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  • 1.  Looking for a Great One Act

    Posted 03-30-2016 11:44
    Does anyone have a Latino/Hispanic/Chicano author One Act they can recommend for a small group of high schoolers we can include in our festival of One Acts? I do not want to do folk stories, but rather something more contemporary. Any leads or titles would be so appreciated. Thank you!


  • 2.  RE: Looking for a Great One Act

    Posted 03-31-2016 07:34

    My first thought was a play by Josefina Lopez called THE AMERICAN DREAM.  Pretty sure it's a One Act.  She also wrote REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. 

    I came across this article on Twitter a while back.  Thought you might find it useful.

    Latina/o Plays for Young Performers: A Resource for Teachers

    HowlRound remove preview
    Latina/o Plays for Young Performers: A Resource for Teachers
    The Texas Education Agency has reported that over 50 percent of students enrolled in Texas public schools are Hispanic (their term; I use Latina/o). There are great disparities in this data and the number of plays read and produced in school theatre programs that feature Latina/o characters.
    View this on HowlRound >
    ------------------------------
    Keith Rollins
    Drama Teacher
    Dalton Public Schools - Dalton Middle School
    Dalton GA
    Twitter - @DMSDrama
    Instagram - @DMSTheatre



  • 3.  RE: Looking for a Great One Act

    Posted 04-24-2016 22:54

    Thank you Everyone for the great titles and ideas!!  Lucky me the Dramatics Magazine is chalk full of titles too.  Now to hunt them all down - that's my next challenge.  BTW, I chose to do "Novio Boy" by Gary Soto.  I've cast 10 Latino non-actors and we're having the time of our lives!  Thanks again!!

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    Lisa Merlo Flores
    Tualatin High School, Oregon




  • 4.  RE: Looking for a Great One Act

    Posted 03-31-2016 09:15

    Look at titles by Jose Cruz Gonzalez, Jose Casas, and Roxanne Schroeder-Arce.  Wonderful contemporary playwrights writing Latino/a themes and characters.  They all have many wonderful scripts on Dramatic Publishing's website - while they are labeled full length, many of their titles run 35 - 55 min.  You can also search for Hispanic Culture Themes on Dramatic's website.

    Some other plays you might consider are...

    The Transition of Doodle Pequeno, by Gabriel Jason Dean

    Bocon!, by Lisa Loomer

    Alicia in Wonder Tierra, by Silvia Gonzalez

    Happy searching!

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    Abra Chusid
    Theatre Director
    Buffalo Grove IL



  • 5.  RE: Looking for a Great One Act

    Posted 04-02-2016 09:09

    Night Train To Bolina by Nilo Cruz is an amazing play. Anything by him really. His shows are mainly small cast and its in the vain of magical realism.

    Jose Rivera also has a lot of good plays. Marisol is one I've wanted to do for a while, but it's a little heavy. His style is also magical realism.

    If you want an all female option, The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca. It's a tragedy and its great. He also has Blood Wedding. These are older plays and not as "contemporary" as some of the other playwrights.

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    Alexander Gonzalez
    Theater Instructor
    Doral Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy
    Doral, Florida
    ALGonzalez@doralacademyprep.org



  • 6.  RE: Looking for a Great One Act

    Posted 04-25-2016 11:32

    There was a really short (like, maybe 10 minutes) 3 hander called 'The Good Book', focusing on a Latino father trying to deal with his daughter's 'maturing' with the help of the book his wife left him (she is a character on stage, but is, you find out, previously deceased). It's a wonderful short piece, very touching and funny. Tiffany Antone, available in the link below. The collection of plays in this book are all really, really wonderful short pieces, to be honest, but I mention this one as you were asking for Hispanic focused. My Hispanic students especially loved 'Good Book', finding the irony of a father having to deal with menstruation and 'feminine things' particularly cute.

    Good Book, The

    Samuelfrench remove preview
    Good Book, The
    Winner! Samuel French Off Off Broadway FestivalIn desperation, Robert turns to the ghost of his dead wife in a moment of great anxiety - his daughter's first period. A touching family drama about growing up, featuring three strong Hispanic characters.
    View this on Samuelfrench >
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    Phillip Goodchild
    Theatre Arts Instructor/Assistant Department Head of English
    Ruskin FL