معرفی
Melinda Lopez is a playwright, performer, and educator currently serving as a Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University. She has taught at Boston University, Boston College, and Wellesley College, and is actively engaged in the Boston theatre community through her residencies at the Huntington Theatre Company and collaborations with institutions like the Old Globe Theatre and UCSB. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Boston University, where she studied under Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, her work bridges performance, education, and cultural advocacy.
- B.A. in Theatre from Dartmouth College
- M.A. in Theatre Education from Boston University
Her research and creative focus spans dramaturgy, playwriting, and contemporary American theatre, often centered on Latinx experiences and Cuban-American narratives. She specializes in adaptation (e.g., Yerma, Twelfth Night) and interdisciplinary projects like Orchids to Octopi, commissioned by the National Institutes of Health. Her recent works explore family dynamics, cultural identity, and societal challenges through innovative storytelling.
Her accolades include the 2019 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Achievement and multiple Massachusetts Cultural Council Awards in Dramatic Writing. She received the IRNE Best New Play Award for Orchids to Octopi and Elliot Norton Awards for Best New Play for The Black Beans Project, Mala, and Sonia Flew. She was recognized by President Obama in 2016, and Mayor Marty Walsh declared October 29, 2016, "Melinda Lopez Day" in Boston.
As a humanitarian, she volunteers to support the people of Cuba. Her artistic practice includes stage performance, film (e.g., Fever Pitch), and residencies at Sundance, the Lark, and Harvard University. She balances teaching, advocacy, and creative work, often drawing from her Cuban-American heritage and personal experiences.
