My Journey

Born into a family of music Olisa played in family bands from the age of 4. Her specialty is improvisation, jamming in any genre, with a keen ability to compose full songs on the spot. A writer of expressive songs, Olisa offers Hip-Hop, Soul, and RnB with a funk-folk twist that stays rockin'. Olisa began exploring hip-hop and the art of eMCee at the age of 11.  

Her journey with music brought her to theatre in 2003. It was at Seattle Central Community College under the genius of Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates that she was schooled in the Acting methodology of Ritual Poetic Drama within the African Continuum and where she became a part of www.TheConciliationProject.org (TCP) (501c3) whose mission"...to promote through active and challenging dramatic works, open and honest dialogue about racism in America in order to repair its damaging legacy. Olisa believes that artists and art are vital to the state of culture and society and hopes to share her soul through performance. 

Entranced by the power of the theatre Olisa dedicated herself to the craft. Olisa earned her BFA, magna cum laude, in performance from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007. She stayed at VCU to study with her mentors Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates and Professor Janet Rodgers. In 2010 She earned her MFA in theater pedagogy with a dual focus in Acting and Directing and Voice and Speech. She is a certified instructor in RPDWAC , Archetypes for the Actor and the Oxyrhythms. 

Her appetite for the stage is immense and is satisfied through teaching, directing and performing. Some favorite performances include "Billie Holiday" from Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill by Lanie Robertson. “Rose" from Fences by August Wilson, "Lady in Blue" from For Colored Girls who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, "Nell" from Ain't Misbehavin and "Anita" from West Side Story.