TONYA PINKINS is a multi-award-winning actress, author, and educator. She is 2019-2022 Fulbright Specialist. Her short film, What Came After, which she produced, directed and adapted with Christopher Oscar Pena from his play, premiered at The New York Short Festival in 2016 and was an official selection in 2017 Sociopolitical Short Festival, Artemis Women in Action Film Festival, National Black Film Festival – Houston, Equality Film Festival, Blow-Up International Arthouse Festival – Chicago, Womyn in Media Newark, Women’s Only Entertainment Film Festival, Queens World Film festival, New Filmmakers New York Festival and WIM-Ns Women’s Film Festival. She directed Lighthouse Lili for RipFEST. Tonya has trained with esteemed directors such as Michael Satrazemis (producing Director Fear of the Walking Dead), Charlotte Brandstrom (Madam Secretary), Melanie Mayron (Famous In Love), and Nick Copus (Gotham).

Pinkins co-wrote, produced and directed Truth and Reconciliation of Womyn (The Tank, Deepak Home Base, The Commons, and The #HealMeToo Festival). She has directed: Till We Meet Again at the 14th Street Y, Paul Robeson: The Opera at Trilogy Opera Company, Bring It On at Black Spectrum Theater, Exit: An Illusion by Marita Bonner for American Bard Theater’s “Visionary Voices,” The Gospel According to Miss Roj from The Colored Museum for Project One Voice at The Kimble Theater, Vagina Monologues for V-Day at The World Health Ministry Conference in Mexico, A Visit Home by Jeffrey Sweet at New Eclectic Voices, The Klucking of Hens by Carol Lockwood at New Professional Theater, Lord’s Resistance by Camille Darby at the National Black Theater Festival in Winston Salem, and Dead People’s Things by Patricia Ione Lloyd at Red Circle Rising. Tonya co-directed Laryy Powell’s Easy To Love in the Fire This Time Festival and For Colored Boys by Jesse Alick in 48 Hours in Harlem. She has been developing Blaine Teamer’s #BoxSeats at NYTW and National Black Theater’s Monday Night Reading series. 

Tonya is a Tony, Obie Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lortel Award winning actor. She teaches privately and at The Atlantic Theater School’s NYU program. Tonya is the author of Get OVER YOURSELF: How to Drop The Drama and Claim The Life You Deserve (Hachette Books). Tonya works with The African American Policy Forum and actively supports #SayHerName and TheMovementForBlackLives among other causes and organizations.