Lee Cotman (they/them) writes historical screenplays with care and authenticity. Grounded in academic research, their work centers marginalized and working-class people, and insists that humans in the past were as nuanced as we are today. Common themes include gender fluidity, community care, and the absurdity of social hierarchies.
Lee is currently studying for a Master’s degree through SUNY Empire State University. Their research is focused on medieval film as a site for public history, including ways to enhance the genre’s representation of queerness and gender diversity. Their thesis project will take the form of a well-researched screenplay set in medieval England, featuring a transgender protagonist.
Their poetry has been published extensively in the U.S. and U.K. and has placed in multiple contests. Since 2015, Lee has been a student at Circus Culture, where they’ve developed two full-length shows in collaboration with other local artists. They live in Ithaca, New York with their partner, child, and two “pet” Juneberry trees.