Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista
Dramaturg
2026, he/him BFA Drama, Dramaturgy
Jesús E. Feliciano Batista (él/him) is a playwright, dramaturg, and filmmaker raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama with a concentration in Dramaturgy from Carnegie Mellon University. The fourth of five children, Jesús grew up supported by his family and friends, who helped him pursue his education in the arts. He developed an interest in playwriting in high school, where he had the opportunity to be the lead playwright of a writing team for two productions.
From there, Jesús began his studies at Carnegie Mellon University, an institution that allowed him to cultivate his identity through the practice and creation of theater, incorporating elements of magical realism and Latin American culture into his plays. As a playwright, he is the winner of the John Cauble One-Act Playwriting Award from the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) for his play AMBER ALERT. In 2024, Jesús became the winner of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture’s Playwriting Contest for his play Elogio de Una Pintura(Eulogy of a Painting), which explores the evolution of culture on the island through the painting “El Velorio” by Francisco Oller. The play premiered in March 2026, as the title piece of the 63rd National Puerto Rican Theater Festival.
In Dramaturgy, Jesús values in–rehearsal experience, in order to collaborate with the director and actors to join both worlds collectively. This way, he believes he is able to maintain the vision of the team through discussions of the World of the Play, character work sessions, and providing resources as needed. Throughout the past four years, Jesús has also cultivated a passion for New–Work Dramaturgy, working closely with the playwrights to polish the World of the Play, produce workshops, and run talkbacks of the show. Next, Jesús will be the Dramaturg for TJ Young’s new play We Fly at The Pittsburgh Public Theater.
In the past years, he has developed a spark and love for Film & Television Writing and Directing. Through the visual media, Jesús continues to promote Latino storytelling while allowing Magic Realism, culture, and music to sit at the forefront of the visuals on screen. His writing and his directing style embody collaboration and physical exploration with the creative team and the actors, working on figuring out movement and beats together to best elevate the stories and the characters. This past month, Jesús wrapped shooting on his short film La Composición de un Humano (The Composition of a Man), produced in part thanks to the Dietrich School Film Grant. The film follows how a Latino composer’s voice is shattered and lost thanks to his code–switching in the wake of a series of ICE protests. He is excited for the film to begin the festival circuit soon.
Recently, Jesús has been working on projects with various teams that, at their core, promote Puerto Rican identity. In his works, Jesús seeks to present the world in an optimistic way, connecting powerful themes with community development. Among the themes he has addressed are cultural identity, family dynamics, femicide, mental health, religion, and Latino sensibilities.
Work Samples
Elogio de una Pintura (Eulogy of a Painting)
By Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista
Directed by Axel Cintrón
Playwright – Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista
63rd National Puerto Rican Theater Festival– March 2026
Ghosts
By Henrik Ibsen (Adapted by Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista & Carlos E. Martínez)
Directed by Carlos E. Martínez
Dramaturgy/Adaptation by Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista
CMU School of Drama – Feb/March 2025
La Composición de un Humano (The Composition of a Man)
By Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista
Directed by Jesús E. Feliciano–Batsita
Written, Directed, and Co–Produced by Jesús E. Feliciano–Batista
Dietrich School Grant Winner– April 2026