Abela, Donna (Australia)

Donna is an award-winning playwright. Her earliest plays were written for Powerhouse Youth Theatre in NSW, a company she co-founded and continues to support as a member of the board.

She has written over 30 original and adapted stage plays for youth, community, independent and mainstream theatre companies, and radio plays for the ABC and Eastside Radio. She has been commissioned to adapt stories in the public domain, develop original narratives, devise works with young or professional performers, create works based on community consultation, and to collaborate with multi-writer teams.

Her plays for young audiences include Ratbags, Reek Havoc, Circus Caravan, Quest, Tales from the Arabian Nights, Cayee’s Ukulele and Monkey, Journey to the West. Donna's play Jump For Jordan won the Griffin Playwriting Award in 2013. Other Awards include AWGIE awards, and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Award for Drama. 

Donna is also a founding member of the 7-ON playwrights' group, along with Verity Laughton, Vanessa Bates, Hilary Bell, Noelle Janaczewska, Ned Manning and Catherine Zimdahl.