Tanya Roy—spoken word artist, storyteller, poet, writer, and children’s theater specialist—has been awarded seven grants this year for projects that reflect her deep commitment to community storytelling, cross‑disciplinary collaboration, and the belief that the arts can bridge divides. A lifelong North Country creative, Roy has been “telling stories since [she] learned to talk,” a passion nurtured by her father and grandfather around Adirondack campfires and later shaped by Native American storytelling performances she attended. Her newest funded projects continue that lineage of narrative, connection, and cultural reflection.
One of her projects, 25 Years Later – Revisiting the North Country on 9/11, holds a special place in her heart. The project honors the 25th anniversary of September 11th by inviting the region to reflect on the events of 2001 and their lasting impact. It includes three performances of WTC View by NYC Playwright Brian Sloan, a Q&A with the author, and a documentary featuring interviews with North Country residents about their memories and experiences of 9/11.
Community members interested in sharing their stories will soon see invitations in The Watertown Daily Times and on the Facebook pages of Spoken Word of NNY and Watertown Lyric Theater.
The documentary will weave together voices across age, class, race, religion, gender, and economic background—capturing a cross‑section of the region’s humanity. Videographer Joshua Monnat and composer Joseph Foy will collaborate to create the film, which will open each performance of WTC View. The play itself follows a man searching for a roommate in the weeks after 9/11, encountering individuals from marginalized or underserved communities—a gay man, a person living below the poverty line, someone living with AIDS—each navigating trauma through their own lens.
In a time marked by division, Roy’s project seeks to remind audiences of a moment when Americans reached for one another in solidarity. Through performance, conversation, and shared memory, the project aims to bring the community together in reflection and empathy. The production will be presented at The Strand Theater in Watertown, NY, on the weekend of September 11, 2026, in partnership with Watertown Lyric Theater.
Roy’s second major project, We Are More Alike Than Different, brings together six artists from different ages, races, disciplines, and backgrounds to explore the shared human experience of “home.” Tanya Roy, Nathalie Thill, Calvin “Fyne Print” Williams, Dana Gillan, Mykel “Quince” Myrick, and Stow Dunham will create twelve original pieces—a blend of spoken word, hip hop, and visual art—woven into a seamless hour‑long performance.
The project highlights how the arts blur the lines that often divide us. Through story and rhythm, audiences will hear how the same experience resonates differently across demographics yet still reveals a common emotional core. Roy’s vision is to create a stage where difference is honored, connection is illuminated, and the community sees itself reflected in all its complexity. Information about the public performance will be available through Spoken Word of NNY, The Strand Theater, Watertown, and harmonny.org.
These projects are supported by the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, administered by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.
Beyond these projects, Roy’s artistic and educational work is deeply embedded in the region. She serves as a literacy coach for the Indian River Central School District, where she teaches students to love language and reading. She is an award‑winning storyteller whose first narrative piece earned her a spot in the Grand Slam for North Country Public Radio and the Adirondack Center for Writing’s Howl Story Slam—and most recently, a place on The Moth Story Hour mainstage in NYC.
Her community involvement spans:
- Lyme Summer Theater Institute and Clayton Youth Theater Week, where she helps young performers build skills onstage and backstage
- The Butler Did It Players, the interactive Watertown‑based improv troupe she co‑owns
- The HarmoNNY Performing Arts Community, where she serves on the board and was one of the organization’s first Artist Spotlights
She also leads Jazz in the Classroom, which recently received two grants to bring master classes from The Brighton Beat—a NYC‑based Afro‑beat jazz collective—to schools across the North Country.
Roy specializes in narrative storytelling—short, true, first‑person stories told without notes—and she thrives in the high‑energy challenge of Story Slam competitions, where she is often given only one minute to wrap up her tale.
Receiving seven grant awards in a single year underscores what the North Country already knows: Tanya Roy is a creative force whose work strengthens community bonds, amplifies diverse voices, and reminds audiences that storytelling—whether spoken, sung, filmed, or performed—is one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding one another. Her projects invite the region to reflect, to listen, and to recognize that across every demographic line, we are more alike than different.
All Roy’s work is housed under her company, Third Places, named for the social environments outside home and work where people connect, build relationships, and share their stories. Creating and nurturing these third places is central to her mission.
Her current projects include a production of Forever Plaid for Watertown Lyric Theater and a night of disco dancing for HarmoNNY Performing Arts, both coming to The Strand in June 2026.
And also, look for Roy’s forthcoming article in the next issue of Yokel Magazine.
