Summer Dawn Reyes

Summer Dawn Reyes (she/ella) has almost as many hats as she does shoes — writer, director, actor, teaching artist, arts administrator and more! At NJ Theatre Alliance, the Jersey City artist serves as an Administrative Coordinator. She loves creating opportunities for NJ creators. She is only an artist today because of Writers Theatre of New Jersey and their NJ Young Playwrights Contest, which convinced 15-year-old Summer that theater was the place to be! She’s delighted to be helping other NJ organizations today create those a-ha moments for others.

Summer is also the founder/director of In Full Color, an arts organization which empowers artists of color with an emphasis on serving women and TGNC folx. IFC has received two commendations from the NJ State Assembly and the Jersey City Arts Council’s Performing Arts Award. IFC has a roster of 250+ artists from the United States, Canada and Mexico and has created more than $17,000 in paid work for artists in 2021 in multiple art forms including theater, literary arts, visual arts, music, dance, comedy and more.

As a teaching artist, Summer teaches students of all ages in the Tri-State area for Young Audiences, Lincoln Center Theatre and Storytelling Arts, focusing on theater, writing, anti-racism and anti-oppression. She regularly writes and executes curricula that helps young artists connect to their home cultures, practice respect, learn through inquiry and nurture their inner artist.