Biographie
Lina Patel is a multi-disciplinary artist dedicated to telling stories for broad audiences in order to give voice to the marginalized. Her theater work explores non-traditional relationships, and power in an unstable world.
On television, Lina has worked on shows across diverse genres. She was a co-producer on Ava DuVernay's nuanced series, "Cherish the Day," which explores Black love. She previously worked as an Executive Story Editor on DC's character-driven, morally complex sci-fi drama, "Krypton," and as a Staff Writer on the CW's family drama about fate versus free will, "Frequency". In 2024, Lina is the creator and Executive Producer for her original pilot about mental health and law enforcement which she is developing with BET Plus; she is working on her her first hybrid-animation project about a rocket prodigy with Trioscope Studios. She is also developing her first graphic novel series.
Theater work, upcoming: "Sick Girl or Don't Hate Me Cuz I'm Pretty" about immigration, illness, and the value of broken things is part of New Harmony Project's first PlayFest Indy festival of new works; Lina's UCLA/Playwright's Arena commissioned new play, "Traces of Desire," is being published by Bloomsbury, U.K.
Other plays (selected): "Belonging", about a father and daughter struggling with grief was part of Rogue Machine Theater's inaugural Playwright's Roundtable in July, 2024. Her play, "The Ragged Claws", was selected for The Road Theater's 2024 SPF Festival and was nominated by David Henry Hwang for Cherry Lane's Mentor Project; "Sankalpan" ("Desire"), an adaptation of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" set in pre-Partition India was presented at RADA; "Karma" produced at The Echo Theater Company, directed by Daniel Talbott; "Win" produced at East West Players/Japanese American National Museum, directed by Jennifer Chang; "Sweet Life" produced at the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival, directed by Jedadiah Schultz.
Additional Commissions and Workshops (selected): Yale Repertory Theatre (Commissioned Artist), the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF Presents), The New Group, East West Players (Writer's Group Alumna), Center Theater Group (Writer's Group Alumna), Chalk Repertory (Commissioned Artist), Ammunition Theater (Company Member). Lina received an NEA grant for her play, Half-Breed Spy or, How I Learned to Love Imperialists which was work-shopped at Circle X Theater and directed by John Langs. Residencies include: New Harmony Project (2012 and 2021), The Sewanee Writers Conference (Walter E. Dakin Fellow). In 2024, Lina was one of five writers invited to develop work with The Lark Playwright's Workshop at 2nd Stage this winter.
Lina got her start as a critically acclaimed actor and voice over artist. On stage, she has performed both in Los Angeles and regionally, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, East West Players, Boston Court, the Echo, Chalk Rep, and The Globe Theaters. Lina is a proud member of the Writer's Guild of America West and SAG-AFTRA.
