Blossom Johnson
writer / filmmaker
BIOGRAPHY
Blossom Johnson is a Diné storyteller, playwright, teaching artist and screenwriter. She was raised by her grandmother on the very top of Dził Yijiin (Black Mesa), AZ and she’s always been surrounded by stories. When she opens the front door of her grandma’s yellow house, she can see a coal mine. Below the mesa is an old run-down restaurant where her mother used to hustle as a waitress during the summer in her teen years, and there is an old store where her grandmother would up-sale her hand made jewelry to tourists by the entrance, but the restaurant and the store has now been closed for years because what was taken from the earth was diminished, so no one stayed, and they eventually went out of business.
The people that stayed are Diné and their stories, her stories, are thriving. When she creates, she writes for her people and the stories she writes come from memories, experiences, and family history. In her writing, she reveals truths that are hard to face but she balances the darkness with humor, so the viewer has a chance to breathe and laugh.
Blossom has recently completed a residency with AlterTheater and Willowtail Springs/Durango Play Fest where she developed two new plays, A BOARDING SCHOOL PLAY and monster SLAYER. She has been awarded the First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellowship 2022, where she will continue to develop her voice, writing, and artistry. She is excited to make a smooth transition from theatre to film narrative.
Qualifications
Teaching artist in theatre
Teaching artist in beadwork
Storytelling
Theatre