Lisa Strum
- Actress
Lisa Rosetta Strum is an actor, director, playwright, and singer. She recently premiered her new solo play, DREAM, Girl! at The Apollo Theatre and made her Broadway debut in Death of a Salesman. She played the roles of Goneril and Mother Abbess at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Truvvy in STEEL MAGNOLIAS at TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley. Her virtual film production of BALTIMORE that she adapted and directed for Ramapo College won FIVE Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Awards. As Resident Theatre Director at Five Towns College, she directed Flyin' West, For Colored Girls... and SWEAT (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award Winning Productions). She also directed BLKS by Aziza Barnes at The University of Iowa. Lisa made her Off-Broadway directing debut at Ensemble Studio Theatre with Franceluce Benson's FALL. Regionally, Lisa has directed A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Bristol Riverside Theatre and Nikkole Salter's TORN ASUNDER at Luna Stage. She also directed FALL by France-Luce Benson with Ensemble Studio Theatre. She starred as Rose in FENCES with the REP at University of Delaware and Virginia REP, and starred in the Michigan Premiere of PIPELINE by Dominique Morisseau at Detroit Public Theatre as well as 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. Lisa's other acting credits include Lincoln Center Theatre with Tony Award winning director Thomas Kail; Summer Stage; Signature Theatre; New Federal Theatre and The Obie Award Winning 48 Hours in... Harlem. Lisa had a recurring role on "Law & Order: SVU"; guest starred on FBI co-stared on "New Amsterdam", "The Blacklist", and the television pilot "Citizen Baines" with James Cromwell. As an arts in education theatre instructor, Lisa is 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 and the recipient of the Playwrights Fellowship at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. She was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Actress, and received a Broadway World Award for Best Actress for the Regional production of FENCES. Her short play, By the Way... which premiered with the Obie Award Winning Fire This Time Festival, received the Young-Howze Theatre Award for Best "Mind Blowing Shortie" of the Year in 2023.
