2021 Austin Latinx New Play Festival

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Alexandria Sepúlveda

Festival Manager

Roxanne Schroeder-Arce

Festival Producer

Oscar Franco

Teatro Vivo Operating Executive Director

Paul del Bosque

Graphic Design

Christi Moore, ScriptWorks

Dramaturgy Coordinator

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Machine Learning Francisco Mendoza Playwright Bio: Francisco Mendoza was born in the wine region of Mendoza, Argentina, and even as a kid he was passionate about storytelling, spending every house-chores-earned peso at the used books store. He dreamed of traveling the world like his literary heroes, a dream that became real when he was twelve and his family relocated to Brazil.

After graduating from Journalism school, he pursued a career in marketing, but the child reader in him kept pushing him to tell stories, and he eventually received a fellowship at the Tisch School of the Arts' Dramatic Writing MFA program. Moving countries, a second time, Francisco is now pursuing a cross-medium writing career in New York, which has thus far spanned plays, a full season of a podcast, several short stories, and a few opinion pieces. For more about his work and a comprehensive (if boring) list of credits, visit notrealmendoza.com Synopsis of Play: When his estranged, alcoholic father is diagnosed with liver cancer, computer scientist Jorge dreams up a nursing app to manage the disease in his stead. As the machine's capabilities grow, however, the possibility of leaving it in charge of the treatment becomes more real, forcing Jorge to reckon with his responsibilities as a son—and as a creator.

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MACHINE LEARNING by Francisco Mendoza Jesús Valles

Director

Mateo Hernández

Dramaturg

Savannah González

Stage Manager

CAST

ROLE

Oscar Emmanuel Fabela

Jorge

Justin P. López

Arnold

Robert Ramírez

Gabriel

Alexa Thomas

Anita

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This Bitch: Esta Sangre Quiero Adrienne Dawes Playwrite Bio: Adrienne Dawes (she/her) is a playwright, producer, and teaching artist originally from Austin, TX. Her full-length plays have been produced by Salvage Vanguard Theater (Austin, TX), Sacred Fools (Los Angeles, CA), and American Theatre Company (Tulsa, OK). Adrienne has recently developed new work with Salt Lake Acting Company, Queen City New Play Initiative, Workshop Theater, the Fire This Time Festival, B Street Theatre, and Teatro Milagro. Adrienne is a 2020 MAPFund grantee and resident artist with ColtCoeur. Adrienne is a member of the Dramatists Guild, ScriptWorks, and a company member of Salvage Vanguard Theater. Follow her online at www.adriennedawes.com or @heckleher

Synopsis of Play: When Diana, a ruthless and power-hungry Pilates influencer, learns her social media manager Teodoro is hooking up with her makeup artist Madeinusa, it sparks bitter jealousy. Even though it would be social suicide for her to date someone with zero followers, Diana finds herself falling madly in love but if she can’t have Teodoro . . . no one can!

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THIS BITCH: ESTA SANGRE QUIERO by Adrienne Dawes Daphnie Sicre

