Lisa Strum

Teaching Artist

Lisa is a director, educator, actress, playwright, singer and wedding officiant! Most recently, the virtual film production of BALTIMORE that she directed for Ramapo College won FIVE Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Awards. She was also one of the directors for “All Hands On Deck”, a Virtual Series with Project Y Theatre Company. As Resident Theatre Director at Five Towns College, she directed Flyin’ West, For Colored Girls... (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award Winning Production), and will direct SWEAT this September. Lisa also directed FALL by France-Luce Benson for the 2019 One Act Play Festival with Ensemble Studio Theatre. She starred as Rose in FENCES with the REP at The University of Delaware and Virginia REP. Lisa also starred in the Michigan Premiere of PIPELINE at Detroit Public Theatre, and SWEAT at People’s Light. Her solo play, She Gon' Learn had sold out performances at the United Solo Festival on Theatre Row, and received one of the festival's Best Solo Show Awards. The show was also featured with The New Black Fest at the Lark. As an actor, Lisa worked at Lincoln Center Theatre with Tony Award winning director Thomas Kail, appeared at Summer Stage, Signature Theatre, New Federal Theatre and The Obie Award Winning 48 Hours in... Harlem. Lisa also had a recurring role on Law & Order: SVU, co-stared on New Amsterdam, The Blacklist, and the television pilot Citizen Baines with James Cromwell from LA Confidential. As an arts in education theatre instructor and teaching Artist, Lisa has worked in public schools, colleges and universities all over the country. She is also a staff facilitator at Columbia University for The Literacy Unbound Summer Institute and was the Theatre Specialist for the Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement for nine seasons. Lisa was a Finalist for the Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award, was the recipient of the Playwrights Fellowship at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. She was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, and received a Broadway World Award for Best Actress for the Regional production of FENCES. In 2022 Lisa will direct BLKS by Aziza Barnes at the University of Iowa, and will premiere her short new play, By the Way... with the Obie Award Winning Fire This Time Festival.