Jelisa Jay Robinson is a Black American/Negra Americana playwright based in Houston, Texas. Her plays include The Stories of Us, Fae and Paciencia and Delivery. Her work has been developed and/or presented at the Austin Latino New Play Festival, Teatro Vivo (Austin), Now Africa Festival (New York), The Black and Brown Theatre (Detroit), The Rec Room (Houston) and Vision Latino (Chicago).
Jelisa's short works include Minutes and Digits and Fight Til the Death (14/48: The World's Quickest Theatre Festival), Payment, Freedom and Dreamer's Cry (Austin One Minute Play Festival), Mi, Myself and Ay, Papi , The Third Wheel, Pop-Buelo (Fornes Playwriting Workshop Presentation 2016) and Ice Cold Milk and an Oreo Cookie (UT Lab Theatre 2010).
Jelisa was commissioned by Echame Un Ojo Latinx Arts festival in Austin to write Fae and Paciencia and was one of 14 playwrights nationwide chosen to participate in the inaugural Maria Irene Fornes Playwriting Workshop taught by Playwright Migdalia Cruz. She was also one of five playwrights nationally selected as a finalist for the inaugural Seattle Public Theatre Emerald New Play Prize. Jelisa has held residencies with Vision Latino Theatre Company (Chicago) and the National Playwrights Retreat (Colorado).
Jelisa has hosted writing workshops at Texas State University, University of Texas - RGV and other spaces in the Texas area. She was an alternate for the national Fulbright Fellowship in 2017. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and ScriptWorks.
Select plays can be read on National Play Exchange.
Jelisa's short works include Minutes and Digits and Fight Til the Death (14/48: The World's Quickest Theatre Festival), Payment, Freedom and Dreamer's Cry (Austin One Minute Play Festival), Mi, Myself and Ay, Papi , The Third Wheel, Pop-Buelo (Fornes Playwriting Workshop Presentation 2016) and Ice Cold Milk and an Oreo Cookie (UT Lab Theatre 2010).
Jelisa was commissioned by Echame Un Ojo Latinx Arts festival in Austin to write Fae and Paciencia and was one of 14 playwrights nationwide chosen to participate in the inaugural Maria Irene Fornes Playwriting Workshop taught by Playwright Migdalia Cruz. She was also one of five playwrights nationally selected as a finalist for the inaugural Seattle Public Theatre Emerald New Play Prize. Jelisa has held residencies with Vision Latino Theatre Company (Chicago) and the National Playwrights Retreat (Colorado).
Jelisa has hosted writing workshops at Texas State University, University of Texas - RGV and other spaces in the Texas area. She was an alternate for the national Fulbright Fellowship in 2017. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and ScriptWorks.
Select plays can be read on National Play Exchange.