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Eisa Davis

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Eisa Davis
Davis in 2024
Born (1971-05-05) May 5, 1971 (age 53)
EducationHarvard University (AB)
New School for Social Research (MFA)
Occupation(s)Playwright, actress, singer-songwriter
RelativesAngela Davis (aunt)

Eisa Davis (born May 5, 1971) is an American playwright, actress and singer-songwriter.[1] She is known for her work as the co-creator of the Warriors concept album with Lin-Manuel Miranda.[2] Her previous works include the plays Bulrusher and Angela's Mixtape. For her stage acting in New York, she won an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Performance. She resides in Brooklyn.[3]

Early life and education

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Davis was born and spent her childhood in Berkeley, ⁣California.[4] As a child, she attended dance classes and studied voice and classical piano at the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley.[5]  She is the niece of political activist Angela Davis. A Davis’ autobiographical play Angela’s Mixtape tells the story of her upbringing in the Bay Area and the impact of her family’s politics on her childhood.[6] After graduating from Berkeley High School, she earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University. Davis earned her Master of Fine Arts from the Actors Studio at the New School for Social Research, where she double majored in playwriting and acting.[7] Her dance skills are notable as well, with the dean of her program saying she could have been admitted to Alvin Ailey.[8]

Career

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Davis began working as a professional actress at the age of 10 with appearances on a local television show, then acted in plays, industrials and films throughout high school and college. Davis moved to Los Angeles after college and worked with Anna Deavere Smith on her piece about that city’s uprising, Twilight, Los Angeles: 1992.[9]

After graduate school, Davis continued to work as an actor in television and film, with roles in The Wire and Soul Food. She became a lifetime member of the Actors Studio, as well as a resident playwright at New Dramatists.[10] Drawing from her work as a hip hop journalist for Rap Sheet and The Source,[11] Davis advocated for the hybrid art form that brings together theatre and hip hop by writing essays[12] and participating in the Hip-Hop Theater Festival.[13] She also became a poetry fellow at Cave Canem, the esteemed organization for black poets.[14]

In 2006, Davis’ play Bulrusher premiered at Urban Stages and received a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize.[15][16] In 2007, Davis won an Obie Award with the ensemble of Passing Strange. The show premiered at Berkeley Rep, but then moved on to Broadway and Davis went with the show, only later to have the whole production filmed by Spike Lee. In 2009, she wrote and starred in Angela's Mixtape. The show was autobiographical and went on to make it into The New Yorker’s list of best plays from that year.[3]

Davis starred as Addie Pickett, nurse and receptionist at Bluebell, Alabama's local medical practice in The CW's series Hart of Dixie, a fish-out-of-water story about a New York City doctor (Rachel Bilson) adjusting to life in a small Southern town after she inherits a local medical practice.[17][18]

In 2012/13 Davis was Symphony Space's artist-in-residence.[1] She taught at Williams College as an Arthur Levitt Fellow for the 2013/14 season.[7] While continuing to write and act in plays, Davis became more known with roles on House of Cards and Mare of Easttown and Kindred. She also wrote for television for Spike Lee’s Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, as well as on Justified: City Primeval.[19]

Davis has two albums of her own music, Something Else and Tinctures. Some of her songs have been featured on the Showtime series Soul Food.[1] Davis also narrated the role of Celestial Davenport Hamilton in the audiobook version of An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.[20] Mushroom, a bilingual play Davis wrote about mushroom pickers around Kennett Square, PA earned several Barrymore nominations after its premiere in 2022.[21] Her play Bulrusher was produced at Berkeley Rep OCT 27–DEC 3, 2023.[22]

In 2024, Eisa Davis's play Bulrusher was adapted into an opera by West Edge Opera in Berkeley, California. The production was part of the company's summer festival, bringing Davis's story to a new medium.[23][24]

Artistic philosophy

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Davis believes in the Ghanaian principle of Sankofa. The literal translation of the word is "return and collect it" or "go back and get it". This refers to her use of digging through her own lineage and history to find action and themes that can be used in her plays. She also uses her art to answer questions that "haunt" her or ideas that she is grappling with herself. Much of her artistic philosophy can be summed up in her quote, "Theatre is one of the few public spaces we have for active contemplation."[25] She explores ideas such as blackness and family through the poetry of her language.[25]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Box Suite Davis
2001 Mourning Glory Victim
2003 Robot Stories Helen
2004 Brass Tacks Tamara
2005 Confess Glyness Bennet
2006 The Architect Linda Freeman
2008 Pretty Bird Corporate Hotshot #3
2010 Welcome to the Rileys Vivian
2011 In the Family Anne Carter
2012 The Letter Therapist
2013 The Volunteer Karen
2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit FBI Explosives Expert
2018 First Match Bianca
2019 After the Wedding Tanya
2021 Tick, Tick... Boom! Aspiring Composer and Lyricist
2023 Ex-Husbands Eileen Link

