Faculty Profile for Yesenia Herrington

profile photo for Yesenia Herrington
Yesenia Herrington
Assistant Professor — Department of Theatre & Dance
THEA 101
phone: (512) 245-1450

Biography Section

Biography and Education

Yesenia Garcia Herrington is an actress, educator, and entrepreneur. A Rio Grande Valley native, she is a graduate of Southwestern University and The University of Texas at Austin MFA Acting Program. Her film and television credits include the award-winning documentary Horton Foote: The Road to Home, the award winning National Geographic mini-series The Long Road Home, HBO's The Leftovers, AMC's The Son, among others. On stage, her role as Carolina in the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of The Madres by Stephanie Allison Walker earned her a Broadway World nomination for Best Leading Actress. She is a professor of drama at Central Texas College and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Austin Community College, Temple College, Concordia University, and Texas State University. In 2010, she founded C2C Multimedia, a company focused on elevating arts education and media for underrepresented populations. In 2015, she was invited by President Barack Obama to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the National Endowment of the Arts at The White House. In 2020 she became part of Southwestern University's second "18 Under 40" cohort for her work in the arts.

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Co-Producer, Kinky Boots Revival. August 25, 2022 - Present.
    Performances:
    • Kinky Boots Off-Broadway Revival. August 25, 2022 - Present Stage 42, New York, NY.
  • Esther, Arbolito. August 26, 2022 - Present.
    Performances:
    • August 26, 2022 - Present Hyde Park Theatre, Austin TX.
  • Various, She Was Here. January 30, 2022 - Present.
    Performances:
    • January 30, 2022 - Present Scriptworks, via zoom.
  • Georgina, El Paso Play: 23 Acts of Kindness. June 19, 2021 - Present.
    Performances:
    • June 19, 2021 - Present Repertorio Español, New York City (via Zoom).
  • Narrator, Young People's Concert. May 21, 2017 - Present.
    Performances:
    • May 21, 2017 - Present The Austin Symphony, Austin, Texas.

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Uta Hagen Award, Kennedy Center American College and Theatre Festival. 2022 - Present
  • Award / Honor Nominee: Academic Employee of the Year, Central Texas College. 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: “18 Under 40”, Southwestern University. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: National Endowment for the Arts 50th Anniversary Celebration, White House. 2015
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Representative, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. 2018 - 2022

Selected Grants

  • Herrington, Yesenia Yadira. National Endowment for the Arts, Austin Symphony, Federal, $20000. (Funded: September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020). Grant.
  • Herrington, Yesenia Yadira. National Endowment for the Arts Collective Impact Grant, National Endowment for the Arts, Federal, $100000. (Funded: 2016 - 2017). Grant.
  • Herrington, Yesenia Yadira. National Endowment for the Arts Collective Impact Grant, National Endowment for the Arts, Federal, $80000. (Funded: 2015 - 2016). Grant.
  • Herrington, Yesenia Yadira. Department of Education Professional Development for Arts Educators Grant, Department of Education, Federal, $1300000. (Funded: September 2014 - August 2019). Grant.
  • Herrington, Yesenia Yadira. National Endowment for the Arts Digital Media for All Grant, National Endowment for the Arts, Federal, $20000. (Funded: 2013 - 2014). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Member
Field of Study Committee Performing Arts/Drama for Texas
2018-2020
Volunteer
Teatro Vivo, Latino New Play Festival Reader
2019
Board Member
Mexic-Arte Museum
2013-2017
Reviewer / Referee
National Endowment for the Arts: Arts Education Panelist
2015-2016
Speaker
SphinxCon: Collective Impact Panelist for Arts Education
February 2016