Taina Carrion-Perez is a Nuyorican playwright from East Harlem who uses storytelling as an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of human relationships and mental health through the lens of a variety of characters from children to seniors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Playwriting and Screenwriting from SUNY Purchase College. During her time in college, in 2019, her play Hija De Arte was produced in the PWSW New Plays Now Festival at Purchase. In the face of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taina co-founded the New Day Art Collective in the spring of 2020. With many theaters closing their doors and in-person performances canceled, the collective took their passion for theater and talents to an online space. Their first production of short plays was live streamed on YouTube, and garnered 3.5k views opening night. It was in this show that Taina debuted as a director for her radio play Miguelito. For the company’s winter showcase, they staged a virtual adaptation of The Great Gatsby with a nuanced spin on the classic play, making Jay Gatsby a queer woman. In 2021, Taina’s play The Boogie Boarder was produced by the Westchester Collaborative Theater for the Hudson Valley New Voices Festival. Her most recent play, My Girl, Lola became a semi-finalist in the 2024 SheNYC Arts Summer Theater Festival.