Lachrisa Grandberry to Lead NOVA Initiative

Lachrisa Grandberry. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

Audiences in Door County have come to know Lachrisa Grandberry during her past five seasons with Northern Sky Theater as a performer, playwright and composer. Starting this year, she’ll also add “program director” to her list of roles as she leads the organization’s newly formed NOVA (Nurturing Original Voices and Artists) Initiative.

NOVA is Northern Sky’s next-generation, new-works development and incubation initiative. Its goal is to foster, nurture and expand creative opportunities for alumni, BIPOC and emerging writers.

“The NOVA Initiative is a reflection of what Northern Sky has always been,” Grandberry said. “In my time working on Sunflowered, I learned so much in the writing process and could not have done it without the hands-on support of the leadership staff. I’m excited to pay it forward and be more intimately involved with my theater home. Even more, I’m excited about the infinite possibilities that’ll come as we continue to make space for the next generation of storytellers.” 

Elements of NOVA include writing circles; explorative writing workshops; The Nesting Place, a writer-to-writer mentorship program; and Pot of Luck, a writer’s retreat festival. In addition to advancing these elements, Grandberry will also serve on Northern Sky’s IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Solutions) Task Force and support Northern Sky’s marketing efforts to reach new audiences.

She was recently named one of Wisconsin’s 52 Most Influential Black Leaders.

To learn more about the NOVA Initiative, email Grandberry at [email protected].