About Me

About Mrinalini

Hello, again!

Presumably you’ve come to this page because you’d like to know something about the person with whom you may do business. So here’s a bit about me:

    • I’ve had a passion for words and writing from a young age (there are old composition books at my parents’ house filled with poems and stories about cats and squirrels). Basically, I was born to tell stories.

 

    • I attended Johns Hopkins University, where I received a B.A. in The Writing Seminars (similar to an English major, but with a very heavy emphasis on your own writing).  While there, I won the Louis B. Azrael Fellowship in Communications, a $5,000 scholarship based on my articles for the independent student newspaper and graduated with departmental honors.

 

    • After spending a few years in electronic publishing (where I didn’t get to tell stories), I went on to receive a graduate degree in playwriting at The New School in New York City, where I learned to write for a variety of audiences.

 

  • Because of my background as a playwright, I was hired by an advertising agency, where I happily worked in both a full-time and freelance capacity (i.e., I have the ever-popular “agency experience,”) on ad banners, superstitials, trivia questions, e-newsletters, direct mail postcards and more.  I also worked on a variety of product campaigns, including OTC medicines, shampoos, food products, fabrics and hygiene products.

Since then, I’ve been writing copy for various websites, serving as a section editor for the first online beauty magazine, keeping a blog and reading every blog, whitepaper, e-book, article and book I can get my hands on that has to do with freelance writing, copywriting, marketing and SEO.  I don’t do it just because it’s my business:  I do it because I find it all fascinating.

In other words, I have knowledge, experience and enthusiasm:-)

Like to schedule a free What Could I Be Doing Differently? Session? Click here to e-mail me.

Education

The Actors Studio Drama School, New School University, Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting

Johns Hopkins University, Bachelor of Arts, The Writing Seminars. Graduated with departmental honors and The Louis Azrael Fellowship in Communications ($5,000 merit scholarship awarded by the Writing Seminars Department on the basis of a written portfolio).

Awards & Honors

Semi-finalist, the Samuel French 32nd Annual Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival (2007)

Semi-finalist, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference (2007)

Semi-finalist, Eugene O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference (2007)

Semi-finalist, Page 73 Productions (P73) Fellowship (2006)

Fellow, Maria-Theresa A. Gamboni/Nancy Quinn Fund Start the Story (Fluid Motion Theatre and Film) (2006-07)

Partial Scholarship, SLS Russia Program (2006)

Finalist, Bay Area Playwrights’ Festival (2005)

Winner, First Place, East West Players “Got Laughs?” Play Competition, Los Angeles, CA (2005)

Finalist, Tribeca All Access Open Stage, NY, NY (2004)

Finalist, Jerome Fellowship, Playwrights’ Center, Minneapolis, MN (2004)

University and Theatre Scholarships, ASDS, New School University (2000 – 2003)

Tennessee Williams Scholar, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Sewanee, TN (2003)

Finalist, Actors Theatre of Louisville Ten-Minute Play Contest (2003)

Finalist, Ensemble Studio Theatre‘s Marathon of One-Act Plays (2002)

Winner, Young Playwrights’ Contest, Green Theatre Company, New Malden, Surrey, U.K. (2002)

Winner, Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) New Play Development Workshop (2000, 2002 and 2003)

Winner, Religion and Theatre Division of the ATHE One-Act Competition (2000)

Publications

Smith and Kraus’ The Best Stage Scenes of 1999 (Confessions from the Afterlife)

Smith and Kraus’ The Best Stage Scenes of 2000 (Roulette)

Playscripts.com‘s Great Short Plays: Vol. 2 (Views) and Actor’s Choice: Monologues for Teens (monologue from Views)

Hot-Blooded: Monologues from the Members of Youngblood

Healthy Primates and Other Plays from the New Play Development Workshop (Strangers on a Train, The Some of All Parts and Bunnicuba)

Smith and Kraus’ Ten-Minute Plays for 3 or More Actors 2004 edited by Michael Bigelow Dixon (The Some of All Parts)

Smith and Kraus’ Audition Arsenal: 101 Monologues by Type, 2 Minutes and Under, for Men in their 20s (excerpt from Celestial Motions)

Smith and Kraus’ Plays for Two Actors 2007 (A Rush of Wings)