M.R. “Chibbi” Orduña is a Mexican-born, Texas-raised poet, actor, educator, publisher, and community organizer whose work bridges art, activism, and empowerment. With over 15 years of experience across poetry, theatre, and arts leadership, Chibbi has become a defining voice in contemporary spoken word and queer Latinx performance.

They are the founder and Creative Director of Gem.In.Eyes Productions, a multidisciplinary company dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through performance, publishing, and media. Their debut spoken word album, The Target Shoots Back (2025), written, performed, and produced by Orduña, blends poetry, music, and storytelling to explore identity, resilience, and reclamation.

Chibbi’s stage presence extends beyond poetry. A trained actor with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance from the University of Texas at Austin and advanced study at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, they have portrayed iconic roles such as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Usnavi in In the Heights, and The Creature in Frankenstein. Their theatrical work merges vulnerability with intensity, mirroring the emotional precision of their poetry.

A three-time San Antonio Poetry Grand Slam Champion, Chibbi has performed and taught across the country, from the National Poetry Slam to the Open Society Foundations Fellowship Conference and The Aspen Institute’s Tech Accountability Coalition. As an educator, they’ve facilitated workshops in schools, universities, rehabilitation centers, and festivals, including Gemini Ink, Rutgers University, and the Stonewall International Poetry Slam, helping others find their voice through writing and performance.

Chibbi is also deeply committed to building community infrastructure. They serve as Editor-in-Chief at Write About Now Publishing, Director of Media Production at Write Art Out, and Senior Program Manager at Out in Tech, where they develop programming that uplifts LGBTQ+ professionals in the tech industry. They have organized and produced major cultural events including Queer Voices San Antonio, Artitude Pride, and the Out in Tech Leadership Institute.

Their written and performed work has appeared in publications such as Wax Wing, The Texas Review, Pilgrimage, and The Acentos Review, as well as across platforms like Button Poetry, Write About Now, and All Def Poetry, earning over 3 million views. Their book OTRO/PATRIA (2019) explores the intersections of identity, culture, and queerness. Chibbi also co-edited the powerful anthology Contra: Texas Poets Speak Out (Flowersong Press, 2020), a poetic response to the political climate of the Trump era. 

Recipient of fellowships from Tin House, Lambda Literary, Sundress Academy for the Arts, and the City of San Antonio, Chibbi has been recognized with the 2022 Arts and Letters Award from the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library and was a finalist for both the Wax Nine Chapbook Competition and the Robert Phillips Poetry Prize.

On stage, on screen, and in the classroom, Chibbi is a force of creative and cultural vitality — crafting work that challenges, heals, and celebrates the power of being seen.