Today we’d like to introduce you to Krysana Maragh.
Hi Krysana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Storytelling has always been at my center but it’s manifested in different forms throughout my lifetime. I started as an actor. I grew up doing musical theater and then graduated to commercials, student films and indie projects. I was so excited to go to college in Atlanta and tap into the Hollywood of the south. But, my ambitions never got off the ground. There weren’t roles written for women like me: young, black, three dimensional, ambitious and flawed. So to fill the gap I started writing my own material, for demo reels at first and then for small projects with my friends, and before long I was writing just to write.
At Emory, I double majored in political science and media studies. For my media track I chose a screenwriting class to learn about professional formatting for my scripts. But due to a mix up with the registrar’s office, I was admitted into an advanced screenwriting class and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. Short stories led to feature length led to an ambition for directing from script to screen.
Atlanta is an incredible place to get started as a creative because there are so many collaborators ready to connect. I used my acting jobs to network with cinematographers and producers and pitch my ideas. I was working with SCAD students so often, the production center thought I was enrolled. And that led to my next idea, film school. I used the material I had been creating for myself as my portfolio submissions and in the fall of 2021, I moved to New York to attend Columbia University’s School of the Arts with a scholarship. I graduate in May with a Master’s of Fine Arts in Television Writing and I can’t wait to get back to Atlanta and continue the work I started with better and brighter stories.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Writing a project is a solo activity but MAKING the project is a very collaborative form. There are tangible tools you can learn about screenwriting from any class about dialog or structure or format. And then there are the interpersonal tools, the subjective things that I continue to struggle with, like how to accept notes and apply them. Before we can pick up a camera, we have to be certain that the story is sound on the page and producible at scale which requires workshopping. For some, opening yourself to criticism can be uncomfortable or even annoying. But for me, it’s crippling. I’m terrified that people might not understand, or tear apart what I’ve created or minimize what I’m attempting to do. It’s a vulnerable endeavor but a necessary one in order to gauge my efficacy. The trick I’ve learned is to decide which voices are worth listening to and always prioritizing my own.
I have considered quitting rather than sitting through feedback! If my ideas were just meant for me, I’d never share them. I’d lock my words in a journal and never show anyone. But I intend my work for an audience so I’ve had to get comfortable with the process of feeding myself to the scrutiny wood chipper and making sure my voice is still intact when it comes out on the other end
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have been working on stories to highlight experiences from a suburban lens. I’m defining a genre called Revenge of Suburban Black America, and as confrontational as it sounds, I use “revenge” as an alternative term for small justices. It comes from a personal place for me but a familiar place to so many like me. What comes after attaining the American Dream and being the first generation to actualize (and not just survive) is imposter syndrome. This feeling of having to validate your right to be in rooms you’ve earned access to, and then showing up and being the only person who looks like you…Or watering down what you’re best at to not be intimidating… Or being forced to prove your mettle every time you show up, it wears on your self worth. At least, it did for mine. We’re taught to either squeeze in where you fit or else you’ll get squeezed out. But even if you play by the rules, it’s an uncomfortable fit. My revenge is about making them uncomfortable, back. I write the villain origin stories of characters trying to color within the lines and then finding out they’re too bright for the page they’re on.
What if the “Emo Girl” was the ultimate trendsetter? From awkward to unapologetic, revenge for the Black, alternative punk kids is simply being their authentic selves in spite of the backlash. This is Meet Me @ The Mall, a television comedy and winner of the Faculty Selects Award at the 2025 Columbia University Film Festival.
What if the token black girl stole the show? From embarrassing to iconic, revenge for the unsexy late bloomers is making everyone regret underestimating their potential. This is Somewhere in Atlanta, a comedic feature film in pre-production.
What if Carlton Banks destroyed the system instead of trying to game it? From sheltered to formidable, revenge for the Black American Royalty is dismantling the hierarchies that shielded them from maturing. This Is Private Affairs, a television drama in development.
What if the “Naruto Kid” was a trained assassin? From outcast to fearsome, revenge for the Black nerds everywhere is watching the rest of us fall apart. This is What Happened to Jen, a dramatic feature in development.
What if I could say exactly what was on my mind without worrying how people would react? From intimidated to vocal, these stories are my revenge. My only responsibility is to tell the tale as authentically as I can recall the feeling. Are we villains? It depends on who’s asking…
What do you like and dislike about the city?
It’s an intoxicating sensation to see the ceiling without glass for the first time. That’s Atlanta in a sentence. There’s a new Black Renaissance upon us and I feel it bubbling in the streets. I think of Harlem, being on campus in New York, and what led to a historic era of cultural creation and collaborations. Atlanta has all the makings of fostering the next wave of monumental work. From Tyler Perry Studios, to Pinewoods, to Shadowbox Studios, I’ve worked on them all and there’s something magical about the way Atlanta comes together and supports each other. The people here are my favorite thing about the city, second only to Gus’ World Famous Chicken.
As for my least favorite, the pollen count is lethal!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MaraghMedia.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Kryscrossed
- Other: https://Vimeo.com/MaraghMedia
Image Credits
Images by: Kalyn Jacobs, Deric Celik, Yael Bermudez
