Erlina D. Ortiz
Playwright - Director - Performer - Teaching Artist
(484) 334- 5453
I believe being an artist is a super power. I believe in using my powers for good.
Co-Artistic Director and Resident Playwright - Power Street Theatre - 2012 to today
Power Street Theatre is dedicated to connecting multicultural and intergenerational communities through the performing arts by sharing original stories that innovate and inspire.
AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Recipient - O’Neill National Music Theatre Conference 2022
Citation - American Theatre Critics Association 2022
Recipient - Leeway Transformation Award 2021
Semi Finalist - Terrence McNally Award 2021
Recipient - Leeway Art and Change Grant - 2020/ 2021
Temple University Alumni Grant - 2020
Six Barrymore Award Nominations for Morir Sonyando 2019
Bonaly Recognition for Creation of Community Joy - Las Mujeres 2018
Recipient - Signal Fire Outpost Writer’s Residency - 2018
Semi Finalist - Leeway Transformation Award - 2017/2018//2020
Recipient - Amtrak Writer’s Residency - 2017
SELECTED PLAYS - Full Lengths and One Acts
La Egoista
90 minutes, 2F
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Commission + Staged Reading - Live! and In Color - Summer 2021
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Recipient - LTC Comedy Carnaval 2022
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Upcoming Production - Actors Theatre of Louisville Dir. Amelia Acosta Powell - 2023
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Upcoming Production - Skylight Theatre Dir. Daphne Sicre - 2023
Morir Sonyando
75 Minutes, 2F 1M
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AEA Production - Passage Theatre Company - Spring 2019
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6 Barrymore Nominations at Theatre Philadelphia
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Public Reading and Podcast Recording - The Parsnip Ship - Winter 2019
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Fringe Arts Festival Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - September 2014
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“A dreamlike poetic drama about extreme domestic violence and the women’s prison system... With such a heavy topic, Morir Sonyando had an impressively light touch and said more with less.” -Quiara Alegria Hudes
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Temple University presentation for Domestic Violence Awareness - Power Street Theatre Company and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. (Temple University & University of Pennsylvania) - December 2014
Young Money
70 minutes, 2F, 1M
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Azuka Theatre AEA Production - November 2021 - Philadelphia
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“Throughout the 90-minute one-act, Ortiz balances the lighthearted and the serious, the tender and the terrifying." - Broad Street Review
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DigiRep - Zoom Production - September 2020 - Philadelphia
Siluetas, a New Musical
120 minutes, 3F, 2M + Ensemble
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Power Street Theatre Zoom Reading - 2021
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O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference 2022
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Power Street Theatre production 2024
Las Mujeres
90 Minutes, 5F
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Staged Reading - Power Street Theatre (Theatre en Las Parcelas) - May 2017
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Staged Reading - Power Street Theatre (Theatre in Fairhill Square) - September 2017
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Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - March 2018
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Bonaly Award for Creation of Community Joy
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She Wore Those Shoes
70 Minutes, 3F 1M
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Staged Reading - Theatre Exile - March 2016
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“Her theatrical voice is well beyond her years and we cannot wait to share it with you all.” Brey Ann Barrett - Theatre Exile Artistic Associate
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Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - October 2016
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“...The overall message of the evening, coupled with Power Street's commitment to community outreach, is deeply refreshing. Their approach not only attracts a diverse group of artists, but also a diverse audience, and everyone is committed to having difficult conversations.”
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MinorityLand
120 Minutes, 3F 3M
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Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - Fall 2019
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Co-Production with Theatre Horizon
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“..everyone should see this play.” Philadelphia Inquirer
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Fringe Arts Festival Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - September 2013
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“MinorityLand was really good, and I strongly recommend catching it before it closes.” - Philadelphia City Paper
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University of Pennsylvania Staged Reading - Power Street Theatre and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc.- January 2014
SHORT PLAYS and CO-CREATED / DEVISED WORK
La Egoista (10 min version)
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Live and in Color - rolling Zoom premiere - September 2020
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Philadelphia Theatre Company - September 2020
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and others.
