Pamela Weiler Grayson

Pam’s musical, "Urban Momfare" (composer/lyricist/co-book writer), won a Best Musical award, at the New York International Fringe Festival, garnered four stars and a Critics Pick from Time Out. Pam’s award-winning plays and musicals have been seen on stages throughout New York and nationally, including Primary Stages, Naked Angels, Theatre Now New York, The Group Rep/Lonny Chapman Theatre, Southwest Theatre Productions, and Emerging Artists Theatre. She is the co-writer, with Alice Jankell, of "Cicadas, The Musical," featured on Season 2 of the Amazon streaming series, “The Other F Word.” Pam’s songs have been performed at The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, and The Duplex, among others. She recently completed a writing residency at Kervigo Ensemble Theatre (NY) and is a member of Theatre Now New York’s National Musical Writers Lab. Her musical Coda, co-written with Alice Jankell and composer Aaron Drescher, was selected as a semifinalist at the 2021 Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Music Theater Conference. Dramatists Guild member. Education: Brown University, Fordham Law School, New York Theatre Workshop, and The BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. 

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: https://www.pamelaweilergrayson.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.w.grayson
IG: @pamwgrayson 

MORE ABOUT ME
My most gratifying moment in the theatre was watching the opening night performance of the first show I had ever written, URBAN MOMFARE, at the New York Fringe Festival, in 2014. That performance was the culmination of many years of work on this original musical, and it was pure joy (and okay, a little terror) to watch it come to life on a professional stage, and to hear the audience reaction to it. Probably the production that most changed my life was the original “A Chorus Line.” I had always wanted to be a performer, and when I saw that show, I was transported into a world that felt like the place I just had to be a part of. I overcome disappointment by learning to move on to the next thing, and by doing something that one of my collaborators said to me years ago: “Celebrate the ‘Yeses.’” So when I feel disappointed, especially with rejections, I try to think about all the “Yeses” I’ve gotten, and the positive affirmations that I receive from many others. I also meditate, exercise, eat chocolate, take a walk, or watch some escapist movie or t.v. show. I’m still working on how to master disappointment, as I believe it’s a lifelong journey. But I’m getting better at it. Most days! I imagine telling stories in these times by trying my best to write truthfully and to commit to my characters and their journeys. I believe in the power of storytelling and that people will respond to a well-written play, whether or not that play conforms to the current trends. I also believe in the power of humor (especially dark comedy), which I infuse into all my shows, even the most dramatic ones. 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
I’m always working on different projects, which are in different stages of development, but in terms of writing, I’m currently (as of March 2022) focusing on two main works. One is an original musical, where I am co-writing book and lyrics with Alice Jankell, and Aaron Drescher is our composer. The show is about love, sex, and connection in an assisted living facility. We use Indie Rock music to help challenge the common notions of older age. The second piece is a play about a contemporary American Jewish family, focusing on three generations of women, as they wrestle with their identities when antisemitism hits home. 

KEYWORDS
​Comedy-dramas, Musicals, Jewish, Women-centric, Mid-Life