Doreene entered the entertainment through the world of comedy. As a New York stand-up and improvisational – sketch performer, Doreene fell in love in creating characters. Her characters embraced her Jamaican roots and her New York upbringing. Working in the Off-Broadway scene, someone gave her the bright idea of coming to Hollywood… things are easier there. Well, she’s been there saving face ever since!
Taking a message she once received from her mother “Learn as much as you can as fast as you can – give as much as you can as fast as you can,” Doreene worked her way through the trenches of the Hollywood system. She forged ahead in the world of improv and joined local groups and wrote jokes for a few fledging sitcom writers before getting her second bright idea – write a spec, become a sitcom writer. Between auditions, bookings and creative means to earn a living, she started taking her writing seriously.
Doreene fell into the world of scripted reality when she took a one week job at Dick Clark Productions. After three years of learning the ropes of development, award shows and game shows, she went on to work with a smaller production company where she was given the opportunity to write and create short lived shows and pilot presentations. The highlight was having the opportunity to be on the writing staff for “National Enquirer TV.” Pitching ideas and creating stories, sometimes from nothing and making it compelling is truly what filmmaking is about.
Doreene received a call to do some honorable work from Dr. Bill Cosby to head up his Guy Hanks & Marvin Miller Screenwriting Program of which she was an alumnus. This prestigious fellowship gave her the opportunity of discovering television and feature writers of color, assisting them in honing their craft and launching their careers in the entertainment industry.
At this stage of her career with an M.F.A. in TV and Feature writing, Doreene is seeking to tell her own nontraditional stories in unconventional ways. Cultural stories that she has heard, experienced and developed throughout the years. And stories that step outside the cultural norm, into the realms of the mystical and magical and allows an audience to see the vastness of their own consciousness. And how they can learn and grow under the guise of entertainment.