ALEJANDRA
CISNEROS
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Hi, I’m Alejandra. I’m a cultural producer and director who believes stories are how we build community. My work blends humor, memory, and collaboration to create spaces where people can see themselves, celebrate each other, and imagine what’s possible.
My path has been shaped by a degree in Film, Media, and Art History from UC Irvine, training in leadership and equity, and adventures researching theatre practices in Lisbon, Bogotá, and Cuba. These experiences have given me a wide lens—but at the heart of my work is a love for bringing people together through stories.
I’ve created projects like El Verde, which reimagines Latinx superhero culture with comedy and sharp social commentary; It Tastes Like What I Remember, a love letter to food and memory; and Chisme y Queso, where gossip transforms into a vibrant, interactive theatrical experience with audiences as co-storytellers.
I’ve had the joy of collaborating with organizations like The Public Theater, Center Theatre Group, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Along the way, I’ve been part of the artEquity BIPOC Leadership Circle, recognized as a Theatre Communications Group Young Leader of Color, and honored with the Leadership U grant for visionary leaders.
At the heart of it all, my work is about sparking connection, challenging narratives of otherness, and reminding us that art—like a good meal—is best when it’s shared.
My path has been shaped by a degree in Film, Media, and Art History from UC Irvine, training in leadership and equity, and adventures researching theatre practices in Lisbon, Bogotá, and Cuba. These experiences have given me a wide lens—but at the heart of my work is a love for bringing people together through stories.
I’ve created projects like El Verde, which reimagines Latinx superhero culture with comedy and sharp social commentary; It Tastes Like What I Remember, a love letter to food and memory; and Chisme y Queso, where gossip transforms into a vibrant, interactive theatrical experience with audiences as co-storytellers.
I’ve had the joy of collaborating with organizations like The Public Theater, Center Theatre Group, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Along the way, I’ve been part of the artEquity BIPOC Leadership Circle, recognized as a Theatre Communications Group Young Leader of Color, and honored with the Leadership U grant for visionary leaders.
At the heart of it all, my work is about sparking connection, challenging narratives of otherness, and reminding us that art—like a good meal—is best when it’s shared.
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FEATURED WORK
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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EDUCATION ︎
University of California, Irvine
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
PROFESSIONAL ROLES ︎
University of California, Irvine
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Film+Media & Art History Studies
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
- Google Project Management
- People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
- artEquity
- National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Leadership Institute
- Theatre Communications Group Leadership Training
- Belbin High Performing Teams Training
PROFESSIONAL ROLES ︎
- Arts Manager, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
- Board Member, Artists at Play
- Director of Arts Engagement, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA
- Facilitator, Equity and Justice for Institutional Change [EJIC], No Dream Deferred, New Orleans, LA
- Mobile Unit National Program Manager, The Public, New York, NY
- Community Producer, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR
- Community Partnerships Producer, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles, CA
- Senior Operations Coordinator, Grand Park, The Music Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Booking and Events Coordinator, Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre, Burbank, CA
- Executive Assistant to Producing Artistic Director, The Robey Theatre Company, Los Angeles, CA
- Research Associate, NALIP, Los Angeles, CA
- International Membership Coordinator, NATPE, Los Angeles, CA
- Office Manager, CASA 0101 Theater, East Los Angeles, CA
- Production Assistant, Film Roman, Burbank, CA
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ︎
2024 Pfaelzer Award Finalist
The Pfaelzer Award was created in honor of former Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer’s twenty-year commitment to nurturing artists and their developing stories at New York Stage and Film (NYSAF).
2020 artEquity BIPOC Leadership Circle
In partnership with Yale School of Drama, the BIPOC Leadership Circle prioritizes, centers, and addresses the needs of BIPOC leaders in, cultural arts institutions and comes at this particular time when values-based leadership is needed even more.
Theatre Communications Group Leadership U[niversity]: One-on-One Recipient
One-on-One grants are awarded to eight visionary rising leaders from all areas of theatre for professional development via mentorships at TCG Member Theatres.
TCG Role Call: 6 Theatre Workers You Should Know 2019
NALAC Leadership Institute (NLI) Fellow
The NLI is a rigorous arts management and leadership development program that delivers innovative and practical strategies that lead to successful business practices in the arts; cultivating an inclusive cultural space that provides multiple generations of Latiné artists, arts managers and cultural promoters the support, knowledge, and agency to confidently respond to and initiate solutions to complex cultural questions.
Nathan Cummings Young Leader of Color Recipient
Created to gather young theatre professionals of color from around the US at TCGs National Conferences to engage in a dialogue about the new generation of leadership.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival FAIR Fellow
Created to invest and support the development of theatre professionals to sustain equity throughout the field of American Theatre.
Directors Lab West Director Cohort
Dedicated to bringing emerging and mid-career theatre directors and choreographers with master artists for an eight-day long intensive, enabling them to inspire each other to dream and create the future of American Theatre.
2024 Pfaelzer Award Finalist
The Pfaelzer Award was created in honor of former Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer’s twenty-year commitment to nurturing artists and their developing stories at New York Stage and Film (NYSAF).
2020 artEquity BIPOC Leadership Circle
In partnership with Yale School of Drama, the BIPOC Leadership Circle prioritizes, centers, and addresses the needs of BIPOC leaders in, cultural arts institutions and comes at this particular time when values-based leadership is needed even more.
Theatre Communications Group Leadership U[niversity]: One-on-One Recipient
One-on-One grants are awarded to eight visionary rising leaders from all areas of theatre for professional development via mentorships at TCG Member Theatres.
TCG Role Call: 6 Theatre Workers You Should Know 2019
NALAC Leadership Institute (NLI) Fellow
The NLI is a rigorous arts management and leadership development program that delivers innovative and practical strategies that lead to successful business practices in the arts; cultivating an inclusive cultural space that provides multiple generations of Latiné artists, arts managers and cultural promoters the support, knowledge, and agency to confidently respond to and initiate solutions to complex cultural questions.
Nathan Cummings Young Leader of Color Recipient
Created to gather young theatre professionals of color from around the US at TCGs National Conferences to engage in a dialogue about the new generation of leadership.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival FAIR Fellow
Created to invest and support the development of theatre professionals to sustain equity throughout the field of American Theatre.
Directors Lab West Director Cohort
Dedicated to bringing emerging and mid-career theatre directors and choreographers with master artists for an eight-day long intensive, enabling them to inspire each other to dream and create the future of American Theatre.
Thanks for stopping by. ︎