A ward-winning, published playwright and screenwriter Sheila Rinear has had over forty-five of her plays produced. Her stage plays, Women of Letters, Chasing the Blues, Mission Improbable, Calais, and Watch and Prey have all won or placed in national competitions and been produced in San Antonio and Austin, TX; Norman and Tulsa, OK; and, Los Angeles, CA.

Most recently Sheila’s full-length play, Cries That Bind, received a public reading at The Dramatists Guild in New York City; and, then was given a full production by San Antonio’s San Pedro Playhouse Cellar Theatre in spring, 2012.

Also in spring, 2012 Sheila’s performance art piece, A Hunger, was developed through a grant from the city of San Antonio and featured in the city’s annual arts event, Luminaria.

Sheila’s award-winning full-length play, Chasing the Blues, has recently earned her the position of Playwright-in-Residence at 12-Miles West Theatre Company in Rutherford, New Jersey where it is scheduled to receive a full equity production.

In the more than fifty scripts she has written, Sheila champions those who search for and find truth that guides them to action. Her stories feature colorful characters making their way out of tangled social, physical, or spiritual situations infused with humor. Even her most painful narratives are entertaining and poignant.

Having participated in the San Pedro Playhouse’s Play Fest for several years, Sheila is now Project Coordinator for that annual event. She also serves as The Dramatist Guild of America’s Regional Representative in the Austin-San Antonio area.

Sheila earned her Bachelor's degree in English Literature from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia; and, she earned her Master's degree in Drama from the University of Oklahoma. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America; The Playwrights Center; ScriptWorks; The Playhouse Playwrights; San Antonio Theater Coalition; and, she’s an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers.

Having worked several years as a Public School Theatre Arts teacher in San Antonio, Sheila won North East Independent School District's Teacher of the Year Award as well as the Trinity University Prize for Teaching Excellence. She currently teaches Playwriting at Trinity University.

Sheila lives in San Antonio, TX and Cedar Bonnet Island, NJ with her husband, David Rinear, who directs many of her works. With David she also shares her love of their Children, Christopher, Amy, and Amanda; and, Grandbaby Gus.

Artisic Statement

"I am concerned with the way society's ills so often result in broken relationships. I am inspired by strong and imaginative people with irrepressible appetites for mending hearts and making life better for others, as well as living life well themselves. Such people compel me to write characters whose stories encourage positive life forces. I am a playwright and screenwriter because when you see it, hear it, and experience it all in one space together, you know it!"