GRINGAS Hamilton Program

Premiering at the 21st Hamilton Fringe Festival

CREATIVE TEAM Mercedes Isaza Clunie Playwright, Producer Zoe Marín Director, Producer Hayley Crowder Stage Manager Blythe Russell Movement Director

CAST Katarina Fiallos Mia

Karley Jagusic Intimacy Director

Mercedes Isaza Clunie Javi

Ashley Naomi Skye Sound Designer & Composer

Maya Fleming Yari

Maeve Weishar Lighting Designer

Rachel Quintanilla Carmen

Millie Cameron Set & Props Designer

Alejandra Angobaldo Isa

Rebecca Fadoju Costume Designer

Gloria Freire Alma

Trinity Lloyd Social Media Manager & Publicity Designer

Julianna Olave Lucy

In GRINGAS, 7 Latina-teenagers have lost their ability to speak Spanish. In attempts to reconnect with their roots, their mothers force them to attend a Spanish-only summer camp.

Inside cabins, bathing in lakes, and breathing in cigarette smoke, these young women are determined to find themselves before the summer is up. This play is a mystical and hilarious bi-lingual coming-of-age story that makes you wonder what it means to be Latina-Canadian today.

Runtime: 60 minutes ABOUT FIRST BORN THEATRE COMPANY A Toronto-based, queer, Latine company dedicated to creating the next generation of Canadian theatre, our mission is to follow innovative artists’ ideas from their conception to their birth through community feedback and peer support. @firstborntheatreco firstborntheatre.com

Thank you!

Hola! Thank you for joining us for First Born Theatre’s production of: GRINGAS. GRINGAS was created on the territory of the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee, the Wendat, and many other Indigenous nations recorded and unrecorded. We are currently sitting, standing, and performing inside The Players’ Guild of Hamilton — North America’s oldest continuing community theatre. Players’ Guild — we thank you for letting us share this story in this beautiful space and are grateful for all the Indigenous artists who made this company possible.

Fun fact! The terms “Latino” and “Hispanic are words created by European settlers as a means to homogenize Latin culture and exclude the Indigenous peoples of the places many of us call home. We also recognize those of us who went to Latin America involuntary, as a result of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade and Slavery. Our cast and crew are made up of Latine people from across the Latin American diaspora, with many different experiences of colonization. We deal with some of these themes in our show. If you are curious to learn more about colonial roots in Latin America, please reference the links below for some helpful resources. Gracias. Thank you. And enjoy the show.

The Colonial Roots and Legacy of the Latinx/Hispanic Labels: A Historical Analysis — Hampton Institute.

Latin America slows recognition of Indigenous lands | Dialogue Earth Earth Defenders Under Attack in Latin America | Amnesty International Canada

CAST & crew In alphabetical order

Alejandra Angobaldo – Isa Alejandra (she/her) is a Peruvian actor completing her Acting degree at York University. She is extremely grateful to be part of GRINGAS; sharing some of the Latinx culture means the world to her. As she continues to pursue her immense passion for theater, she hopes to always keep being part of beautiful Latinx stories like this one.

Ashley Naomi Skye – Sound Designer & Composer Ashley Naomi Skye (she/her) is a trans theatre creator, actor, and musician/sound designer.

Fringe credits: Dreams (2022), Hermaphroditus, House of Whale (both 2023). Recent nonFringe: Hip Hop 100 (Tarragon Greenhouse), Isle of Demons (Guild Festival Theatre), Every Day She Rose (Black Theatre Workshop), Young-in-Craft Cabaret (Buddies Rhubarb Festival) etc.

Blythe Russell – Movement Director Blythe Russell (she/her) is a Toronto-based choreographer and dancer who earned her BFA in Dance from York University in 2023. Blythe is a dedicated artist who finds beauty in the nuances of storytelling and is eager to explore new ways of sharing her passion for movement.

Gloria Freire – Alma Gloria (she/her) is a twenty year old actress currently studying Creative Industries at Toronto Metropolitan University. Coming from Ecuadorian, Chinese, and Irish descent, she is thrilled to be embracing her Latina-ness and putting her ever-evolving Spanish to the test in her Fringe debut with GRINGAS. ¡Vamos!

Cast & crew Hayley Crowder – Stage Manager Hayley Crowder (she/they) is a Toronto based artist. They discovered love for theatre through the community she found at university. Hayley has SM’d for a number of productions in varying styles and genres, and is SO excited to be part of such powerful storytelling with GRINGAS. Thankful to have been welcomed by this new, queer, Latine community!

