Elena Velasco
is a theatre artist whose work encompasses many aspects of performance, production, activism and education. In July 2020, she began her tenure as Executive and Artistic Director for Rehearsal for Life, a social justice theatre for youth whose mission is to strengthen young people’s social and emotional skills for every stage of life through dialogue, creativity and performance. Prior to joining the Boston theatre community, Ms. Velasco taught at Bowie State University’s Theatre and Dance program, Maryland’s oldest historically Black college. She serves as Co-Director of EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access) for the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, national professional development and arts advocacy organization. A professional theatre artist of over 25 years, her directing and choreography credits include Convergence Theatre (Founding Artistic Director), GALA Hispanic, Synetic Theater, Keegan Theatre, Source Theatre, Mosaic Theater Company, Imagination Stage, Mead Theatre Lab, Avant Bard, Young Playwrights’ Theater, Discovery Theater, and the Kennedy Center’s New Visions New Voices Festival. Ms. Velasco has provided consultation for EDIA in theatre programming for organizations such as Theatre Washington, Women’s Theatre Festival of North Carolina, Gandhi Brigade, and Southeastern Theatre Conference, and has been featured on artist panels for Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Mosaic Theater Company, Adventure Theatre, Women’s Theatre Festival, Montgomery College and Transformation Theatre. As a playwright, she has been commissioned by Synetic Theater, Adventure Theatre, and Discovery Theater. Education: MFA in Directing and Bachelor of Arts in Drama, Catholic University of America . www.elenavelasco.net
