ORO ARTS LAB
for Theater, Film & Performance

ORO Arts Lab for Theater, Film & Performance develops and produces new works of theater, film, and experimental performance that rouse political and social consciousness.

ORO ARTISTS

Lynea Diaz-Hagan (she/her), Founding Artist of the ORO Arts Lab, is a writer, director, vocalist/composer, and performer based in San Francisco. A Black/Latina kid rased in rural New England and a former criminology profile writer, she often tells stories about outsiders, culture clash, and human natures we would rather ignore. Lynea independently produces theatre and music projects throughout the Bay Area and has received multiple grants for her work, including CA$H Grants from Theatre Bay Area, a Literary Artist commission from the San Francisco Arts Commission, and a theatre production grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Lynea holds an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA, an MA in Jazz Studies/Voice from San Jose State University, and BA in English from Yale University.

Alice Highman, Founding Artist of the ORO Arts Lab, is a writer, director, actor, and attorney based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also dabbles in photography. Alice is passionate about storytelling across mediums and is a firm believer in the power of art to move the needle and challenge the status quo. Alice’s recent onstage credits include The Misanthrope with Troupe Theatre, Pear Slices—an annual production of eight original one-act plays at the Pear Theatre—and Orange Julius with the San Francisco Olympians Festival. She also recently assistant directed A.C.T.’s Class of 2019 MFA Showcase (directed by M. Graham Smith). Alice is a graduate of the University of Southern California where she studied film production and international relations. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Emilee Banks, Participating Artist, is a writer, director, producer, and actor who works in both theater, film, and radio. She is also a creative director and has helmed campaigns for a wide variety of clients, from start-ups to fortune-500 companies. She believes that creating art is life’s greatest honor — it is an opportunity to reflect the essence of humanity with empathy, sensitivity, and respect. She received her B.A. from Xavier University, where she majored in International Studies.