Erlina Ortiz

Erlina Ortiz 

Playwright, Director, Performer, Teaching Artist, Organizer 

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 present 

Power Street Theatre (PST), is dedicated to art for social change by investing in creative thought leaders, multidisciplinary artists, and community voices through prioritizing  representation, accessibility, education, arts advocacy, and joy.

 

AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS

 

7 Barrymore Award Nominations 2024 (Siluetas) Dramatist Guild Foundation Catalyst Fellow - 2023

Recipient - O’Neill National Music Theatre Conference 2022 (Siluetas) 

Citation - American Theatre Critics Association 2022 (Young Money) 

Arizona Theatre Company’s National Latine Playwrights Award - 2022 (La Egoista) 

Ali Dia’s 2022 40 under 40 

Recipient - Leeway Transformation Award 2021

Semi Finalist - Terrence McNally Award 2021

Recipient - Leeway Art and Change Grant - 2020/ 2021

Temple University Alumni Grant - 2020 

Barrymore Award Nomination for Outstanding New Play - 2019 (Morir Sonyando)

Bonaly Recognition for Creation of Community Joy - 2018 (Las Mujeres)

Signal Fire Outpost Writer’s Residency - 2018 

Recipient - Amtrak Writer’s Residency - 2017 

 

PLAYS AND MUSICALS

 

La Egoista 

90 minutes, 2F

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

• Recipient / Reading - LTC Comedy Carnaval 2022

• Recipient - 2022 National Latine Playwrights Award 

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

• Production - Skylight Theatre Company  Dir. Daphnie Sicre - 2023 

• Production - Philadelphia Theatre Company - Dir. Tatyana Marie Carlo - 2024

 

Honey Bee Baby 

85 Mins, core cast (4W), ensemble 3-6

• Excerpt Reading - Foundry Writer’s ‘Graduation’ - 2019 

• Developmental Reading - Theatre Exile - Dir. Gabriela Sanchez - 2023

• Developmental Reading - Dir. Latrelle Bright  - Rivendell Theatre - 2023

• Workshop - Illinois State University - Dir. Alejandra Luna - 2024

• Production - Rapid Lemon Theatre Company - Dir. Jalice Corral - 2025 

 

Siluetas, a New Musical  

120 minutes, 3F, 2M + Ensemble 

• Power Street Theatre Zoom Reading - 2021 

• O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference 2022 - AD Alex Gemignani

• Workshop with University of Michigan New Works Festival - AD Michael McElroy 

• Concert Reading with Theatre Horizon November 2023

• Production - Power Street Theatre - Dir. Rebecca Aparicio - 2024

 

Morir Sonyando 

75 Minutes, 2F 1M 

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

• Power Street Theatre Company and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. (Temple University & University of Pennsylvania)  - 2014 

• Production - Passage Theatre Company - 2019

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

 

Young Money

70 minutes, 2F, 1M 

• DigiRep - Zoom Production - 2020 - Philadelphia 

• Azuka Theatre AEA Production - 2021 - Philadelphia 

 

Las Mujeres 

90 Minutes, 5F 

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

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

• Self - Production - Power Street Theatre  - 2018 

• Staged Reading - Azuka Theatre - 2025 

 

She Wore Those Shoes 

70 Minutes, 3F 1M 

• Staged Reading - Theatre Exile - 2016

• Self - Production - Power Street Theatre -  2016 

• Virtual Workshop - Parsnip Ship - 2020

 

MinorityLand 

120 Minutes, 3F 3M 

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

• University of Pennsylvania  Staged Reading - Power Street Theatre and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc.- 2014

• Self - Production - Power Street Theatre - 2019 

  • Co-Production with Theatre Horizon 

 

SHORT PLAYS and CO-CREATED / DEVISED WORK

 

La Egoista (10 min version) 

• Live and in Color -  rolling Zoom premiere - 2020 

• Philadelphia Theatre Company - 2020 

  • and others. 

Hidden Disabilities Project 

• Power Street Theatre - Performer and creator - 2018 

The Caregivers 

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

Out of Orbit 

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

 

• Felipillo by Tyler Rocio Econa - Director - University of the Arts - 2023

• 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 Theatre Classes for Adults - 2018 - Present 

• Playreading - University of the Arts - 2020 

• Playwriting in Community - Blue Stoop Phl - 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

 

Member - Dramatist Guild of America 2017- present 

Board Member, Secretary - Theatre Philadelphia 2019 - present 

Member - New Pages, Azuka Theatre 2019 - present

Member - NEXUS cohort at New York Stage and Film 2020

Member - The Foundry, A Philadelphia Emerging Playwrights Lab 2015-2018

 

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 - Temple University

• BA Theatre - May, 2012