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1999 Now and Again Reporter Episode: "Over Easy"
2000–2009 Law & Order Various roles 4 episodes
2001–2003 Soul Food Rose / Tinctures / Eisa Davis
2002–2008 The Wire Bubbles' Sister
2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Vera Galeano Episode: "Soulless"
2009 Great Performances Mother Episode: "Passing Strange"
2009 Damages Carla Stenson Episode: "London. Of Course"
2010 Mercy Producer Episode: "There Is No Room for You on My Ass"
2011–2012 Hart of Dixie Addy Pickett 10 episodes
2012 Smash Abigail 2 episodes
2014 The Blacklist ND Agent Episode: "The Good Samaritan (No. 106)"
2014 The Good Wife Dr. Allison Sugar Episode: "Dramatics, Your Honor"
2015 Gotham Judith Barthel Episode: "The Scarecrow"
2015 American Odyssey Sheila Linderby Episode: "Bug Out"
2015 Madam Secretary Jane Smith Episode: "The Long Shot"
2015–2016 House of Cards Cynthia Driscoll 8 episodes
2016 The Family Julia Beckett Episode: "Of Puppies and Monsters"
2016 Blindspot Alexandra 4 episodes
2016 Falling Water Sarah Henry Episode: "Circular Time"
2018 The Looming Tower Condoleezza Rice 3 episodes
2018 Rise Eva Thorne 5 episodes
2018 Succession Joyce Miller 2 episodes
2018 God Friended Me Lena
2019 Bluff City Law General Virginia Howe Episode: "Need to Know"
2020–2021 Betty Jeanne 5 episodes
2021 Pose Angie Episode: "Intervention"
2021 Mare of Easttown Gayle Graham 4 episodes
2023 Ahsoka Captain Girard Episode: "Part Five: Shadow Warrior"

Awards

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Year Award Show Result
2006 Obie Award Passing Strange Won
2007 Pulitzer Prize Bulrusher Nominated
2009 Obie Award Sustained Excellence Won[26]
2011 Ruby Prize Ramp Won
2012 Herb Alpert Theatre Award N/A Won
Barrymore Award The History of Light Nominated
2013 Lucille Lortel Award Luck of the Irish Nominated[27]
N/A Whitfield Cook Award N/A Won
N/A Helen Merrill Award N/A Won
2016 Lucille Lortel Award Preludes Nominated
2018 Drama League Kings Nominated
2019 AUDELCO Award The Secret Life Of Bees Won[28]
2020 Creative Capital Award N/A Won[29]
2020 Lucille Lortel Award The Secret Life of Bees Nominated[30]
2023 Barrymore Award Mushroom Nominated[31]
2023 USA Artists Fellow N/A Won[32]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "about « Eisa Davis". www.eisadavis.com. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  2. ^ "Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis on their 'Warriors' musical concept album with Lauryn Hill". AP News. 2024-09-18. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  3. ^ a b Elist, Jasmine (2011-08-14). "A double life as actress, playwright". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  4. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (2008-03-08). "Eisa Davis – Passing Strange – Theater". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  5. ^ "The Theater: Berkeley Native Eisa Davis Returns Home. Category: Arts Listings from The Berkeley Daily Planet". www.berkeleydailyplanet.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  6. ^ "Davis: Angela's Mixtape + The History of Light - 53rd State Press". 53rdstatepress.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  7. ^ a b "Revolution, Racism and Family in "Angela's Mixtape" By FRED DODSWORTH. Category: Election Section from The Berkeley Daily Planet". www.berkeleydailyplanet.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  8. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (2008-03-08). "Eisa Davis – Passing Strange – Theater". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  9. ^ "Interview with Eisha Davis: "Kings" at Public Theater". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  10. ^ "Alumni Playwrights | New Dramatists". newdramatists.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  11. ^ julia_wallace@harvardmagazine.com (2008-07-01). "Thoroughly Eclectic | Harvard Magazine". www.harvardmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  12. ^ Authors, Various (2004-04-01). "Hip-Hop Theatre: A Colloquy". AMERICAN THEATRE. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  13. ^ "Hi-ARTS History". Hi-ARTS. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  14. ^ "Cave Canem » glossary » d". Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  15. ^ ""Bulrusher" added to McCarter Theatre's 2022-23 Season". NewJerseyStage.com. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  16. ^ Masseron, Meg (August 23, 2023). "See Who's Starring in Eisa Davis' Bulrusher at McCarter Theatre Center".
  17. ^ "Eisa Davis". www.peopleslight.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  18. ^ "Eisa Davis - Artist". MacDowell. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  19. ^ "TV & FILM WRITING – Eisa Davis". Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  20. ^ "An American Marriage - HighBridge Audio".
  21. ^ "The Regional Roundup: September 19, 2022". WHYY. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  22. ^ "Bulrusher".
  23. ^ "Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis' 'Warriors' will be a concept album, not a stage musical". Los Angeles Times. 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  24. ^ "Bulrusher Is Quietly Brilliant at West Edge Opera". www.sfcv.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  25. ^ a b "About Eisa Davis | The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts". herbalpertawards.org. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  26. ^ "13". Obie Awards. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  27. ^ "2013 Nominees : Lucille Lortel Awards". lortelaward.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  28. ^ Armstrong, Linda (2019-11-27). "47th annual AUDELCO: Acknowledging Black theater greatness!". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  29. ^ "Award Year 2020". Creative Capital. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  30. ^ "2020 Nominees : Lucille Lortel Awards". lortelaward.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  31. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Theatre Philadelphia Unveils First Full Slate Of Barrymore Nominees Since 2019". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  32. ^ "2023 USA Fellowship". United States Artists. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
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