About

General / Performance – Ilasiea Gray is a multi-hyphenate social practice artist (actress, educator, writer, director, creator) and proud recipient of a True West Award for her impactful work in the arts and arts education.  She has been featured in several media publications and panels (including Colorado Public Radio, Denver Westword, Voyage Magazine, etc.) discussing the intersection of artistry, equity, social justice, and youth advocacy. Ilasiea has a BFA in Theatre, Film & Television, and was in the inaugural MFA in Social & Environmental Arts Practice program, created/led by Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors. 

Ilasiea is passionate about socially engaged projects ranging from on-camera work, stage, educational theatre, and theatre for young audiences.  She currently stars as Diamond Washington in the Life Is Strange: Double Exposure video game, and made history in Colorado playing the title role of Sleeping Beauty (Denver Children’s Theatre) as a Black actress. Her original piece ACTING WHILE BLACK was a finalist in the national Breath Project Festival with another version appearing in the award-winning Amplify series (Arvada Center).   Recent productions include the Regional Premiere of THE MINUTES (Curious Theatre Company), World Premiere of CALAMITOUS AFFAIR…(VFP Productions in Washington D.C.), and the tour of Black. With a Capital B. (Curious Theatre Company), where she performed and facilitated post-show conversations around race and understanding for six years.  Ilasiea was a co-creator and performer for CO2020 (BETC), a social commentary docu-theatre/documentary featured in American Theatre Magazine, and in addition to her activism and advocacy in the arts, she has served in many actor-educator/facilitator positions by way of professional development (for law enforcement, lawyers, medical students, arts integration & trauma-sensitive approaches for educators). Ilasiea is an Artistic Company Member for Curious Theatre Company and an Associate Artist for Local Theater Company.

 

TEACHING – Ilasiea teaches in many capacities nationally ranging from schools, arts organizations, theaters, and runs her own acting programming for kids. As an all-around educator (teaching artist, acting coach, children’s theatre director), she is passionate about empowering young people in the arts. Her internationally published Why Are There No “Great” Kids of Color in Performing Arts? examines inequities in the performing arts for kids of color (and educators of color), and she has been speaking and facilitating workshops around it at conferences nationwide; including South by Southwest (SXSW) Education Conference, Woodruff Arts Center Educator Conference, and headlining the Colorado Thespians Teacher Conference (essay workshop and performance).  

Her programming, Lae Lae’s Acting Jam, serves students from many backgrounds, with several of the students she coaches having professional stage, commercial,  T.V., and film credits.  Additionally, she has partnerships with organizations, libraries, talent agencies, schools, and has directed and devised 30+ youth productions.  As a Guest Artist, Ilasiea has been on several education panels, including the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, discussing anti-racism and anti-oppression in theatre spaces for young people.  She was featured in My Black Colorado’s “100 Black Educators” Edition and over the summer of 2020, was Creative Director for Outspoken: A Listening Project – Youth Voices of BLM. See “Teaching” tab for more information (credits, current offerings, and recent engagements).

 

ADDITIONAL ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS – Ilasiea works as a facilitator for many professional development engagements for educators, infusing arts-integration, social-emotional learning, trauma-sensitive practices, and culturally responsive education. She served as the inaugural Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access (IDEA) Coordinator for the Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities,  and has been a writer and co-creator on several projects, including the documentary CO-2020 and the world premiere of One Way-Back Day. Additionally, she has an extensive background as a Casting Associate with credits on feature films, commercials, industrials, and theatre.

Select Recent Projects:

  • Diamond Washington in Life is Strange: Double Exposure
  • Young Audiences National / Responsive Arts in School Environments (RAISE) Residencies
  • Burrell Performing Arts Academy – Professional Development & Residencies
  • Boulder Valley School District – Professional Development
  • Institute for Creative Teaching (UNC & Think360) – Sessions on Culturally Responsive Education and Worldbuilding through Theatre
  • Stories on Stage – Broomfield Outloud
  • Lone Tree Arts Center’s At The Table: Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk (Moderator)
  • Colorado Department of Education & Think360 Professional Development Series
  • Regional Premier of THE MINUTES (Curious Theatre Company)
  • Denver Public Schools Arts Intensive Professional Development
  • BLEEDING LOVE Film
  • The Hunt Institute’s Race & Education Panelist
  • African Caribbean Heritage Camp – Featured Speaker & Presenter
  • Cris Leaves Queens – Director, Local LAB
  • Storybooks on Stage – Dairy Arts Center
  • Arvada Center Workshop for Students of Contra Costa School of Performing Arts from the Bay Area
  • Colorado New Play Festival Youth Playwright Slam – Steamboat Springs
  • Black Lives Matter @ School Assemblies & Family Night – Host/Guest Speaker/Workshops
  • CALAMITOUS AFFAIR… World Premiere, Washington D.C
  • SPARKLE Film Premiere
  • JeffCo Theatre Festival – Teaching Artist (Commercials)
  • Black Arts Festival – Teaching Artist
  • Voyage Magazine Feature
  • Woodruff Arts Center Education Conference Speaker – Atlanta, GA
  • South by Southwest (SXSW) Education Conference in Austin, TX
  • IDEA Coordinator for the Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities
  • Black. With A Capital B. (Curious Theatre Company) – Touring virtually & live