What is Critical Insight?
Critical Insight is a new generative writing fellowship that unites dynamic emerging voices in arts journalism with high-impact cultural critics and reporters through an industry-first partnership between Pittsburgh Public Theater and American Theatre magazine. Fellows are immersed in arts and criticism for 7 months and have the opportunity to develop their portfolio while being a part of conversations at the cutting edge of the fields. Critical Insight is a collaboration between arts organizations, critics and arts journalists, and publishing partners, all of whom benefit from the healthier arts economies good criticism generates.
Meet the Cohort
Elise Ryan (she/her) is a teacher and writer. She is Teaching Associate Professor of Literature at the University of Pittsburgh where she regularly teaches courses on word-image dynamics, theater history, and the hidden stories of unique places in Pittsburgh in her course Secret Pittsburgh. You can read her writing at The Millions, Image journal, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ajani Zanaya Powell (she/they) is a multi-disciplinary artist with a rich background in advocacy, communications, Africana studies, and digital media. Ajani Zanaya channels their passion into uplifting Black voices and educating marginalized communities. Her work blends artistic expression with a commitment to social justice, exploring themes of identity, resilience, and empowerment. Notable achievements include an Honorable Mention at the Carnegie Museum of Art and impactful collaborations with various Pittsburgh artists. Through their creative expression, Ajani bridges gaps and fosters dialogue, honoring the legacy of the past while inspiring future generations.
Emma Diehl (she/her) is a writer, editor, and sometimes podcast producer in Pittsburgh. Her specialty is tackling tricky topics and making them easier for all readers to understand. When she's not out chasing her next story, she's curating the Free DVD Library she installed outside her home.
Mingsi Ma (she/her) is a passionate music and cultural industry professional and arts writer. Born in China, she has previously lived in Chicago and New York City, and now happily resides in Pittsburgh. She takes pride in her work and firmly believes in the profound impact of the arts in empowering individuals, uniting communities, and creating an inclusive society. She often jokes that the arts are her one true love — though her friends suspect she’s not entirely kidding. Mingsi earned her B.M. in Music Business, with a double major in East Asian Studies, from New York University, and an M.A. in the Humanities, focusing on Ethnomusicology and East Asian Languages and Civilizations, from The University of Chicago. Catch her at concerts, performances, galleries, and museums!
Alyssa Velazquez (she/her) is a cultural historian, playwright, actress, and writer. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in Material Intelligence, S/He Speaks 2: Voices of Women, Trans & Nonbinary Folx, The Tower, Scraps Literary Journal, The Establishment, AutoStraddle, GRLSQUASH, The Fashion Studies Journal, Women’s History Magazine, Juggad: A Material Religions Project, and the Votive Project. Past residencies include Lambda Literary Writer's Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices 2024, City Books Writer-in-Residence, and as a Freshworks Artist at Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh. She is a proud member of Dramatists Guild of America.
Colleen Hammond (she/her) is a reporter and theater artist from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a graduate of Duquesne University with degrees in journalism and theater arts. During college, she pursued her lifelong love of storytelling through her work as editor-in-chief of The Duquesne Duke and a frequent fixture in student theater. Locally, her bylines can be found in The Tribune Review and Pittsburgh City Paper. In 2022, Colleen starred in the one-woman show, 1000 Airplanes on the Roof by David Henry Hwang. Soon after, she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to work as a breaking news reporter at The News & Observer. She is thrilled to be back in Pittsburgh to pursue a career in arts journalism.
Lindsay Anne Herring (she/her/they) is a performing artist, theater maker, folklorist, writer, and community organizer. She is devoted to creative storytelling, and is constantly finding new methods of doing so. Striving to create work that is accessible and transformative, many of her practices feed into this. She holds an M.A. in Food Studies from Chatham University, and a B.A. in Musical Theatre and Dance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She grew up in the wilds of rural western Pennsylvania, and now lives in Pittsburgh.
Pria Dahiya (she/her) is a director, visual artist and writer exploring internet culture through literary adaptation, movement and media design. With a passion for exploring the intersection of technology and humanity, Pria's work transcends the boundaries of traditional art forms, seamlessly blending literary adaptation, movement, and media design. Pria has also spent twenty-one years being biracial, bisexual, and chronically online. Her work touches on the absurd code-switching and constant alienation of this duality, and how the internet can hide, broadcast, and manipulate these conflicting identities.
