Misao McGregor

Misao McGregor

Misao McGregor (they/them) is a playwright and singer/songwriter based in Central Louisiana. They earned their BA in Theater and Music from Connecticut College, and are currently pursuing their Master's Degree at the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English. An openly gay, mixed-race second-generation Japanese American non-binary femme, Misao incorporates their personal experiences of marginalization into...
Misao McGregor (they/them) is a playwright and singer/songwriter based in Central Louisiana. They earned their BA in Theater and Music from Connecticut College, and are currently pursuing their Master's Degree at the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English. An openly gay, mixed-race second-generation Japanese American non-binary femme, Misao incorporates their personal experiences of marginalization into their works.

As a playwright, they are winner of the Anne S. Richardson Awards in LGBTQ Studies (2016), Morris Carnovsky Award in Theater (2018), Linda Herr Excellence in Theater Award (2018), and Best of PlayGround (2020). They also participated in the Playwright Residency Program for PlayGround-LA’s 2020-2021 Season, developing their full-length play "ADULTING" which later received a developmental reading from the Acting Ensemble at Bread Loaf School of English in July 2023.

Beyond the stage, they have also served as Founder and Editor in Chief of Sacrosanct Collective, a community blog that amplifies the voices and art of LGBTQ2IA+ BIPOC, since 2020.

Plays

  • (ALL) WHITE PARTY by Misao McGregor
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: American education, education biases + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: American education, education biases, class privilege, genderqueer, black LGBTQIA, Asian American, White passing, bi-racial relationship, American Assimilation
    "(ALL) WHITE PARTY" (formerly ADULTING) is an ensemble piece that takes a look into the personal lives of a diverse group of individuals who find themselves having to navigate their divergent personalities and experiences together at a faculty gathering for the prestigious private high school Brighton. Centering the experiences of women and non-binary humans of color within professional settings, this...
    "(ALL) WHITE PARTY" (formerly ADULTING) is an ensemble piece that takes a look into the personal lives of a diverse group of individuals who find themselves having to navigate their divergent personalities and experiences together at a faculty gathering for the prestigious private high school Brighton. Centering the experiences of women and non-binary humans of color within professional settings, this play explores the respectability politics that go into sustaining institutionalized forms of racism, homophobia, classism, and misogyny.
  • SHITTING BRICKS by Misao McGregor
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: anti Asian racism, anti-asian discrimination + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: anti Asian racism, anti-asian discrimination, abuse, adolescent bullying, high school reunion, dark humor, Black comedy, funny revenge
    Asian-American twins Clea and Chase return home for their 10-year high school reunion, reminiscing on the bullying and abuse they endured at the hands of their classmates. While Chase is inclined to take the high road, Clea conjures up an alternative solution to make their bullies confront the abuse they inflicted head-on.
  • hellokitty55 by Misao McGregor
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, holiday
    While at their Mom and Dad's house for Japanese New Year, Kimi breaks her no-technology-during-the-holidays pact with her sister Ari and checks her social media to receive some disappointing news.
  • firefly / a foreigner's tale by Misao McGregor
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: Japanese American, japanese internment + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy
    Keyword: Japanese American, japanese internment, queer love, interracial relationships, Family Secrets, magical realism, inherited trauma
    “a firefly that flies too far and burns too bright” - these are the words to describe a generational line of women whose spirits are forced to be contained by their political surroundings. as hotaru looks back on her life, confronting her time in the japanese internment camps, her granddaughter, chiyako, looks forward to her future, unsure of how to proceed in a way that will both fulfill her own desires and...
    “a firefly that flies too far and burns too bright” - these are the words to describe a generational line of women whose spirits are forced to be contained by their political surroundings. as hotaru looks back on her life, confronting her time in the japanese internment camps, her granddaughter, chiyako, looks forward to her future, unsure of how to proceed in a way that will both fulfill her own desires and live up to the sacrifices her family has made for her. in this new play, inherited experience ties these two generations together as they fight for the freedom to love while inhabiting a skin they can’t escape.
  • Pizza Over Flowers by Misao McGregor
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
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    Keyword: queer love, pizza + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: queer love, pizza, after death
    Ramira is quick to deliver a pizza to a grieving Mieko, who has just lost her grandfather, in full delivery outfit and all. They examine the differences and similarities between ceremonies of death between Japanese and Cuban families, until Ramira steers the conversation toward prom. Mieko has ten minutes in this short play to reconcile her duty to her family and her budding love for Ramira.
  • Dandelions Conquer by Misao McGregor
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama, romantic comedy
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    Keyword: queer love, memory loss + 1 more
    Genre: drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: queer love, memory loss, magical medical realism
    Dandelions Conquer follows the story of Avery and her girlfriend Maya, who has been in a car accident and is suffering from brain trauma, going through different past stages of her life. She begins the play at age five and begins to progress in age as Avery guides her through conversation and memory. As they relive the moments in which they met, the moments they realized their sexuality, and the moments in...
    Dandelions Conquer follows the story of Avery and her girlfriend Maya, who has been in a car accident and is suffering from brain trauma, going through different past stages of her life. She begins the play at age five and begins to progress in age as Avery guides her through conversation and memory. As they relive the moments in which they met, the moments they realized their sexuality, and the moments in which their integrity and strength were tested, Avery tries to get Maya back to the present, compacting her life into a 30-page play, all in hopes of finding her love again.