Laurie Woolery is a
Latinx
''Latinx'' is a neologism in American English which is used to refer to people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the United States. The gender-neutral suffix replaces the ending of ''Latino'' and ''Latina'' that are typical o ...
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
,
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
, and
educator
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. She is the director of Public Works at
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
and founding member of The Sol Project.
In 2014 she was awarded a Fuller Road Artist Residency for Women Directors of Color. She is best known for her 2017 musical adaptation of ''
As You Like It
''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
''.
Education
Woolery graduated from the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
with a BA in English and holds a Spanish Language Certificate from the
Universidad de Iteso, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Career
Woolery has served as Director of Public Works at
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
since 2014. Public Works is a participatory theatre program that engages New Yorkers in the creation of theatre. Community members from all the
boroughs of New York City
New York City is composed of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough is coextensive with a respective Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county of New York (state), New York Stat ...
attend workshops, classes, and performances that culminates each summer in participatory theatre productions. Within Public Works, Woolery initiated the program "ACTivate" (Artist, Citizen, Theater maker) that partners community members with professional playwrights to develop their own plays.
Woolery adapted and directed the musical adaptation of ''As You Like It'' for Public Works’ first show of the 2017–2018 season.
In May 2016, Woolery was a founding member of The Sol Project in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The Sol Project works with theatre companies to promote the visibility and work of Latinx playwrights and producing plays by new Latinx playwrights. Woolery collaborated with The Sol Project to produce ''El Huracán'' at the
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented student ...
in 2018.
Currently, she serves on the boards of the Latino Producers Action Network and the Latinx Theatre Commons.
Woolery is the former Associate Artistic Director of
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
, the former artist-in-residence at Hollygrove Children's Home in Los Angeles, the former Conservatory Director at
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
, and a former board member for the Network of Ensemble Theatres and the Children's Theater Foundation.
She has also worked at
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...
,
REDCAT
Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts in downtown Los Angeles, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Opened in November 2003 ...
,
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...
,
Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the lan ...
,
Los Angeles Theatre Center
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is an institution in Los Angeles, which is operated by the Latino Theater Company.
In January 2006, the Latino Theater Company won a lease to operate The Los Angeles Theatre Center for 20 years and got a $4 millio ...
,
Denver Center Theatre Company
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...
, William Inge Theater Festival, 24th Street Theatre,
Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (or CCPA) is a entertainment and music venue located in the Cerritos Towne Center of Cerritos, California. It is owned and operated by the City of Cerritos and it opened its doors to the public on Janu ...
, Virginia Avenue Project,
Ricardo Montalbán Theatre
The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre (usually referred to as just The Montalbán) is a theater in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
History
The theatre is located near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, on Vine Street between Hollywood Bou ...
,
Deaf-West Theatre, fofo Theatre,
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...
,
Highways Performance Space
The Highways Performance Space is a performance venue in Santa Monica, California, which focuses on new works and alternative pieces. The organization is a space for LGBTQ artists to experiment with form and content. Performed work includes theatre ...
,
A Noise Within A Noise Within is an American theatrical company performing classic works of the European canon as well as American playwrights, in rotating repertory. It is based in Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, Californi ...
, the
Sundance Children's Theatre, and Sundance Playwrights Lab.
Woolery is a lecturer in theatre at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
and previously taught at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
,
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
,
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
,
Citrus College
Citrus College is a public community college in Glendora, California. The Citrus Community College District, which supports the institution, includes the communities of Azusa, Claremont, Duarte, Glendora and Monrovia. Founded in 1915 by educato ...
,
Glendale College,
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
,
California Institute for the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of bot ...
,
California State University at Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...
, and
California State University at Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge, Los Angeles, Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it h ...
.
Playwriting
* S''alvadorian Moon/African Sky'' debuted at
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
(2001).
* ''Orphan Train: The Lost Children'' debuted at
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
(2003).
* ''The Hundred Dresses'' debuted at
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
(2011).
* ''Lola in Lincolnlandia'' debuted at
REDCAT
Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts in downtown Los Angeles, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Opened in November 2003 ...
(2012).
* ''Ladybird'' debuted at 24th Street Theatre (2013).
* ''Bliss'' debuted at
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
(2014).
* Musical adaptation of ''As You Like It'' debuted at
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
(2017).
Directing
* ''Living Out'' by
Lisa Loomer
Lisa Loomer (born 1950) is an American playwright and screenwriter who has also worked as an actress and stand-up comic. She is best known for her play ''The Waiting Room'' (1994), in which three women from different time periods meet in a moder ...
.
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...
(2003).
* ''Lovers and Executioners'' by John Strand.
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
(2004).
* ''Amor Eterno – Six Lessons in Love'' by six Latinx playwrights.
Ricardo Montalbán Theatre
The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre (usually referred to as just The Montalbán) is a theater in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
History
The theatre is located near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, on Vine Street between Hollywood Bou ...
(2004).
* ''The Day I Flipped Off Jimmy Carter'' by Richard Coca.
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
for the Hispanic Playwrights Project (2004).
*''Reflecting Back'' by Bryan Davidson.
Los Angeles Central Library
Richard J. Riordan Central Library, also known as the Los Angeles Central Library, is the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), in Downtown Los Angeles. It is named after Mayor of Los Angeles Richard Riordan.
It consists of two b ...
for the National Tour of the American Originals exhibit (2005).
