At OCCC, English professor and screenwriter Kelly Cochran-Yzquierdo is doing more than teaching – she is telling stories that reflect identity, history and human connection. With over two decades of teaching experience, she brings both academic insight and personal truth into her work, along with a growing list of national and international honors for her writing.
“I am a screenwriter and a professor of English,” Cochran-Yzquierdo said. “I’ve been teaching for over two decades.”
Her award-winning television pilot, “Red Dirt Rainbow,” continues to gain attention in the film and television industry. The script earned Best LGBTQ+ Script at the Cannes Script Festival this spring, was named a semifinalist in the 2026 GemFest Screenplay Competition and contributed to her induction into the Independent Writers’ Caucus — a series of honors that underscore the impact and relevance of her work.
Deeply rooted in her own experiences, “Red Dirt Rainbow” is set in Oklahoma City during the mid-1990s and explores tensions between a lesbian bar and the surrounding Christian community.
“I wrote [it] based on some lived experience… being gay and being out in the mid-’90s,” she explained.
The pilot begins in the summer of 1994, just before a major historical tragedy.
“We get little flash-forwards of the (Oklahoma City) bombing,” Cochran-Yzquierdo said. “And at the end of the season is when the bombing actually happens.”
Through this structure, Cochran-Yzquierdo builds toward a powerful emotional connection between two seemingly divided communities.
“Somebody from both communities… has somebody in common that they lose,” she said.
This shared loss becomes the foundation for the show’s central message: unity.
The title itself reflects both Oklahoma’s identity and LGBTQ+ pride.
“Oklahoma’s known for its red dirt… and rainbow because of the LGBTQ+ community,” Cochran-Yzquierdo explained.
Originally called “Club Drama,” the project was renamed to better reflect its meaning and setting.
“People kept assuming it was about theater,” she noted. “And I’m like, ‘No, that’s definitely not what it’s about.'”
At its core, “Red Dirt Rainbow” is about connection beyond differences. Reflecting on her own experience during the Oklahoma City bombing, Cochran-Yzquierdo emphasizes how tragedy can bring people together.
“When people have a shared enemy… they come together,” she said.
Despite deep ideological differences, Cochran-Yzquierdo believes that “we have more in line with each other … than our differences.”
She also highlights the importance of community in Oklahoma culture.
“People in Oklahoma are kind and open… very steadfast in their belief systems, but… very open and loving,” she said.
This complexity is central to her storytelling, showing how people can hold strong beliefs while still connecting on a human level.
“We need more of… connecting on the human level instead of the ideological level,” she said.
Outside of writing and teaching, Cochran-Yzquierdo finds balance through hands-on hobbies and time in nature.
“I love to work in the yard,” she said. “I love being outside in nature.”
She also enjoys traveling and camping with her RV, using that time to disconnect and recharge. In addition, she has a passion for working with her hands, something rooted in her upbringing.
“I grew up in a family of manual labor… construction, carpentry,” she explained.
That influence continues to this day, as she shares plans to restore a classic car.
“I’m getting ready to get a 1972 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia that I’m going to restore,” she said.
These hobbies reveal her creativity beyond writing and show another side of her personality.
Despite her recent awards, Cochran-Yzquierdo maintains a sense of humility.
“It was actually very humbling,” she said of her latest accolades. “You always wish for recognition… because that’s really all we have.”
For her, those honors represent validation not just for herself, but for the stories she tells and the communities they represent.
“They see me. They hear me,” she said. “The things that I’m putting out into the world are making a difference.”
Her writing process reflects dedication and discipline. She begins with character before anything else.
“I try to figure out who my main character is,” Cochran-Yzquierdo explained. “What are their wants… needs… and obstacles?”
From there, she spends months developing structure.
“I’ll spend anywhere between two to four months on an outline,” she said.
Beyond technique, her work is driven by identity, authenticity and purpose.
“That’s who I am,” Cochran-Yzquierdo said about LGBTQ+ representation. “When you’re authentic and unapologetic… then you can truly be free.”
Through “Red Dirt Rainbow,” Cochran-Yzquierdo offers more than entertainment – She offers a message of resilience, identity and unity. In a world often divided by belief systems, her work underscores a simple but powerful idea: At their core, people are more alike than they are different.
