As a playwright, writer, actor, and teaching artist, Arlene views her work as an artistic extension of the social justice work she has been committed to for the last thirty years. Her solo autobiographical works look at the intersection of disability culture and the world at large. She believes that these experiences have allowed her a view of ethnocentrism from a unique perspective. She has created and toured her work across the US and internationally. and is invested in the goal of fostering a more inclusive and representative artistic community.
She is a Resident Playwright and on faculty at Chicago Dramatists where she has designed the Solo & Story for the stage curriculum. Arlene is the the founder and mentor of the ACCESS Fellowship designed to support Deaf/disabled writers. As a teaching artist, she has worked at Victory Gardens Theatre, Story Jam Studio, College of the Caynon, CA, The Vi, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Ragdale Foundation, Writing Matters. She runs "The Writers Room" an organization that provides personalized writing workshops, classes, retreats and one-on-one coaching. She has been an Artist in Residence at 16th Street Theater and Quad City Arts Program. Arlene has been Guest Teaching Artist at Depaul University, Northwestern University, University of California, University Illinois Chicago, numerous high schools, museums, libraries, performing arts centers, and organizations across the country.
.Honors & Awards: Chicago Cultural Center Pilot Theatre Residency. 2023. O’Neill Playwrights Conference. Semi-Finalist. Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Bodies of Work & 3Arts Fellowship. Awardee. Blue Ink Award. Semi-Finalist, American Blues Theater. New Plays from the Heartland, Finalist, Heartland Theater. Theater Ovations Award. Nominated- 3Arts Theater Award, twice-nominated. LA Stage Alliance. Garland Award. Nominated. Backstage West. In The Works Theater Grant. Awardee. Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
As an actor, she has appeared on stages in Chicago and LA including “Love Person” at Victory Gardens, “The Music of the Spheres” at the Goodman Theatre and One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest with Deaf West Theatre LA. Televison Credits include, CSI, The Division, Any Day Now, The Practice, X FIles, and the CBS Movie, "Sweet Nothing In My Ear."
As a storyteller, she has performed at live Lit events all over Chicago & LA for the last decade. Her writing appear in Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, Paramanu Pentaquark, En Posse Review, True Stories about Love by Chicago Story Press, Women of Letters Anthology by Penguin Press.
She is touring her newest solo show, “A Little Bit Not Normal,” which chronicles her journey through mental illness, naming it, claiming it, and standing to be counted. It is the cornerstone of her 5-year initiative to become part of the national conversation around the stigma of mental illness. *BOOK COMING! “Creating Your Solo Show” authored with Julie Ganey. Northwestern University Press. Anticipated- Winter 2025..
A Little Bit Not Normal. A solo show that explores the stigma of mental Illness. Writer/performer
. Photo credit: Lee Klwans
Featured Artworks
Master class on "solo writing & performing" with UIC theatre majors. Part of 3Arts & BOW Deaf/Disability Fellowship.
Teaching a master class as part of the 3Arts & Deaf/Disability Bodies of Work Fellowship
Culminating Event for Disability Fellow Deborah Stein's solo show. A reading from a play featuring a disabled character. Feedback discussion. Event was made accessible by Glenn Rust for Masters thesis SAIC
Chicago Cultural Center Theatre Residency
Bodies of Work, Chicago Dramatists workshopping my play. With grant we were able to hire a focus group of Autistic people to give feedback on the representation in the play. We were also able to cast an actor with lived experience in the role. Panel: Arlene Malinowski, playwright. Carrie Sandhal, AD. Bodies of Work, Carson Becker, AD. Chicago Dramatists, Brian Balcolm, Director. Great collab
Solo show performance A Little Bit Not Normal(A Serious Comedy About Depression) - Lewis University
This play was developed during 3Arts & Bodies of Work Deaf/Disability Fellowship. It is the third play of the "Disability Quartet" which focuses on various aspects of Deafness & Disability in our culture
Interviewing Kennedy Healy, Tommy Gallagher for 3 Arts video
3Arts
Chicago Dramatists- Student Feedback Session
This is a feedback session with tha audience and students from the Page To Stage. Final performance
Mentor for Senior thesis UIC theatre student
Fianal Showcase of student playwright I mentored through BOW & 3Arts Fellowship. Her autobigraphical work centered around mental health
I curated a large outdoor event for the Ragdale Foundation. An organization dedicated to providing time and space for artists to deepen their artistic practice.
Featured reader at "Chicago Story Press" Virtual Book Launch- Covid Style
My Work was published n the anthology "True Stories About Love"
Some publications where my work is featured
Multimedia immersive performance with NonOp. Open Opera Works. "On The Cusp" Curated by Christophe Preissing
Tongues by Sam Shepard. Percussionist- Steve Butters. Video designer- Theo Economides