Introducing 2026 Artist in Action Fellow Kallan Dana

Update
March 6, 2026
Playwright Kallan Dana discussing her work and the play “Control” as part of The Action Lab’s Artists in Action fellowship.

The Action Lab welcomes playwright Kallan Dana—Artist in Residence at Working Theater—as a 2026 Artists in Action fellow. In this interview, she shares insights into her new play “Control,” exploring the pressures faced by air traffic controllers balancing high-stakes work and personal life.

Playwright Kallan Dana discussing her work and the play “Control” as part of The Action Lab’s Artists in Action fellowship.

We are excited to continue building out our Artists in Action program in 2026, which now welcomes Kallan Dana, Artist in Residence at our anchor partner, the Working Theater, as its newest fellow. Kallan is a playwright originally from Portland, Oregon. Her plays include Lobster (The Tank/Needy Lover, Best Theater of 2025 in The New Yorker and Vulture/New York Magazine) and RACECAR RACECAR RACECAR (The Hearth/A.R.T. NY). She is a New Georges affiliated artist and 2025 Audrey Resident, and a recipient of the 2025 National Theatre Conference Paul Green Award. She co-founded the artist collaboration group TAG at the Tank and makes theater with her company Needy Lover. Our team recently sat down with Kallan to learn more about her work-in-progress, ‘Control’, which follows a group of air traffic controllers grappling with the challenges of balancing high-stakes jobs and personal pressures. Take a look at this video to learn more!

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