Melory Mirashrafi

Dramaturg

Melory Mirashrafi is an Iranian-American theatre artist born and based in Portland, Oregon. Melory’s work spans from new plays and translations to live music and opera, focusing on work that is relevant, rigorous, and theatrical.

Melory is the Artistic & Producing Associate at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, and has spent time at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, and American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Melory is a Stage Directors & Choreographers Foundation Directing Fellow (Young Americans, Pittsburgh Public Theater & Portland Center Stage), attendee of the MusaMadre Rebeccu “One year for freedom of writing” residency in Sardinia, curated by Nassim Soleimanpour, and recipient of the Opera America Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize (Glück’s Orfeo), LimeArts/20×20 Fringe Excellence in Technical Achievement Award (Abundancia, Matchbox Theatre Company), and Thomas Derrah Emerging Artist Award (English, SpeakEasy Stage Company). Melory is a Resident Artist Company member at Bag&Baggage Productions, and Stage Directors & Choreographers Associate Member.

Melory has developed and presented works at organizations across the country as a director, dramaturg, and actor, including National Queer Theatre (Layalina, <<when we write with ashes>>), Third Rail Repertory Theatre (Middletown Mall, Sanctuary City, The Music Man), SpeakEasy Stage Company (English), Portland Center Stage (Young Americans, the ripple, the wave that carried me home), Gloucester Stage (Wish You Were Here), Bag&Baggage Productions (Who’s Holiday, Our Utopia, Romeo&Juliet(Layla&Majnun)), Renegade Opera (Adam’s Run), Fuse Theatre Ensemble (The God Cluster), Pittsburgh Public Theater (Young Americans), Shaking the Tree Theatre (Shahmaran), and Artists Repertory Theatre (Sapience, American Fast, True Story).

Beyond the theatre, Melory is a co-founder of the SWANA Rose Culture + Community Center (@swanarosepdx), where they co-curate of the Through the Looking Glass Artist Residency Program, co-organizer of the Beaverton Food Project (@beavertonfoodproject), and vocalist of Portland-based chamber rock band CHERA CHERA (@cheracheraband).

Melory’s writing can be found in the Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays and Routledge’s Troubling Traditions: Canonicity, Theatre, and Performance in the US.

Find Melory on Instagram @meloryjasmin.