Jessica Charles

Jessica Charles is a black queer woman-identifying playwright, storyteller, and cultural worker whose work holds and uplifts historically underrepresented voices. Her passion is bringing to life nuanced stories of her community. Born and raised in Oakland, CA with family throughout Louisiana and New York, the rich tapestry of Black people, culture, her ancestry, and her upbringing shape all of her art. As a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and the University of California, Berkeley, Jessica’s work has been workshopped, heard, and seen in spaces and stages across the world. Most recently, her play Antiquated F*ckery had its off-Broadway debut at 59E59 Theaters. She was a finalist for the National Black Theatre’s 24/26 I AM SOUL Playwriting Residency and a SPACE on...

Jessica Charles is a black queer woman-identifying playwright, storyteller, and cultural worker whose work holds and uplifts historically underrepresented voices. Her passion is bringing to life nuanced stories of her community. Born and raised in Oakland, CA with family throughout Louisiana and New York, the rich tapestry of Black people, culture, her ancestry, and her upbringing shape all of her art. As a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and the University of California, Berkeley, Jessica’s work has been workshopped, heard, and seen in spaces and stages across the world. Most recently, her play Antiquated F*ckery had its off-Broadway debut at 59E59 Theaters. She was a finalist for the National Black Theatre’s 24/26 I AM SOUL Playwriting Residency and a SPACE on Ryder Farm 2024 Resident. Jessica has also been a member of Liberation Theater Company’s New Voices Writing Residency 19/20 and a finalist for The Lark’s Van Lier New Voices Fellowship. Her plays include In the tradition, High, The Road Trip, Inflatables, "the genuine minstrel show!", Antiquated F*ckery, [THE BLACK WOMAN] and The Myth, White Savior, and We are all Psychopaths.

Scripts

Hot Girls Making Out

by Jessica Charles

Synopsis

'Hot Girls Making Out' explores a "coming out journey" viewed through the lens of the effect that this journey has on queer people – the intention of the piece is to create a safe space to hold, question, and understand different LGBTQI+ lived experiences. This piece is a bold, immersive comedy-meets-call-to-action that blends live performance, videography, and a DJ set to create a queer, multi-sensory...

'Hot Girls Making Out' explores a "coming out journey" viewed through the lens of the effect that this journey has on queer people – the intention of the piece is to create a safe space to hold, question, and understand different LGBTQI+ lived experiences. This piece is a bold, immersive comedy-meets-call-to-action that blends live performance, videography, and a DJ set to create a queer, multi-sensory experience.

Set in 'A Better Place' – the last lesbian bar in Manhattan – the story follows a group of vibrant queers – Bec, Dru, and Lulu – and Jane, a straight-presenting, (het) married woman grieving the sudden loss of her best friend and secret love, Lauren. Her longing leads her to 'A Better Place,' where she meets the three magnetic friends who spark Jane's awakening. As Jane grapples with her identity and desires, the play shifts focus – it is not so much about whether Jane stays or goes and more about what is at stake when queer spaces like 'A Better Place' vanish entirely.

With drag, high-femme camp antics, and unapologetically queer joy, 'Hot Girls Making Out' is more than a play – it's a safe space – a radically inclusive environment that challenges traditional theater and invites audiences into the sometimes-convoluted yet celebratory world of the queer community. And as complex as this all might be, can we agree, “Who doesn’t like hot girls making out?”

Antiquated F*ckery

by Jessica Charles

Synopsis

Tired of an industry that sees them as both too black AND not black enough, two queer BFFs decide to f*ck the auditions and take the future into their own hands. When producers call after their genderqueer Juliet & Romeo goes viral, their friendship is put to the test by Karens, capitalists, and ultimately each other. Antiquated F*ckery is a dark comedy/black queer reality that begs the question: how do we...

Tired of an industry that sees them as both too black AND not black enough, two queer BFFs decide to f*ck the auditions and take the future into their own hands. When producers call after their genderqueer Juliet & Romeo goes viral, their friendship is put to the test by Karens, capitalists, and ultimately each other. Antiquated F*ckery is a dark comedy/black queer reality that begs the question: how do we move forward if we’re still performing the past?

I'd like to thank...

by Jessica Charles

Synopsis

It's Oscar season! And actress Shanice Jackson is about to be the 12th Black woman to ever win Best Supporting Actress. As she stands behind the podium wondering why she won the award for playing an "Aunt Jemima" in 2026, the sea of white faces in front of her anxiously await her speech. She has a lot of "thank you's" to give – the most important being: to Racism. After this speech, will she ever have a job in...

It's Oscar season! And actress Shanice Jackson is about to be the 12th Black woman to ever win Best Supporting Actress. As she stands behind the podium wondering why she won the award for playing an "Aunt Jemima" in 2026, the sea of white faces in front of her anxiously await her speech. She has a lot of "thank you's" to give – the most important being: to Racism. After this speech, will she ever have a job in Hollywood again?