Divya Mangwani is a writer, director, dancer and theatre artist from Pune, India, based in New York. She was the founder and Artistic Director of Moonbeam Factory Theatre (MFT), where she wrote, directed and produced plays that were staged all over India, Singapore and Glasgow. MFT was the first theatre company in Pune that focused on original productions in English and supported community building and education.

 

Divya writes plays about the absurdities of political, social and mythical life. In New York, her plays have been seen/developed with UNICEF, Soho Rep, New York Theatre Workshop, The Civilians, Gingold Theatrical Group, The Flea, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Hypokrit Theatre, Mabou Mines, Project Y Theater, Astoria Performing Arts Centre, Pipeline Theatre Company, Castillo Theatre, Theatre East, Rising Sun Performance Company and Governors Island. 

​

Selected work: Elements of Change (UN Climate Change Week 2018 and touring NYC schools), Vigil-Auntys (finalist, BAPF 2023), Yes, Uncle (finalist, Leah Ryan Fund for Emerging Women Writers Award 2018), and One, Two, Three (winner of best script, director, play and audience vote, Short+Sweet Festival).

​

She is currently part of The New Victory Theater LabWorks and The New Georges Jam and was a fellow of Soho Rep’s Writer/Director Lab, Gingold Speakers Corner playwright, New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Artistic Fellow, The Civilians’ R&D Group, Hypokrit Theatre Tamasha playwright, Project Y Writers Group playwright and Playlab fellow at Pipeline Theatre.

​

Before theatre, Divya was a journalist and editor and has worked with international publications such as ESPN, Crisis Response Journal, Janus Education Publishing, Daily News & Analysis and The Times of India. As an arts educator, she has developed work and directed productions at various schools, taught creative writing and conducted theatre workshops sponsored by organizations like The Pune International Literary Festival and the US Department of State. She also writes screenplays, television scripts and children's animation. Her recent pilot features her cat as a Darjeeling shaman demon.   

​

​

​

 

Divya Mangwani | New Play Exchange

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​