Don't Cry for the Wolves: Promotional Graphic, Synopsis, & Performance Date

Look at this gorgeous, haunting graphic for my upcoming one-act play, Don't Cry for the Wolves! Erin K. designed the image for me, and I love it! A version with the theater's info on it is forthcoming, but I wanted to reveal the graphic here and publicly thank Erin for her beautiful design. You can find her portfolio at artstation.com/erin-k.

And here's the official synopsis for Don't Cry for the Wolves:

Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Cat Winters reimagines Little Red Riding Hood as a haunting, modern fairy tale. When a wolf roams nearby in the deep, dark woods, Ruby and her grandmother must decide who to trust and who to fear. 

The play will be performed at HART Theatre in Hillsboro, Oregon, on the evening of Saturday, April 11, 2026. It's part of the citywide Fertile Ground Festival and will be paired that night with another one-act play, Howard vs Love by Abrianna Aydee. 

Tickets will go on sale in late February. If you would like to be notified when they're available, please subscribe to my newsletter or find me on BlueSky or Instagram at @catwintersbooks. You can also receive updates through HART's Instagram and Facebook accounts.

I know not everyone who wants to see this play can come to Oregon. I'm working on ways to make the script available for theaters and schools to license, so hopefully it will find homes beyond Oregon in the future. Thank you for your interest! 

Coming April 2026: Don't Cry for the Wolves

I'm happy to announce that my one-act play, Don't Cry for the Wolves, will be performed at HART Theatre in Hillsboro, Oregon, as part of the citywide Fertile Ground Festival in April 2026. This production will mark my debut as a playwright—a dream of mine ever since I performed my own plays with my sister and cousins in my family's living room as a kid. I'm so excited!

Don't Cry for the Wolves is a reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood for our modern era. I'm honored that HART selected the piece to be included in their Fertile Ground lineup and can't wait to dive into the process of bringing it to the stage.

The festival will run at HART from April 10-18, 2026. I'll learn the specific date my play will be performed in the near future, and I will certainly keep everyone updated with the latest news.

Back when I was younger, I studied both drama and English at the University of California, Irvine, and participated in a five-week Theatre in London program through Michigan State University. I took playwriting courses while at UC Irvine and got involved in playwrights workshops there, writing scripts that I and other actors performed. 

For various reasons, I tucked away my desire to work in the theater for decades after graduating from college, but many of my novels have incorporated the theater and theatricality. The Cure for Dreaming even opens in a theater in Portland, Oregon.

I've been working at a performing arts center since 2022, which rekindled my love of the stage. I've longed to become more involved in productions and received encouragement to give this festival a try. I'm so glad I did.

Much more info to follow. Huge thanks to HART and their Fertile Ground Committee for selecting Don't Cry for the Wolves!

Two New Poems in YA Poetry Anthology YOU'RE NEVER TOO MUCH

I'm thrilled to announce that two of my brand-new poems, "Hope" and "An Octopus Dwells Inside My Head," will appear in the YA poetry anthology You're Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion. The collection of poetry, edited by Charlie Castelletti, will release from First Ink/Pan Macmillan on September 4, 2025. 

Pre-orders for the book are available now.

The hardcover edition of the anthology is releasing in the UK, but an ebook edition will also be available.

Here's a synopsis of the book from the publisher:

A stunning gift book containing poems that'll tap into every emotion — and empowering you to feel them — from classic poetry, well loved poets and bold, new modern voices. An offering for every mood and moment, this is the perfect companion for moments of solitude or sharing, promising to move and resonate deeply with anyone who has felt too much or not enough.

This poignant collection, curated by Charlie Castelletti, will help you navigate all that life throws at you. From falling in love to having your heart broken, to feeling anxious about and having hope for the world, this anthology is the perfect gift on your journey to self-discovery.

I'm so honored to be a part of this anthology and look forward to having these new poems of mine enter the world. Thanks to Charlie Castelletti for acquiring my work!

Four New Poems, a Virtual Reading, & Battling Book Bans

Hello, dear readers!

This week Door Is a Jar Literary Magazine published four more of my poems in Issue 34 Spring 2025. Huge thanks to editor Maxwell Bauman for acquiring my work!

I’ll be reading one of the new poems, “Stealing from Children,” at Door Is a Jar’s virtual Spring Contributor Reading Event this Thursday, March 6, at 6:00 pm ET/3:00 pm PT.

Here's the link to the reading.

On Monday I traveled to the Oregon State Capitol to testify in support of Senate Bill 1098, Oregon’s Freedom to Read bill, which, among other protections, would prohibit “discrimination when selecting or retaining school library materials, textbooks or instructional materials or when developing and implementing a curriculum.” I’m a co-leader of the Oregon chapter of Authors Against Book Bans, and seven of us joined Basic Rights Oregon and the ACLU of Oregon to form a coalition of supporters of the bill. It was a moving, uplifting experience that gave me hope.

Here’s the link to my verbal testimony (content warning: suicidal ideation and homophobia).

Looking ahead, on Tuesday, April 8, at 6:30 pm Pacific, I’ll be making an appearance at the Pajama Storytime at the Barnes & Noble in Beaverton, Oregon! I’m delighted to get this chance to read from my picture book biography, Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation, illustrated by Matt Schu.

Thank you so much for taking a moment of your day to read my latest news.

Warmest wishes,

Cat Winters