Julianna Olave – Lucy Julianna Olave (she/her) is a queer Colombian-Canadian artist in York University's BFA acting program. She explores magic realism, absurdity, culture, femininity, spirituality, and honesty in her theatre work. Eager to deepen her artistry, she seeks representation and challenges within communities while aiming to establish her presence among future artists.

Karley Jagusic – Intimacy Coordinator Karley Jagusic (she/they) is a queer and disabled multi-disciplinary storyteller. She holds a BFA in Acting from York University and is based in Toronto, but originally hails from Hamilton. Karley feels so blessed to work with the wonderful GRINGAS team and be a part of bringing the show's magic to Fringe!

Katarina Fiallos – Mia Katarina Fiallos (she/her) is a graduate of TMU's School of Performance acting program and has been venturing in acting, writing, and directing for theatre and film. Most recently, she has been seen in La Bête with TIFT and Wakey Wakey with County Stage/Stratford Forum.

She debuted her first play, Morning After, last year at the Toronto Fringe which was mentioned on Intermission's list of favourited productions of 2023. She is so grateful to be a part of this incredible team.

cast & crew Maeve Weishar – Lighting Designer Maeve Weishar (she/her) is a theatre artist from northern Ontario and a recent graduate of York University's theatre production and design program. Maeve is so excited to have the opportunity to light GRINGAS and work with some amazing people!

Maya Fleming – Yari Maya (she/her) is a Caribbean-Canadian multidisciplinary artist currently studying Acting at York University. She strives to embrace the intersectionality of her identity within her craft and to inspire others to do so as well. She is thrilled and honoured to be a part of GRINGAS!

Mercedes Isaza Clunie – Playwright, Producer, Javi Mercedes (she/her) is a queer, Chilean-Canadian playwright, actor, and poet from Toronto. Her work explores topics such as girlhood, culture, sexuality, and language through diverse formats that both disrupt traditional conventions and celebrate the essence of theatre. Her play GRINGAS (hello!) is three time award-winning play. Mercedes holds a BFA in acting from York University and is a recent alumni of Paprika's playwriting unit, where she developed her play Pablo and Bill Make a Baby.

Mercedes is passionate about creating work that celebrates her communities and makes strides towards a better and more art-filled Canada.

MillieCameron – Set & Props Designer Millie Cameron (she/her) is an emerging set designer from Cornwall, Ontario. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Theatre Production and Design at York University. Her recent and upcoming design credits include Splinters by Mercedes Isaza Clunie (York University Playground Festival 2023), *Snacey by Priscila Gonzalez (Toronto Fringe Festival, Kids Fringe 2024), *The Evolutionary and Insecapable Rotting of Girlhood by Payton Oswald (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2024), and *People, Places and Things (York University Mainstage Production 2025). Millie is overjoyed to be working alongside such an incredible group of creatives! *- Current/upcoming works

Rachel Quintanilla – Carmen Rachel Quintanilla (she/her) is a latinx emerging artist based in Toronto. In spring 2023, Rachel completed her training in the acting conservatory at YU. Her most recent work includes playing Sofia in Dance Nation. She is beyond proud of Gringas & cannot wait for you all to see it!

cast & crew Rebecca Fadoju – Costume Designer Rebecca Fadoju (she/her) is a Toronto based filmmaker, actor & creative with a BFA in film production. She recently branched her creative skillset into the magical realm of theatre & is back at this year's Fringe as our Costume Designer! She is excited to continue to intersect her work in film and tv with her passion for theatre. P.S. She based all our characters' costumes on their respective countries' flags. Have fun guessing which one is which!

Trinity Lloyd – Social Media Manager & Publicity Designer Trinity Lloyd (she/they) is a queer Jamaican/Filipino actor & creator based in Toronto. Trinity has done media & publicity design for Do You Think You’re Better Than Me? (Toronto & Hamilton Fringe, Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival) and is so happy to be doing the same for GRINGAS. There’s nothing she loves more than making silly little edits on their silly little iPad to support the beautiful theatre their friends have created.

Zoe Marín – Director, Producer Zoe Marín (she/her) is an Argentine-American theatre artist and comedian. Recent credits include: Internet Sensation (Paprika Festival) and Do You Think You’re Better Than Me (Toronto Fringe, Hamilton Fringe, Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival). She is First Born Theatre’s Artistic Producer. And Native Earth Performing Arts’ Marketing Coordinator. She is SUPER EXCITED about GRINGAS!!! IG: @zmar_

Access Guide https://d1vimco8ur52ud.cloudfront.net/07-03-2023-170634-8059 (full guide)

Content Warnings and Advisories Please be advised that GRINGAS includes course language, sexual content, smoking. Mentions of racism, colonialism, death, and mental health.

If you require any more information, please email us at firstborntheatreco@gmail.com