Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Kenner Grissom
Lisa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Born in Boston and living in LA, I very much identify as someone with a bicoastal sensibility. I love New England, had dreams of living in New York – which I did for a short time – and ended up making a life in one of the biggest, most dynamic cities in the world – Los Angeles. I have always been a writer – I started keeping a diary as soon as I could write – but it wasn’t until my late 20’s that I actually planted my flag as a writer with a capital W. I think the reason for this is that I didn’t have an example of what a creative life might look like.
I grew up in Swampscott, a small coastal town on the North Shore of Boston. As a young person, the idea of becoming a writer seemed, well…unrealistic. I actually grew up as more of an athlete than an artist, but I was always writing on the side – short stories, poetry, and articles as co-editor of my high school paper. My family is athletic and outdoorsy and we were always playing sports and spending time outside. So, I grew up figure skating, running, playing the odd game of tennis – and eventually took up women’s ice hockey in college. Yes – women’s ice hockey! I first played at Colby College and ended up as co-captain at Wesleyan University. So, at that time, my way of “performing” and connecting with others was through sports. It wasn’t until I fell into the theater world that I realized sports and theater are actually quite similar. Making a piece of theater is all about collaboration, mutual support, and of course, a sense of play. While the actual work of writing is often a solo endeavor, everything around it is similar to being on a team.
Another major reason I became a writer is because of a life changing event that reminded me that we have this one life – it’s up to us to make the most of it. At 26, I was diagnosed with a chronic invisible illness. Facing my mortality in my 20’s changed me, indelibly. This experience was both frightening and illuminating, yet also helped me realize that I need to follow my passion. It changed the course of my career path by forcing me to think deeply about how I wanted to spend my time and energy, especially when my physical resources can often feel limited. It was during this period that I realized I couldn’t walk away from my creative interests. However challenging a creative life might be, I had to follow my artistic curiosity.
Once I realized that I wanted to write as my profession, I dove in headfirst. I wrote spec features, TV scripts, and learned the craft of dramatic storytelling. I went to grad school for my MFA. Although I was in LA where everyone is writing for TV, I didn’t want to wait years to see my work realized. And then something both inevitable and surprising happened. As my creative life and network organically expanded, I met a group of theater artists. The next thing I knew I was writing monologues, one act plays, full length plays, and jumping into producing. It was my version of theater school.
Since then, I have been writing in various genres for both stage and screen. If I have an idea that captivates me, I allow the content to suggest the form. I don’t limit myself in terms of where it could go. Currently, I am working on a new play, INVISIBLE, which feels like it wants to include songs. I’m also working on a feature screenplay, GROWN-UP BULLY, which is an adaptation of my award-winning short play and film TATTOO YOU. Other projects include writing the libretto for an original musical called VILNA: A RESISTANCE STORY. I am also developing a documentary project called FOLLOWING FANIA. And, if you visit my office, you will see a white board with more ideas in the hopper…
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is a challenge that I have to navigate on the daily. While I would give anything to not have to deal with such issues, there are some silver linings.
I have learned to be mindful in terms of where I put my attention and energy. Over time, I have developed an ever-evolving menu of creative life hacks and rituals to help me stay healthy and achieve my goals. Most importantly, I have cultivated strong personal and professional relationships that are sources of mutual support and inspiration.
None of us can do this work alone. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I don’t have to. I find community not only among fellow writers and theater artists, but also by connecting with people from all walks of life. Whatever challenges life throws my way, my aim is to stay engaged, curious, and inspired. Prioritizing health, rest, laughter, joy, and friendship is key.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
A through-line for me as an artist is to create spaces for truth-telling and connection. Healing is often at the center of my work in some form, although it’s not always obvious. I write plays that are both epic and intimate, usually about relationships, and always about the cracks in human behavior. I observe characters and situations closely, mining humor in darkness, and finding moments of levity in discomfort. I delve into big themes, yet illuminate them on a human level. Identity, female empowerment, choice-making, resilience, and loss are among the subjects I’ve explored.
My work is a blend of the dramatic and the comedic, with some magic and a few curve balls thrown in. I lean into moments of poetry, stillness, and silence amidst the drama. I believe so much truth can be conveyed in the spaces between and the gray areas of our lives. My commitment as a playwright, both to myself and to an audience, is to find the emotion in a dramatic situation, and to explore it to its fullest potential.
I’m excited to share that I have a few projects coming to stages in 2025. My latest play “here comes the night” – which is a fresh take on the abortion divide as told through the lens of female friendship – will be having its World Premiere at Moving Arts Theatre in Los Angeles, opening January 18 and running through February 16, 2025. Details available at movingarts.org. Also, you can catch a presentation of my new musical VILNA: A RESISTANCE STORY at the historic Ebell Theatre in LA on April 6, 2025.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I love a list!
Being true to one’s self.
Honesty, passion, curiosity, love, family, friendship, hugs.
Loyalty, trust, joy, music, art in all forms, silliness, good trouble, community.
Nature, the ocean, moving the body, dancing, spaciousness, a great meal, rest.
Finding the beauty, appreciating time, spontaneity, discipline, travel, openness.
Peace. Health. Generosity.
Laughter, laughter, laughter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lisakennergrissom.com
- Instagram: @lisa_kenner_grissom_
- Facebook: @lisakennergrissom
- Twitter: @lisakenner1
- Other: https://vilnamusical.com
Image Credits
Linda Abbott
Kiff Scholl
