Paul Stojsavljevic-Flores

Paul S. Flores is a San Francisco artist of Mexican and Cuban-American descent who has built a national reputation for interview-based theater and bilingual spoken word. He integrates indigenous and Latino healing practices to tell the stories of real people impacted by immigration and systemic inequalities. Flores appeared on Season 3 and 4 of HBO’s Def Poetry. He is the author of the plays We Have Iré, which premiered in 2019 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; PLACAS: The Most Dangerous Tattoo; and On The Hill: I Am Alex Nieto, as well as the novel Along the Border Lies. His commissions have come from The National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Capital, La Peña Cultural Center, MAP Fund, Pregones Theater, National Performance Network, SF Arts Commission, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-SF), and many others. His workhas played across the United States and internationally in Cuba, Mexico, and El Salvador. Paul is a Doris Duke Artist Award winner, and he teaches Theater at the University of San Francisco. He also works as cultural event producer at Acción Latina in San Francisco’s Mission District. His debut book of poetry We Still Be on El Martillo Press recently won the 2024 American Book Award. He lives in San Francisco with his children.

• Writing
• Theater
• Hip-Hop
• Latino Cultural Aesthetics
• Immigration

• Health Disparities in Latino Males

• UC San Diego, BA
• San Francisco State Univeristy, MFA

• Season 3 & 4 contestant, HBO Def Poetry

• Before Columbus Foundation AMERICAN BOOK AWARD, 2024

• Creative Capital Award, January 2019

• SFFILM Westridge Grant- Screenwriting, November 2018

• National Performance Network Creation Fund July 2018

• San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Artist Grant July 2018

• California Arts Council/Artist in Community (Fathers & Families San Joaquin) Jun

• We Still Be: Poems and Performances, El Martillo Press, Los Angeles, CA, 2023

• Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis, Dedication to Geoffrey Canada; Iowa State University, October 2012

• Me No Habla With Acento: Contemporary Latino Poetry, poems, Ed. Emmanuel Xavier; El Museo Del Barrio in association with Rebel Satori Press, New York, New York; 2011

• Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, interview and book review UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, Spring 2009

• Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times, Memoir essay, ed. Kevin Smokler; Basic Books, New York, July 2005

• Along the Border Lies, A ZYZZYVA First Novel, Creative Arts Books, Berkeley, CA: 2001. Awarded PEN Oakland Josephine Miles National Literary Award, 2003

• WE HAVE IRÉ, original multidisciplinary bilingual musical play written, starring and developed by Paul S. Flores, musical director Yosvany Terry, choreographer Ramon Ramos, directed by Rosalba Rolón. Premiered at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts May 10-12, 2019, San Francisco, CA. Commissioned by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Co-Produced by Pregones Theater/Puerto Rican Travelling Theater (NYC). Currently on tour Winter 2019-Fall 2020.
• PILGRIM STREET, original play written and coproduced by Paul S. Flores, directed by Sean San José. Premiered September 13-16, 2018 at Z Space Theater in San Francisco, CA. Commissioned by Youth Speaks, co-commissioned by Fathers and Families of San Joaquin. Played October 5-7, 2018 San Joaquin Delta College Atherton Auditorium, Stockton, CA; November 17, 2018, Alcatraz Island, Alcatraz, CA.
• ON THE HILL: I AM ALEX NIETO, original play written, directed and developed by Paul S. Flores, with Loco Bloco Performance Ensemble, musical director Pedro Gomez. Premiered October 27-30, 2016 at Brava Theater in San Francisco, CA. Commissioned by Loco Bloco with Kenneth Rainin Foundation Grant. Tour Spring 2017: Laney College, Oakland, CA; San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA; UC Santa Cruz, University of San Francisco, SF, CA.
• PLACAS, original ensemble play written by Paul S. Flores, directed by Michael John Garcés, starring Ric Salinas of Culture Clash. Premiered September 6-16, 2012 in San Francisco at Lorraine Hansberry Theater; Co-Produced by CARECEN, CA, Mission Cultural Center, CA, San Francisco International Arts Festival CA, co-commissioned by GALA Theatre, Washington DC; Su Teatro, Denver, CO; Pregones Theatre, NYC; MACLA San Jose, CA and the National Performance Network. Toured to 25 cities, 25,000 audience.
• You’re Gonna Cry, original solo theater work written and performed by Paul S. Flores and Directed by Brian Freeman Premiered February 11-12, 2011 @ Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco; played Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (San Antonio,TX); Free Street Theatre (Chicago), Interact Theater (Philadelphia); Houston Community College (Houston, TX); Grand Central Arts Center, Santa Ana, CA; Phoenix Theater, San Francisco May 2017.