dream is to own a theater that serves not only as a performance space but as a gathering place for the community. I want it to become a home where artists, families, and young people can experience stories that inspire change, strengthen communities, and remind people that healing is possible. I believe empowered people empower people, and I want my life's work to be an example of that.