Director

Daniel Jáquez

Dramaturg

Barbara Mojica

Stage Manager

CAST

ROLE

Micheal Galvan

TEODORO

Stephanie Vásquez Fonseca

DIANA

Cherry Mendoza

MADEINUSA

Emily Smith Córdoba

COCO

Ja'Michael De'Shawn

TRISTAN

Christian Coffey

FABIO

Víctor Vásquez

ARMANDO/OLMO-RIQUI

Michelle Alexander

DOROTEA

Minerva Villa

ALMA

Amy Downing

SHEILA

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Have to Believe we Are Magic Sara Guerrero Playwright Bio: (she/hers) a Southern California Chicana native of Mexican, Mestizo ancestry, is a professional versatile theatre artist whose mission is to model, share, and create theatremaking opportunities for and with her community. A CalArts alum, she has been recognized as a 2020 Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence Honoree, a 2020 Woman of Distinction by Sen. Umberg and California Senate District 34, a Community Engagement "COVID-19 ARTIST ASSISTANCE GRANT" Awardee, one of the “People to Watch” by American Theatre Magazine, and “Best [Artistic] Director” and “Person of Interest” by OC WEEKLY. As the founding artistic director of Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble, an award-winning, Santa Ana-based group, she and the ensemble are Artists-inresidence at Grand Central Arts Center of California State University of Fullerton. Under Guerrero’s leadership, the organization serves as an incubator for underrepresented voices in theater by providing free programming and guidance in the art of storytelling. During the pandemic Guerrero continues to write, direct, act, create, and produce through her ensemble and other theaters online. www.teatroguerrero.com / IS: @guerreroprincess / twitter: @teatroguerrero Synopsis of Play: A Latinx coming-of-age, life after high school, roller skating, and making big life decisions story, in the summer of 1994. All under the shadow of "the Magic Kingdom," in Orange County, California.”

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HAVE TO BELIEVE WE ARE MAGIC by Sara Guerrero Si Mon' Emmett

Director

Melanie Queponds

Dramaturg

Sunshine Garrison

Stage Manager

CAST

ROLE

Mariana Baidon Carillo

GLORIA

Susanne Pinedo

CARMEN

Marianne Ceballos

GABBY

Andrew Valdez

KIRK

Madison Palomo

ESTHER

Jennifer Rosario

MIMI

Kara Bellavia

KAY/DAISY/T.J./CLINIC STAFF/ “SHEILA”

Marianella “Marty” Garza

ESTHER’S MOM/KIRK’S

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Los Pochos Herbert Siguenza Playwright Bio: Herbert Siguenza is currently the Playwright in Residence for the San Diego Repertory Theatre thanks to a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Herbert is a founding member of the Chicanx/Latnx performance group CULTURE CLASH celebrating 36 years in the American theatre. For over twenty years, Herbert and Culture Clash created a series of plays based off oral histories of immigrant residents from different cities and neighborhoods throughout America. Their collectively created plays include A Bowl of Beings, Chavez Ravine, Culture Clash in AmeriCCA and American Night. As a solo writer and performer Mr. Siguenza has produced Cantinflas!, A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, Steal Heaven , El Henry (Best new play San Diego Critics Circle Award 2014), Manifest Destinitis, Beachtown and Bad Hombres/Good Wives for the San Diego Rep. He is currently writing a play about the 1970 community takeover of Chicano Park in San Diego’s Logan Heights district. Mr. Siguenza is also an accomplished visual artist and has exhibited both nationally and internationally. He has a BFA in printmaking from the California College of Arts, Oakland, California. TV and Film credits: “Ben Ten Alien Swarm” for the Cartoon Network, “Larry Crowne” feature film directed by Tom Hanks. His voice was prominently featured in Pixar’s 2017 Oscar winning animation feature, “Coco”.

Synopsis of Play: Los Pochos by Herbert Siguenza is a classic post war American drama about a Mexican- American family living in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1955. A rich Mexican woman disrupts the home of a modest immigrant family and exposes their deep family secrets and unfulfilled dreams.

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LOS POCHOS by Herbert Siguenza

Miguel Septién

Director

Diamante Martinez

Dramaturg

Marliza Méndez

Stage Manager

CAST

ROLE

Rupert Reyes

Poncho

Amparo Garcia Crow

Aurelia

Valentina Silva

Elena

Ben G. Bazán

Joe

Breanda Ortiz

Alice

Jeffrey Quintana

Jimmy

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Teatro Vivo Board Members Oscar Franco Barbara Mojica Robert Ramírez Rupert Reyes JoAnn Carreon Reyes Roxanne Schroeder-Arce

Special Thanks Lorie Martinez Jesus Varela Ricardo Rodriguez Susanne Pinedo Yvonne Flores Jasmine McLeod Douglas McGrath Carlo Lorenzo Garcia Amparo Garcia-Crow

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