Lani Gobaleza is a Filipino American playwright and actor whose work explores sapphic love, intergenerational relationships, and transnational experiences.
In 2023, she received a William Male Foundation grant for her debut play, Every Day Vanilla. The following year, she was awarded the Rising Star Award by the Asian Culture & Media Alliance. In 2025, her solo show Nighttime Julianne premiered at the San Diego International Fringe Festival, where it earned a Critics’ Pick award.
Born in Guam and raised in a Navy family, Lani has lived in Guam, Spain, the Bay Area, and rural Japan, though she now calls San Diego home. She studied history and theater at UC Berkeley and recently completed a short course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Outside of creative work, Lani co-owns the specialty tea company PARU with her spouse and works as a copywriter for Amazon’s Small Business Creative team. She also serves on the boards of Diversionary Theatre—America’s third-oldest LGBTQIA+ theatre—and the Urasenke Tankokai San Diego Association, dedicated to preserving the art of Japanese tea ceremony.
Lani is currently developing her directorial debut, a short film.