Shenny de Los Angeles is a Dominican-American interdisciplinary performance artist. Shenny strives to tell the difficult truths of people who have been erased from history, centralizing Black Dominican femmes in her work because they are often misrepresented or forgotten. Her stories focus on healing generational trauma, inviting every hurt to free itself into joy.
“when you in pain just focus on somebody else’s business,” was her first piece to be published by The Caribbean Writers in 2019. This past Spring of 2021, Shenny became a featured artist for Latina’s Magazine relaunch, where her original poem; “Sisters by Water” was published. This opportunity invited Shenny to expand on the intimacy of friendship and why sisterhood is a sacred part of her survival.
Her original work has been performed at the following:
The United Nations
Latinx Playwright Circle
Daryl Roth Theatre
Abron Arts Center
The Wing
Gilder Lehrman Institute
Bowery Poetry Club
Dominican Writers
iD Studio Theatre
The People’s Forum
During the first year of Covid- Shenny found herself with the opportunity to live with her mother and grandmother for 6 months. In this process, she created a short docu-film with her artistic partner, Maria Marrone, about the three generations of Dominican women relaxing their hair. The short film entitled “the ritual to beauty” is currently screening with the following festivals:
Hot Docs Film Festival 2021 (Canada)
44th Portland International Film Festival (Oregon)
DOQUMENTA International Film Festival 2021 (Mexico)
AluCine Latin Film Festival 2021 (Canada)
Presently, Shenny is a recipient of the Franklin Furnace Fund Award and a SUITE/Space Artist of Mabou Mines Theatre. She is currently exploring a one-woman show she’s written entitled “What Happens to Brown Girls Who Never Learn How to Love Themselves Brown.”