Biography
Alison De La Cruz (DeLa) is a multi-disciplinary theater artist, contemporary ritualist, senior artivist leader, facilitator and cultural organizer. De La Cruz is the new Executive & Artistic Director of Great Leap, Inc., a performance and creative practice company based in Los Angeles, CA.
While working at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC), De La Cruz served as Executive Producer of the LA premiere of the Broadway musical Allegiance (with East West Players) at the historic Aratani Theatre followed by the world premiere of PullProject Ensemble’s Tales of Clamor (with Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress) in the Aratani Theatre Black Box. De La Cruz’s directing credits include the world premiere of Nathan Ramos’ As We Babble On (East West Players); Claudia Rodriguez’s Midnight Steel (Grand Performances / DCA); Post Natyam Collective’s Super Ruwaxi (Fury Factory); East West Players’ Evoke Festival; and TeAda Productions’ Teadaworks. De La Cruz also served as Executive Producer for La Profundo, a 30th Anniversary Concert for the Grammy-Award winning band Quetzal at La Plaza de Cultural y Artes.
DeLa’s solo work includes Sungka, Naturally Graceful; Where You Stay? (2006); L.A. Malong Malong and DeLa’s gender non-conforming Flash Theatre LA piece Smoke and Mirrors. De La Cruz was also part of the Spotlight Stealerz with D’Lo and Adelina Anthony. DeLa’s artistic work has also been presented at venues across the country including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Asian Arts Initiative, Highways Performance Space and The David Henry Hwang Theatre at East West Players. As a poet-playwright-dramaturge, De La Cruz has collaborated with youth writers on 10 world premiere productions, including original work and Shakespeare adaptations with Asian Americans for Reproductive Health, Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, East West Players, About Productions, the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center and the Honda Tomodachi program.
De La Cruz is an Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, Access & Belonging Facilitator / Strategic Planner working with non-profit arts organizations, schools, collectives, foundations and communities to transform how we create administrative and community-based processes and systems to build transformative art and community spaces. DeLa is currently working with Self Help Graphics, the Center for Cultural Innovation, the Vallejo Arts Fund and the Pasadena Waldorf School. DeLa is a Board Member for the national service organization The Network of Ensemble Theaters.