Writing
An Ode to Ben Okri
One act; 1 W, 3 Any
Synopsis: Greeted by a mysterious Guide in what she thought was her bedroom, Woman is led through a series of challenges in a world that exists outside of time. Her philosophical views are put to the test as she is confronted with the option to kill (maybe murder), the challenge to believe in the unseen, and the quest to understand love. With each success Woman is closer to the doors of the Palace, former home to her Guide. She grants them entry and is immediately imprisoned; she fights for her freedom in the supposed sanctuary. Relying on the kindness of her deceitful Guide is proven moot and Woman must scheme to restore natural order to this foreign place.
Sample available upon request.
Saguaros
Full-length play; 3 M, 2 W
Synopsis: Five teenagers incarcerated in an ICE Detention Center must navigate daily life as best as they can. On the surface everything seems fine; they make jokes, plan surprise parties, and recount fond memories, but once the big secret is revealed everything falls apart. How can these teenagers confront their traumas and attempt to live through the hardships that plague them? How can they find themselves in such a cold place?
Alliances are broken. Blood is spilled. And many inappropriate jokes are told. Saguaros focuses on the humanity of detained asylum seekers, on the stories that never make headlines. A bilingual play: Saguaros authentically portrays interpersonal Latine interactions while keeping the audience on their toes. This roller-coaster of a piece navigates choppy, shallow waters as well as great depths. This is a play about love, friendship, and great, great loss.
Click (here) for a sample.
Searching for the Light, or Maggots
one-act play; 3 M
Synopsis: Sheltering in a bunker to protect themselves from the bombings outside, one man talks to his friend, who has taken a vow of silence. Through personal attacks, myriad lies, and broken oaths the two men struggle to co-inhabit the shelter. Forty years later, a guard from the State’s League appears to collect the census data, but this guard is different. He’d like to know the truth.
Oasis or death trap. Politeness or threats. Reincarnation or memory. Beckett meets Strindberg with a contemporary, Latin twist in Searching for the Light, or Maggots. A play for a post-war, post- COVID-19 world lined with contradictory ideologies and allegiances. Who has the power: the State or the individual? Law or morals? The silent lamb or the roaring lion?
Click (here) for a sample.
Desert of Eden
solo performance piece, 20 minutes; 1 W
Note: Astrakhan fur is skinned from the bodies of unborn karakul sheep. After they are slaughtered, the tiny carcasses of fetal lambs are disposed of as excess matter, too meager even for food. This is the story of one lamb. A modern Exodus. In English.
Click (here) for a sample.
América, la Cola
solo performance piece, 15 minutes; 1 Person
Note: Conceived while studying abroad in Barcelona, América, la Cola delves into one American-Latinx person’s encounter with the racism estadounidense, and the falsity of the American Dream. In Spanish.
Click (here) for a sample.