Florinda Bryant

Florinda Bryant is an award winning interdisciplinary artist, activist, and arts educator – a Texas gurl who calls Austin home. As a performer and director, she has worked with Salvage Vanguard Theater, the Rude Mechs, the Vortex, Paper Chairs, Theater en Bloc and Teatro Vivo in Austin, TX and the Ensemble Theater in Houston, Texas. As a writer Florinda engages audiences in explorations around identity, body, and community. Her award-winning one-woman show “Half Breed Southern Fried” was produced as part of the Performing Blackness Series at the University of Texas and was directed by Laurie Carlos. Bryant has also served on the production team for shows produced thru the Performing Blackness Series including “Sweet Tea” (Asst. Producer) by E. Patrick Harris, “Quiet Frenzy” (Production Manager) by Stacie K Robinson, and “Stretch Marks” (director) by Angela Kariotis (a production that was later produced in Iowa as part of the National New Play Network). Having trained for over 20 years in performance Jazz Aesthetics, Florinda has performed in several Sharon Bridgeforth shows, most recently performing the Blues in “dat Black Mermaid Man Lady” at Pilsbury House in Minneapolis, MN. Other favorites include “Pork Chop Wars” written and directed by Laurie Carlos in Austin (Performing Blackness Series) and Minneapolis (Pangea World Theater), regional premiere of “Until the Flood” by Dael Orlandersmith, and “Your Healing is Killing Me” by Virginia Grise (Playmakers in NC and Cara Mia Theater in Dallas Texas). Most recently, the regional premiere of her one woman show “Black do Crack” at Ground Floor Theater in Austin, Texas was nominated for five B. Iden Payne Awards including Outstanding Production of a Drama, Lead Actress in a Drama, and Original Script as well as Direction of a Drama and Dramaturgy. Florinda has worked with at risk communities, young men and women and adults – using performance as social justice tool for empowerment and change for over 18 years. Having recently retired from arts administration with Creative Action and Salvage Vanguard Theater, Bryant is proud to be a full-time artist.

Social
Instagram: @latinanegra21