Eisa Davis

Eisa Davis
Davis sings at NYC Hip-Hop Theater Festival 10th Anniversary benefit in 2010
Born	(1971-05-05) May 5, 1971 (age 52)
Education	Harvard University (AB) Pace University (MFA)
Occupation(s)	Playwright, actress, singer-songwriter
Relatives	Angela Davis (aunt)

Eisa Davis (born May 5, 1971) is an American playwright, actress and singer-songwriter.^[1] She is most commonly known for her work as a playwright, writing shows such as Bulrusher and Angela's Mixtape as well as through her acting work, wherein she won an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Performance. She resides in Brooklyn.^[2]

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Early life and education

Davis spent her childhood in San Francisco, California.^[3] As a child, she spent her time attending dance classes and learning the piano. She is the niece of political activist Angela Davis. After graduating from Berkeley High School, she earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a Master of Fine Arts from the Actors Studio, where she double majored in playwriting and acting.^[4] Her dance skills are notable as well, with the dean of her program saying she could have been admitted to Alvin Ailey.^[5]

Career

Davis stars 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. In 2006 Davis was nominated for, and subsequently won, an Obie Award for her performance in 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 Mixtapes. The show was autobiographical and went on to make it into the New Yorkers list of best plays from that year.^[2] Davis was previously a resident playwright at New Dramatists, during which time she won two playwriting awards, the Whitfield Cook and the Helen Merrill.^[1] Recently she has worked at Williams College as an Arthur Levitt Fellow for the 2013/14 season.^[1] Currently she is the Symphony Space's artist-in-residence.^[6] 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.^[7] Her play Bulrusher will also be produced at Berkeley Rep OCT 27–DEC 3, 2023.^[8]

Artistic philosophy

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."^[9] She struggles with ideas such as blackness and family through the poetry of her language.^[9]

Filmography

Film


Year	Title	Role
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

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	2 episodes
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

Year	Award	Show	Result
2006	Obie Award	Passing Strange	Won
2007	Pulitzer Prize	Bulrusher	Nominated
2011	Ruby Prize	Ramp	Won
2012	Herb Alpert Theatre Award	N/A	Won
2012	Barrymore Award	The History of Light	Nominated
N/A	Whitfield Cook Award	N/A	Won
N/A	Helen Merrill Award	N/A	Won
2016	Lucille Lortel Award	Preludes	Nominated