Rowan Acadia Dunlop uses traditional craft to converse with the present and future.
Rowan Acadia Dunlop is a Cajun from rural Vermont. She is a former contract writer for the United States Department of War and the United States Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). She is also a former U.S. Army War College Historical Research Intern. She is a current member of Veterans For Peace, NYC Chapter and the Brooklyn Society of Friends. She works full time in publishing, and lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Dunlop received her BFA in Dramaturgy from Carnegie Mellon University, where she also specialized in Military Science.
Dunlop wrote her first play, a 120 page, anti-war WWII historical drama, On The Line (The New South Young Playwright's Festival, Vermont Young Playwright's Festival, Zoomfest: a Theatrical Podcast) at age 17. On The Line explores the psychological impact of war, and the impact of ethnicity, class and language on mid 20th century servicemembers.
At age 18, Dunlop was a founding member of the 501(c) nonprofit theatre group Verdantrics Production Company, serving at secretary, director, and set designer for 35mm (Williston Town Center) and See Rock City (The Barn). This organization is still running, providing artistic opportunities to young adults in rural Vermont.
After a move to Pittsburgh, Dunlop joined Pittsburgh Friends Meeting, and began working extensively with director Pria Dahiya on a variety of adapted and original works across Pittsburgh, PA, including Anything Good Makes Me Want To Die (self-produced), You and Me and The End of the World (Kelly Strayhorn’s Alloy Studios), Love and Money (The John Wells Video Studio), and culminating in DYING LIKE GODS (The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry).
DYING LIKE GODS is an anti-war slipstream drama following minor characters from The Iliad, post-Trojan war. Investigating themes of gender in warfare, unjust war, religious warfare, and the psychological impacts of warfare, DYING LIKE GODS was a month-long series of workshop explorations into the integration of new age technology and ancient storytelling.
Working from an in-progress script written by Dunlop, they conducted creative research on incorporating projection design and AI-generated imagery into a pre-digital age piece. This research culminated into a 30-minute staged reading with full projection design, followed by a talkback. All proceeds from this event went to the Center for Civilians in Conflict.
At this time, Dunlop also interned extensively for producer Amy Katherine Taylor, most notably for the film Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue starring Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, Alicia Silverstone, Danny Trejo, and Bill Nighy.
In 2025, Dunlop produced 2043 in NYC (The Socially Responsible Fund, Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends) a satirical sci-fi solo performance art show following three drone pilots in WWIIII. Every image and sound produced in 2043 was created through generative AI programs, topically commenting on the increasingly digital and remote nature of warfighting technologies. All proceeds from this event went to the Center for Civilians in Conflict.
Dunlop's performance art/visual art with the artist Nikolas Julien Diamant has been produced throughout NYC at International WOW Company, Godspeed Arts Collective, and The Boiler Gallery. Her work has also been shown at the S.P.A.C.E Gallery, Under St. Marks, and the North Hills Art Collective.
As she grew up weaving on a sitting loom, her visual art and designs primarily incorporate traditional craft with new-age manufacturing/technological commentary. Dunlop is currently experimenting with felt, depicting military technology and/or surreal scenes of rural living.
Dunlop assisted at T11's 2025 New York Fashion Week pop-up.
Dunlop is currently continuing her studies at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research. Her novel, The Progenies, an avant garde, slipstream novel on warfare in 12th century BCE, is set to release in January 2026.
