Laurie Woolery
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Laurie Woolery is a Latino playwright,
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 * ''D ...
, 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. w ...
based in New York City. She is the director of Public Works at
The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
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 Shakespearean comedy, 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 Wil ...
''.


Education

Woolery graduated from the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
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 an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
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 The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that comprise New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough is coextensive with a respective Administrative divisions of ...
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. The Sol Project works with theatre companies to promote the visibility and work of Latino playwrights and producing plays by new Latino 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 stud ...
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. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
, 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 (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...
,
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, California, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Named for ...
,
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 neighborin ...
,
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 ...
,
Los Angeles Theatre Center The Los Angeles Theatre Center is a performance complex of several theaters that first opened in Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Ang ...
,
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 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 Boulevard ...
, Deaf-West Theatre, fofo Theatre,
Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, 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 conte ...
, Highways Performance Space,
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, California ...
, 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 Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
and previously taught at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
,
Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
,
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
,
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. Citrus Union High Scho ...
, 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 ...
,
California Institute for the Arts California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the so ...
,
California State University at Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 m ...
, and California State University at Northridge.


Playwriting

* ''Salvadorian 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. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
(2003). * ''The Hundred Dresses'' debuted at
South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
(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, California, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Named for ...
(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. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
(2014). * Musical adaptation of ''As You Like It'' debuted at
The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
(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 modern ...
.
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 neighborin ...
(2003). * ''Lovers and Executioners'' by John Strand.
South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
(2004). * ''Amor Eterno – Six Lessons in Love'' by six Latinx playwrights.
Ricardo Montalbán Theatre The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre (usually referred to as 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 Boulevard ...
(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. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
for the Hispanic Playwrights Project (2004). *''Reflecting Back'' by Bryan Davidson.
Los Angeles Central Library Richard J. Riordan Central Library, primarily 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 o ...
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, 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 conte ...
(2011) * ''The Tenth Muse'' by
Tanya Saracho Tanya Selene Saracho is a Mexican Americans, 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. ...
.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, 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 conte ...
(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. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
'' by E.B. White.
South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. South Coast Repertory was founded in 1964. It has three stages and presents plays from all eras. SCR producers new plays, Theatre for Young Audiences ...
(2015). * ''Troy'' by Andrea Thome & ACTivate Ensemble. Public Works at
The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
(2016). * ''The River Bride'' by Marisela Trevino Orta.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, 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 conte ...
(2016). * ''
Imogen Says Nothing ''Imogen Says Nothing: The Annotated Life of Imogen of Messina, last sighted in the First Folio of William Shakespeare's Much About Nothing'' is a three-act play by Aditi Brennan Kapil inspired by a ghost character in Shakespeare's ''Much Ado A ...
'' 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 stud ...
(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 ...
.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, 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 conte ...
(2018). * ''El Huracán'' by
Charise Castro Smith Charise Castro Smith (born August 30, 1983) is an American playwright, actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She is best known for co-writing and co-directing the Disney animated film ''Encanto'' (2021). Personal life Castro Smith is ...
.
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 stud ...
(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 Herskovi ...
'' (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 Theater 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. As of September 2023, it has been closed for renov ...
in New York City. As part of Public Works at
The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
’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 ( 23 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 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 employees ...
, 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
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 stud ...
. Written by
Charise Castro Smith Charise Castro Smith (born August 30, 1983) is an American playwright, actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She is best known for co-writing and co-directing the Disney animated film ''Encanto'' (2021). Personal life Castro Smith is ...
, directed by Woolery, and starring
Jennifer Paredes Jennifer Paredes (born January 13, 1991) is an American actress who appeared as Hero in Denver Center for the Performing Arts' production of ''Much Ado About Nothing'', Helena in Stages Repertory Theatre's ''The River Bride'', and Matilde in Po ...
and
Maria-Christina Oliveras Maria-Christina Oliveras is an American television, stage and film actress, singer and voice-over artist. She has performed extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and in various films and television series, and is known for her vers ...
, ''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. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
, diasporic family drama focused on themes of memory, migration, forgiveness, and magic. Loosely based on ''
The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...
'', ''El Huracán'' takes place across multiple time periods and locations. As a severe hurricane threatens
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, a mother, daughter, and grandmother prepare for the impending storm. In the play, hurricanes literally and figuratively affect four generations of
Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of 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 Americ ...
and
Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( or ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States aft ...
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 university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, 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