Dana Hall, award winning playwright and mental health therapist, recalls being 8 years old and watching a tree she loved get cut down.

Dana Hall, award winning playwright and mental health therapist, recalls being 8 years old and watching a tree she loved get cut down.

From Tell Me What Happened by Jay Rehak

April 27, 2026 · 16 min · Season 5 · Episode 6

About this episode

Dana Hall discusses her experiences as a playwright and mental health therapist, reflecting on a childhood memory of a beloved tree being cut down.

Dana Hall (she/her) is a Chicago-based, award-winning playwright, actor, and mental health therapist whose work often explores trauma, resilience, and healing. Her plays have received recognition both nationally and internationally. She has been a semifinalist for the O’Neill National Playwriting Conference, a multi-time finalist for the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival, a top finalist for AACT NewPlayFest, and a finalist for the Morecambe Fringe John Clarke Memorial Prize, and the Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellows Program. A winner of the New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest, Dana is currently in residency with the Dramatists Guild Institute’s Certificate in Dramatic Writing program. Her plays have been published by Next Stage Press, Heuer Publishing, Smith & Kraus, Tiny Scripted, and Stage Plays.Dana is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Honor Roll!, the League of Professional Theatre Women, and the International Centre for Female Playwrights. She is committed to expanding representation for women and actors over forty, advocating for playwrights’ rights, and fostering community among emerging writers via the Facebook group The Playwright…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Rehak

Guest: Dana Hall

Topics covered

  • playwriting
  • mental health
  • trauma
  • resilience
  • female representation
  • theatre

Keywords

  • playwright
  • mental health
  • trauma
  • resilience
  • female playwrights
  • theatre community
  • Chicago

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dramatists Guild, League of Professional Theatre Women, International Centre for Female Playwrights, Next Stage Press, Heuer Publishing, Smith & Kraus, Tiny Scripted, Stage Plays

Products: Cue the Comedy

More episodes of Tell Me What Happened

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Tell Me What Happened podcast page.