{{Short description|American screenwriter}} '''Kate Trefry''' is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. She is best known as a writer and co-executive producer on the Netflix television series ''Stranger Things'', and as the writer of the stage play ''Stranger Things: The First Shadow''.

== Early life and education ==

Trefry grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. She later moved to New York City, where she studied English at New York University.<ref name="stageagent">{{Cite web |title=Kate Trefry, Playwright |url=https://stageagent.com/writers/20899/kate-trefry |access-date=2025-12-07 |website=stageagent.com}}</ref>

== Career ==

Trefry began her career as a screenwriter with original film projects. Two of her unproduced feature screenplays, ''Pure O'' and ''Revolver'', were included on the annual Black List of notable unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.<ref name="stageagent" />

She joined the writing staff of the Netflix science-fiction series ''Stranger Things'' during its second season<ref name="tdf20250807">{{Cite web |last=Robbins |first=Regina |date=2025-08-07 |title=How Do You Turn a Sci-Fi Series into a Stage Sensation? |url=https://www.tdf.org/on-stage/tdf-stages/how-do-you-turn-a-sci-fi-series-into-a-stage-sensation/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-12-08 |website=tdf |language=en}}</ref> and later became a co-executive producer on the series, for which she was nominated as a producer for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/09/12/1122305852/emmys-2022-full-list-of-nominees |title=Primetime Emmys 2022: The full list of winners and nominees |first=Maison |last=Tran |website=NPR |date=September 12, 2022 |access-date=May 9, 2026}}</ref>

In addition to her work on television, Trefry co-wrote the screenplay for the horror film ''Fear Street Part Three: 1666'' (2021), part of Netflix's ''Fear Street'' film trilogy.

Trefry also wrote and directed short films. Her short film ''How to Be Alone'' (2019) premiered at South by Southwest. She also co-wrote the short film ''Souls of Totality'' (2018).

In 2023, Trefry wrote ''Stranger Things: The First Shadow'', a theatrical prequel to the television series. The stage play premiered in London’s West End and was developed in collaboration with the creators of ''Stranger Things''.<ref name="tdf20250807" /> For her play, she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award, WhatsOnStage Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Award.

== Filmography ==

=== Film ===

* ''Souls of Totality'' (2018) – co-writer * ''How to Be Alone'' (2019) – writer and director * ''Fear Street Part Three: 1666'' (2021) – co-writer

=== Television ===

* ''Stranger Things'' (2017–2025) – writer; co-executive producer * ''Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen'' (2026) – co-writer

=== Theatre ===

* ''Stranger Things: The First Shadow'' (2023) – writer

==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Award !Category !Work !Result !Ref. |- |2022 |Primetime Emmy Award |Outstanding Drama Series |''Stranger Things'' |{{nom}} |<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/09/12/1122305852/emmys-2022-full-list-of-nominees |title=Primetime Emmys 2022: The full list of winners and nominees |first=Maison |last=Tran |website=NPR |date=September 12, 2022 |access-date=May 9, 2026}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2|2024 |Laurence Olivier Award |Best Entertainment or Comedy Play |rowspan=5|''Stranger Things: The First Shadow'' |{{nom}} |<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClintock |first=Pamela |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/olivier-awards-winners-2024-nicole-scherzinger-sarah-snook-1235873815/ |title=Olivier Awards Winners 2024: Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Snook Among Honorees |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=April 14, 2024 |access-date=May 9, 2026}}</ref> |- |WhatsOnStage Awards |Best New Play |{{nom}} |<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theatermania.com/news/the-2024-whatsonstage-awards-full-list-of-winners_1729734/ |title=The 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Full List of Winners |website=TheaterMania |date=February 11, 2024 |access-date=May 9, 2026}}</ref> |- |rowspan=2|2025 |Drama League Award |Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Play |{{nom}} |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://playbill.com/article/photos-2025-drama-league-awards-with-winners-nicole-scherzinger-sam-pinkleton-more |title=Photos: 2025 Drama League Awards (Winners, Nicole Scherzinger, Sam Pinkleton & More) |website=Playbill |access-date=2025-05-09}}</ref> |- |Outer Critics Circle Award |Outstanding New Broadway Play |{{nom}} |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Culwell-Block |first=Logan |title=Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners |url=https://playbill.com/article/maybe-happy-ending-leads-2025-outer-critics-circle-awards-see-the-full-list-of-winners |website=Playbill |date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=May 9, 2026}}</ref> |}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb name|id=4418668}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trefry, Kate}} Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:American television directors Category:21st-century American screenwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Anchorage, Alaska Category:Year of birth missing (living people)