Tinashe Kajese-Bolden
Tinashe Kajese-Bolden stands at the forefront of American theater as a multi-award-winning director, actor, and producer whose work bridges artistic excellence with community transformation. A proud alumna of the University of Illinois (BFA ’01), she has become a national force in storytelling that uplifts, educates, and empowers.
Originally from Zimbabwe and raised amid the complexities of post-colonial East and Southern Africa, Tinashe brings a global perspective to her art. Her mission is rooted in creating liberatory spaces where diverse voices are celebrated and communities are connected through shared narratives. This commitment earned her the prestigious 2019 Princess Grace Award for Directing and a MAP Fund Award to develop ALL SMILES, a devised work centering the experiences of children on the autism spectrum.
Tinashe began her journey at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre as the inaugural BOLD Women’s Leadership Circle Artistic Director Fellow, a role that deepened her understanding of institutional leadership and equity in the arts. She later served as BOLD Associate Artistic Director, where she stewarded the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab and the groundbreaking Spelman Leadership Fellowship—the first program of its kind to partner a regional theater with a historically Black college to mentor and employ emerging Black women and non-binary arts leaders.
Her directing and acting credits span Broadway, Off-Broadway, major regional theaters, television and film. Tinashe has directed landmark world premieres including the modern opera Forsyth County is Flooding by Adamma Ebo and Marcus Norris; The Preacher’s Wife Musical by Tituss Burgess; Furlough’s Paradise by a.k. payne (including its West Coast premiere at The Geffen Playhouse); and Nick’s Flamingo Grill at the Alliance Theater. She has helmed regional productions of Toni Stone, The Mountaintop, School Girls; Or the African Mean Girls Play, Pipeline, Eclipsed, Native Gardens among other production credits at Primary Stages, 59E59 Theaters, The Classical Theatre of Harlem; Yale Repertory Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Geva Theatre Center, Kirk Douglas Theatre. As an actor her TV/Film roles include Strays, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, The Suicide Squad, Marvel’s Hawkeye, CW’s Valor, Dynasty, HBO’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Ava DuVernay’s Cherish the Day to name a few.
In 2023, Tinashe was appointed Jennings Hertz Artistic Director of the Alliance Theatre, becoming the first woman of color to hold this position in the theater’s 55-year history. Under her leadership, the Alliance has embarked on a bold new chapter, programming seasons rich with world premieres, Pulitzer-winning works, transferred three Broadway productions during her short tenure and led innovative partnerships with the Atlanta Opera. She has also championed the development of a new performance space dedicated to youth and family programming, leading the field in early childhood development and neuroarts research, continuing the Alliance’s 20-year legacy as a pioneer in arts and literacy education.
Tinashe’s leadership is not only artistic but deeply civic. She serves on the ARTS ATL Artist Advisory Council and continues to mentor emerging artists through programs like the Kenny Leon Directing Fellowship, ensuring that the future of American theater is inclusive, dynamic, and visionary.