* ''3/7/11: A Lincoln Heights Tale'' by Jose Cruz Gonzalez and the students of Loreto Elementary, Nightingale Middle School and Lincoln High School.
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
(2006).
* ''For All Time'' by KJ Sanchez.
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
(2008).
* ''Jason in Eureka'' by Peter Howard.
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
(2009).
* ''A Holtville Night's Dream'' by Alison Carey.
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
(2009).
* ''A Man Comes To Fowler'' by Julie Marie Myatt.
Cornerstone Theater Company
Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...
(2011).
* ''The Language Archive'' by
Julia Cho
Julia Cho (born July 5, 1975) is an American playwright and television writer. In March 2020 she was awarded the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize.
Select full length plays
''99 Histories'' (2002)
''99 Histories'' is a drama portraying the ...
.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...
(2011)
* ''The Tenth Muse'' by
Tanya Saracho
Tanya Selene Saracho is a Mexican-American actress, playwright, dramaturge and screenwriter. With a background in theater before writing for television, she co-founded in 2000 and was its co-artistic director for ten years. She also co-founded ...
.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...
(2013).
* ''
Charlotte's Web
''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams; it was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his ...
'' by
E.B. White
Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), '' Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and ''The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...
.
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...
(2015).
* ''Troy'' by
Andrea Thome & ACTivate Ensemble. Public Works at
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
(2016).
* ''The River Bride'' by Marisela Trevino Orta.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...
(2016).
* ''
Imogen Says Nothing'' by Aditi Brennan Kapil.
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented student ...
(2017).
*''Manahatta'' by
Mary Kathryn Nagle
Mary Kathryn Nagle is a playwright and an attorney specializing in tribal sovereignty of Native nations and peoples. She was born in Oklahoma City, OK, and is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She previously served as the ex ...
.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and contemporary pla ...
(2018).
* ''El Huracán'' by
Charise Castro Smith
Charise Castro Smith (born August 30, 1983) is an American playwright, actress, screenwriter, producer, and co-director.
Personal life
Castro Smith is from Miami, Florida, where she was raised in a Cuban American family. She attended Brown Un ...
.
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented student ...
(2018).
Film and television
*''
As Good as Dead'' (1995)
*''Breaking Through'' (1996)
*''
Once and Again
''Once and Again'' is an American family drama television series that aired on ABC from September 21, 1999, to April 15, 2002. It depicts the family of a single mother and her romance with a single father. It was created by Marshall Herskovitz a ...
'' (1999-2002)
* ''Dante's Inferno'' (2008)
Major productions
''As You Like It (2017)''
In collaboration with Shaina Taub, Woolery's musical adaptation of ''As You Like It'' premiered on September 1, 2017 at the
Delacorte Theatre
The Delacorte Theater is a 1,800-seat open-air theater in Central Park, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is home to the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park productions.
Over five million people have attended more than 15 ...
in New York City. As part of Public Works at
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
’s mission of community engagement, the musical featured over 200 actors and community members. All performances were free and open to the public. Adapted from
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's classic story, ''As You Like It'' explores themes of friendship, family, and love. Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia are exiled from their homes and flee to the magical and welcoming Forest of Arden where the characters find community, kindness and self-discovery.
The production reflects
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
with a score of pop, R&B, and folk music and diversity of cast members. Along with professional actors, the cast includes community volunteer performers from the Casita Maria Center For Arts and Education, the Brooklyn's Brownsville Recreation Center and Center For Family Life in Sunset Park, Domestic Workers United,
Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid, formerly the Children's Aid Society, is a private child welfare nonprofit in New York City founded in 1853 by Charles Loring Brace. With an annual budget of over $100 million, 45 citywide sites, and over 1,200 full-time employee ...
, Queen's Fortune Society, the Military Resilience Project, the Bronx's DreamYard Project, the Harambee Dance Company, the Bronx Wrestling Federation, the Sing Harlem Choir, and the Freedom Dabka Group. The production celebrates people of color and the LGBT community with a multi-cultural cast and emphasis on the queer love story where Phoebe's Silvius becomes Sylvia and Touchstone's Audrey becomes Andy.
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
named the production one of the best shows of 2017.
''El Huracán (2018)''
In collaboration with The Sol Project, ''El Huracán'' premiered on September 28, 2018 at the
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented student ...
. Written by Charise Castro Smith and directed by Woolery, ''El Huracán'' is a
bilingual
Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...
,
diasporic
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
family drama focused on themes of memory, migration, forgiveness, and magic. Loosely based on ''
The Tempest'', ''El Huracán'' takes place across multiple time periods and locations. As a severe hurricane threatens
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, a mother, daughter, and grandmother prepare for the impending storm. In the play, hurricanes literally and figuratively affect four generations of
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban citizen, a perso ...
and
Cuban-American
Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cubans, Cuban desc ...
women: Valeria, the strong matriarch afflicted by Alzheimers, her daughter Ximena who acts as Valeria's caregiver, her granddaughter Miranda who left Miami for
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, and Miranda's daughter Val whose story is told 27 years in the future. ''El Huracán'' uses the metaphor of the hurricane to explore natural disaster, trauma and the loss of memory through Alzheimer's.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolery, Laurie
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
American theatre directors
American women theatre directors
American dramatists and playwrights
American women dramatists and playwrights
Hispanic and Latino American dramatists and playwrights
Princeton University faculty
American women academics
21st-century American women