Erlina Ortiz

Melisa is a kind-hearted follower of rules. She desperately wants a child, if only she could pass the government mandated test that will allow her to do it. Young Clarisa knows nothing except the perfectly curated life her parents have carved for her in their fortified underground mansion. She too has a test to pass, if only she could focus, follow, listen; the way Mother wants her to. In Erlina Ortiz’s magical Honey Bee Baby, the bees are gone, the resources are scarce, and every one must earn their place in this world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred with blood

Tomasina AKA Kila - T is Hip-hop's newest chart topper. Elegant and prideful Gardenia has been laid off from her job of 20 years and now she cleans Kila’s dressing room. When an attack on Kila’s concert forces the two women together, questions of morality, success, and redemption are danced around as these women discover they may have more to learn from each other than they think.
Young Money received the Steinberg/ATCA New Play citation in 2022.

La Egoista, commissioned by Live and In Color!, explores the story of sisters Josefina and Betsaida. Josefina is a rising stand up comic who is coming to terms with the recent death of her mother and her sister's sudden chronic illness diagnosis. Surrealistic in nature, the one act play follows Josefina through her sets and scenes as they unfold in conjunction with the deterioration of her sister's health.

Inspired by the documentary "The Invisible War", Erlina Ortiz’s "She Wore Those Shoes" explores the prevailing issue of sexual assault within the United States military and the silence, stigma, and negligence that survivors often face.
Protagonist, Yudy, a strong and confident young Latina woman, excitedly joins the armed forces in pursuit of the military pride and prowess that her respected older brother Abraham represents. Yudy’s high regard for her military “family,” however is deeply tarnished in the aftermath of trauma, as silence, disbelief, and betrayal ensue. Through memory, cadences, creative movement and unexpected humor, we follow Yudy’s journey as she navigates being a woman of color and veteran as well as something more than a victim of our pervasive rape culture.

Morir Sonyando by Erlina Ortiz, is a play about family and the grace we must choose to bestow on one another every day to keep alive.
“The first hit tears your skin and makes you bleed. It feels like the world has turned to spinning stars. But after that, you don’t feel much more.”
Genesis, an academic working her way through an Ivy League education, is proud of the fact that she’s survived her family’s dysfunction, if only just barely. But when her estranged mother, Paloma, is released from prison after a decade of incarceration, Genesis is forced to confront her involvement in the imprisonment and the life from which she has done her best to escape.

Listen to a recording of Morir Sonyando at the Parsnip Ship podcast here or wherever you listen to podcast!
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-the-parsnip-ship-43091052/episode/mo…

A Family Must Confront Domestic Violence in “Morir Sonyando”; Passage Theatre Offers Compelling Production of Raw, Nuanced Drama
http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2019/05/08/a-family-must-confront-d…

“Morir Sonyando” looks at family cycles of abuse
https://outinjersey.net/morir-sonyando-looks-at-family-cycles-of-abuse/

Las Mujeres, is a journey through time as we meet the famous Latinas of herstory's past. Marlene, a workaholic engineer who wouldn’t call herself a feminist, has just been the only woman at her firm promoted to a managerial position. After a devastating encounter, Marlene finds reality has faded away and her kitchen becomes... a party. The guests? Frida Kahlo, Rita Hayworth, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, and Minerva Mirabal. Don’t know them? You will. These remarkable women share their stories of art, and Revolucion! with the comfortable and complacent Marlene, but will she wake up?

2018 Surya Awards
Bonaly Recognition for Creation of Community Joy
Bonaly Recognition for Excellent Costume Design

“It quickly became clear that I was dumb to judge this play before I'd seen it, and I that had in fact judged it wrong. Minorityland was really good, and I strongly recommend catching it before it closes.” – Philadelphia CityPaper
MinorityLand tackles what it means to be a minority, what it means to be a community, and just how deeply our words and actions can effect those around us.
When the local university begins buying up houses in an integrated black and latino community, residents are pushed out, and the very fabric of the community is ripped apart. ​
"Its not about right or wrong, it's about who has the power." -MinorityLand