Jessica Charles
Playwright | Storyteller | Creative | Cultural Worker
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Meet Jessica
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 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 Creative 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.
Upcoming:
Black Lives Black Words International – Manhattan Beach, Resident Artist
Hot Girls Making Out by Jessica Charles
The Tank Presents – An Industry Reading
2024:
SPACE on Ryder Farm, Creative Resident
I AM SOUL Playwriting Residency, Finalist – National Black Theatre 24/26
New Works Lab Cycle 7, Finalist – The Fire This Time
WP Theater Lab, Semi-finalist – WP Theater
Past work:
Antiquated F*ckery by Jessica Charles
59E59 Theaters – Oct 8 - 28, 2023
Part of The Pool Plays 3.0 and 59E59's Makers Program
Upcoming
SEE WHAT'S IN MY FUTURE
Hot Girls Making Out by Jessica Charles
The Tank Presents
An Industry Reading
I write now because I have to.
I write because my story is important.
The people who look like me, feel like me, push through this world like me are
important.
Nuanced people, colorful people, sad people, joyful people, people just trying to survive – our stories are
important.
I write to capture the complexity in the mundane.
I write to archive.
I write to question.
I write to listen.
I write to connect.
I won’t stop writing until our voices are centered on the biggest stages in the world.
I don’t just write to see POC and/or queer people on stage. I write to tell the nuances and intricacies of our lived experiences.
I write because as a Black, queer woman, I fear if I don’t tell you my story is important and equal and resonant, it will only be a whisper to you.
And I write because I WANT TO F*CKING SHOUT!
