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Erlina D. Ortiz 

Playwright - Director - Performer - Teaching Artist 

erlina.ortiz89@gmail.com 

(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

 

  • Commission + Staged Reading - Live! and In Color - Summer 2021 

  • Recipient - LTC Comedy Carnaval 2022

  • Upcoming Production - Actors Theatre of Louisville Dir. Amelia Acosta Powell - 2023

  • Upcoming Production - Skylight Theatre Dir. Daphne Sicre - 2023

 

Morir Sonyando 

75 Minutes, 2F 1M 

 

  • AEA Production - Passage Theatre Company - Spring 2019

    • 6 Barrymore Nominations at Theatre Philadelphia  

  • Public Reading and Podcast Recording - The Parsnip Ship - Winter 2019

  • Fringe Arts Festival Self - Production - Power Street Theatre -  September 2014

    • “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 

  • 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 

 

  • Azuka Theatre AEA Production - November 2021 - Philadelphia 

    • “Throughout the 90-minute one-act, Ortiz balances the lighthearted and the serious, the tender and the terrifying." - Broad Street Review

  • DigiRep - Zoom Production - September 2020 - Philadelphia 

 

Siluetas, a New Musical  

120 minutes, 3F, 2M + Ensemble 

 

  • Power Street Theatre Zoom Reading - 2021 

  • O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference 2022 

  • Power Street Theatre production 2024


 

Las Mujeres 

90 Minutes, 5F 

  • Staged Reading - Power Street Theatre (Theatre en Las Parcelas) - May 2017 

  • Staged Reading - Power Street Theatre (Theatre in Fairhill Square) - September 2017 

  • Self - Production - Power Street Theatre  - March 2018 

    • Bonaly Award for Creation of Community Joy 


 

She Wore Those Shoes 

70 Minutes, 3F 1M 

 

  • Staged Reading - Theatre Exile - March 2016

    •  “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 

  • Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - October  2016 

    • “...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.”

 

MinorityLand 

120 Minutes, 3F 3M 

 

  • Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - Fall 2019 

    • Co-Production with Theatre Horizon 

    • “..everyone should see this play.” Philadelphia Inquirer

  • Fringe Arts Festival Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - September 2013

    • “MinorityLand was really good, and I strongly recommend catching it before it closes.” - Philadelphia City Paper

  • 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) 

  • Live and in Color -  rolling Zoom premiere - September 2020 

  • Philadelphia Theatre Company - September 2020 

    • and others. 

 

Hidden Disabilities Project 

  • Power Street Theatre - Performer and creator - June 2018 and ongoing 

The Caregivers 

  • Pig Iron Theatre Company - Co-creator and community engagement - June 2018

Out of Orbit 

  • Power Street Theatre & (re)Focus Fest - April 2016

 

Information Overload

Everyone’s Life is Clearly Amazing

  • InterAct Theatre Company & The One-Minute Play Festival | Philadelphia, PA - 2015


 

ACTING/ PERFORMANCE / SPEECHES

  • Keynote Speaker - Delaware Museum Annual Writers Conference - Summer 2019

  • Storyteller, Looking Class, Commonspace Podcast, Dir. Gabriela Sanchez - WHYY 2018

  • Ensemble, Richard II Rebel Against the Patriarchy, Dir. Krista Apple - Rev Shakes 2018

  • Deviser and Performer, War of the Worlds, Dir. Adrienne Mackey - Drexel U - Fall 2017

  •  “Death” and ensemble in Blood Wedding - The Duende Cycle - Directors/ Creators Tanaquil Marquez and Eliana Fabiyi - Philly Fringe 2016 

  • One Minute Play Festival - InterAct Theatre Company - Dir. Daniel Student - 2015 

  • “Genesis'' in Morir Sonyando - Power Street Theatre - Dir. Thais Flaitt - 2014 

  • “Zachi” in The Laramie Project - Temple University - Dir. Ed Sobel

  • Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival - Dir. David O’Connor - 2012 


 

DIRECTING and ASSISTANT DIRECTING 

 

  • 72 Miles to Go by Hilary Bettis - Co- Director - InterAct Theatre Company - 2022

  • Untitled by Mya Banegas - Director (virtual reading) -  Temple University and Philadelphia Young Playwrights - 2020

  • REVOLUTIONS by Elaine Romero - Director (virtual reading) - InterAct Theatre Company - 2020 

  • MinorityLand by Erlina Ortiz - Director - Power Street Theatre - 2013 & 2019

  • Homeridae by Zandra Espinoza - Director - Staged Reading - PlayPenn - May 2019

  • #therevolution by Kristoffer Diaz - Dir. Seth Rozin - InterAct Theatre Company - Assistant Director - 2016

  • El Jefe by Dalissa Duran - Philadelphia Young Playwrights Paula Vogel Mentor’s Project - Director - May 2016

  • Walk Away by Crystallbell Smith - Temple University and Philadelphia Young Playwrights - Director - 2016 

  • Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll by Eric Bogosian - Dir. Allison Heishman - Plays and Players Theatre - Assistant Director - 2015 

  • We are Proud to Present (etc) by Jackie Sibblies Drury - Dir. Pirronne Yousefzadeh - InterAct Theatre Company - Assistant Director - 2015 

  • Mere Players by Kirstie Floyd - Philadelphia Young Playwrights Paula Vogel Mentor’s Project - Director - 2014

  • InterAct Theatre Company and Philadelphia Young Playwrights Monologue Festival - Director - 2013 


 

TEACHING 

 

Adults

  • Land and Body - Power Street Theatre (Resident Playwright) 

  • Bilingual Playwriting Course for Adults - 2019 - Present 

  • Playreading - University of the Arts - Spring 2020 

  • Playwriting in Community - Blue Stoop Phl - Spring 2020 

  • Playwriting 1 Professor - University of the Arts - Fall 2019 

  • Our America, Our Shakespeare - Delaware Shakespeare Festival and Wilmington Latin American Community Center 

  • 6 week Adult Bilingual Playwriting Class - 2016 

 

Children

  • Mighty Toddlers/ Pequeno Poderosos - Bilingual interactive storytime at Mighty Writers El Futuro -  2017

  • 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

  • BA Theatre - May, 2012

 

Apprenticeships and Internships 

  • Summer Intern - PlayPenn New Play Development Conference - 2011 

  • Season Intern - Plays and Players Theatre Company - 2011

  • 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

  • (recommended by Quiara Alegria Hudes)

Member - Dramatist Guild of America 2017- present 

Board Member, Secretary - Theatre Philadelphia 2019 - present

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