JESSE BLISS is an international playwright, director, producer, actress, poet and veteran arts educator with roots in women’s theatre out of New York City. Her work produced around the world at venues such as the United Nations, Edinburgh Festival, Lincoln Heights Jail, S.P.A.R.C at the Old Jail in Venice, The Last Bookstore, King Eddy Saloon, Words Uncaged, Black Rock Market, The Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts, Casa 0101 Theater, Theatre of Note, Occidental College, UCSC, UCLA, Lit Crawl LA, and California Institute of Integral Studies to name a few. She has been going into prisons since 16 years old using arts as a healing catalyst. She has taught and created curriculum extensively for incarcerated and other populations with Center Theatre Group, The Geffen, Inner-City Arts, Unusual Suspects, Inner-City Arts, J.U.I.C.E., Skirball Cultural Center, and Inside OUT Writers among others. 

She is a featured artist in Kate Crash's LA WOMEN, Julie Hebert's LOOK WHAT SHE DID and in Yahoo News' SHINE Documentaries. Ms. Bliss is a grant recipient from the Flourish Foundation , California Arts Council Cultural Pathways, and POETS and WRITERS for writing workshops for incarcerated girls supporting the creation of her acclaimed chapbook I LOVE MYSELF GOLDEN.    She recently created and directed MATRIARCH and the Immersive Theatrical Tour of DTLA, LUMINOUS STREETS in Los Angeles, Site-Specific productions that explore matters of women's survival and pursuit of justice. Jesse is Co-Producer of KPFK 90.7’s THINK OUTSIDE THE CAGE.  She is Founder and Creative Director of theatre company The Roots and Wings Project . LA Weekly says, “Jesse is dedicated to interdisciplinary storytelling that uplifts the voices of marginalized women and their unique struggles for justice and varieties of enduring grace.”

STUDENT FEEDBACK

The class was well thought out and put together...it was a great match of purpose and structure with space for going off on a helpful tangent. It was very supportive with a phenomenal instructor as well as a great group of students to work next to.

-2020 Creative Writing Student

It was wonderful to have inspiration, time to write, collaboration, and encouragement. Jesse was a great teacher and the rest of the class was a joy to work with.

-2020 Creative Writing Student

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