about

Jay (she | her) creates musical stories in all mediums exploring themes of equity and healing with emotional simplicity and hard beats. 

Adana began writing out of necessity while collaborating on a devised piece as a performer. She ducked into the corner to write a song to move the plot along and couldn’t stop. It became the Obie Award winning THE WOODSMAN and told the origin story of the Tin Man story from Frank L Baum's THE WIZARD OF OZ.

She and Zeniba Now were the winners of the 2020 Richard Rodgers Award for THE LOOPHOLE and the 2021 Vivace Award for VERA & THE BATTLE FOR NEW SEOUL. Adana is a 2018 Jonathan Larson Award winner, 2019 Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow, 2017 #BARS Residency Writer at The Public Theater, and a SPACE on Ryder Farm alum.

Her work has been seen at New World Stages, The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, Ars Nova, 59E59, Musical Theater Factory, Playwrights Horizons NYU, and Joe’s Pub. It has been featured by PBS, The American Theater Wing, and The Dramatist Magazine.