July 30, 2025
Playwright, Author and Illustrator Mallory Raven Ellen Backstrom has just been named the latest recipient of the L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award. Photo provided by O-Street Brand Management + Consulting.
Stories this photo appears in:
Writer Wants Her Stories To Show Black Women As The Lead In Fairytales
Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom’s earliest memories are of her being four or five, under the covers, writing or drawing. She knew she was a storyteller and wanted to write magic for Black people. She began writing plays because during her time in the theatre she didn’t see roles for Black women in stories that had magic and whimsy. At 28, she received a scholarship to Chicago Dramatists and she wrote Cephianne’s Reflection. Backstrom has just been named the latest recipient of the L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award. She is the fourth person of color and one of few Black women to receive this award.