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Hidden Disabilities Project
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Power Street Theatre - Performer and creator - June 2018 and ongoing
The Caregivers
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Pig Iron Theatre Company - Co-creator and community engagement - June 2018
Out of Orbit
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Power Street Theatre & (re)Focus Fest - April 2016
Information Overload
Everyone’s Life is Clearly Amazing
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InterAct Theatre Company & The One-Minute Play Festival | Philadelphia, PA - 2015
ACTING/ PERFORMANCE / SPEECHES
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Keynote Speaker - Delaware Museum Annual Writers Conference - Summer 2019
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Storyteller, Looking Class, Commonspace Podcast, Dir. Gabriela Sanchez - WHYY 2018
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Ensemble, Richard II Rebel Against the Patriarchy, Dir. Krista Apple - Rev Shakes 2018
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Deviser and Performer, War of the Worlds, Dir. Adrienne Mackey - Drexel U - Fall 2017
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“Death” and ensemble in Blood Wedding - The Duende Cycle - Directors/ Creators Tanaquil Marquez and Eliana Fabiyi - Philly Fringe 2016
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One Minute Play Festival - InterAct Theatre Company - Dir. Daniel Student - 2015
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“Genesis'' in Morir Sonyando - Power Street Theatre - Dir. Thais Flaitt - 2014
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“Zachi” in The Laramie Project - Temple University - Dir. Ed Sobel
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Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival - Dir. David O’Connor - 2012
DIRECTING and ASSISTANT DIRECTING
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72 Miles to Go by Hilary Bettis - Co- Director - InterAct Theatre Company - 2022
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Untitled by Mya Banegas - Director (virtual reading) - Temple University and Philadelphia Young Playwrights - 2020
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REVOLUTIONS by Elaine Romero - Director (virtual reading) - InterAct Theatre Company - 2020
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MinorityLand by Erlina Ortiz - Director - Power Street Theatre - 2013 & 2019
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Homeridae by Zandra Espinoza - Director - Staged Reading - PlayPenn - May 2019
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#therevolution by Kristoffer Diaz - Dir. Seth Rozin - InterAct Theatre Company - Assistant Director - 2016
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El Jefe by Dalissa Duran - Philadelphia Young Playwrights Paula Vogel Mentor’s Project - Director - May 2016
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Walk Away by Crystallbell Smith - Temple University and Philadelphia Young Playwrights - Director - 2016
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Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll by Eric Bogosian - Dir. Allison Heishman - Plays and Players Theatre - Assistant Director - 2015
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We are Proud to Present (etc) by Jackie Sibblies Drury - Dir. Pirronne Yousefzadeh - InterAct Theatre Company - Assistant Director - 2015
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Mere Players by Kirstie Floyd - Philadelphia Young Playwrights Paula Vogel Mentor’s Project - Director - 2014
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InterAct Theatre Company and Philadelphia Young Playwrights Monologue Festival - Director - 2013
TEACHING
Adults
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Land and Body - Power Street Theatre (Resident Playwright)
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Bilingual Playwriting Course for Adults - 2019 - Present
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Playreading - University of the Arts - Spring 2020
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Playwriting in Community - Blue Stoop Phl - Spring 2020
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Playwriting 1 Professor - University of the Arts - Fall 2019
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Our America, Our Shakespeare - Delaware Shakespeare Festival and Wilmington Latin American Community Center
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6 week Adult Bilingual Playwriting Class - 2016
Children
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Mighty Toddlers/ Pequeno Poderosos - Bilingual interactive storytime at Mighty Writers El Futuro - 2017
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Colors and Cultures - Taller Puertorriqueno - Lead teacher for 3 classes of approximately 15 students each ranging from ages 5-15 - 2013
EDUCATION/MEMBERSHIPS
Alumni - Temple University
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BA Theatre - May, 2012
Apprenticeships and Internships
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Summer Intern - PlayPenn New Play Development Conference - 2011
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Season Intern - Plays and Players Theatre Company - 2011
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Season Apprentice - InterAct Theatre Company - 2012/2013
Alumni - The Foundry, A Philadelphia Emerging Playwrights Lab 2015-2018
Member - New Pages, Azuka Theatre’s writers group. 2019 - Present
Member - NEXUS cohort at New York Stage and Film 2020
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(recommended by Quiara Alegria Hudes)
Member - Dramatist Guild of America 2017- present
Board Member, Secretary - Theatre Philadelphia 2019 - present