Paloma Sierra cemented her love for storytelling from a young age by reading picture books and puzzling her way through poetry. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, the trova tradition—which marries poetry with storytelling, performance, and improvisation—inspires her practice. Her passion for stories fusing words, music, and visuals not only got her stuck in her school’s library once, but also led her to complete an MFA and BHA at Carnegie Mellon, and studies in theater translation as a Fulbright scholar.

Trained in writing, direction, design, and performance, Paloma leverages her multidisciplinary experience to develop new plays, musicals, and operas alongside emerging and established artists. In consulting creative teams, Paloma has developed 18+ theater shows, including Tlaloc Rivas’ “The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano” (Edinburgh Fringe), Samora La Perdida’s “Spanglish Sh!t” (Berkeley Rep), Malique Guinn’s “Bounty on Our Heads” (Kennedy Center), and original musicals like “Cola’o: A Bilingual Trova” (Theatre Now New York).

She directed three animated shorts as the first Emerging Poet Laureate of Allegheny County. Her short “I Am Soil Breaking Off” received various accolades at multiple festivals across Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, including the inaugural ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Festival Grand Prize. 

By taking words beyond the page, Paloma explores how words can surpass the limitations of language. In developing innovative arts programming, Paloma encourages companies to increase opportunities for multilingual narratives, and motivates audiences to engage with culturally immersive experiences.

Paloma has worked with Santa Cruz Shakespeare, New Hazlett Theater, Conch Shell Productions, and City of Asylum; published with Azahares Literary Magazine, Persephone’s Daughters, and Poetry Film Live; and been shortlisted by the Writers Guild Foundation, Dramatists Guild Foundation, and the Sloan Foundation. She is a proud alum of The Fornés Playwriting Workshop, the Academy for New Musical Theatre, and Eberly Center’s Future Faculty Program.

Paloma currently lives in London, UK, as she completes an MA in Directing from LAMDA.