LATINX PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE, WP THEATER, AND THE SOL PROJECT ANNOUNCE ALL-LATINX CAST & DESIGN TEAM FOR THE OFF-BROADWAY PREMIERE OF SANCOCHO STARRING ZULEYMA GUEVARA and SHIRLEY RUMIERK
Written By Christin Eve Cato
Directed By Rebecca Martinez
PREVIEWS BEGIN SATURDAY, MARCH 11
OPENING NIGHT SET FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 23
FOR STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT AT WP THEATER
(New York, NY – February 10, 2023) Producers Latinx Playwrights Circle, WP Theater, and The Sol Project are thrilled to announce an all-Latinx cast and design team for the Off-Broadway Premiere of Sancocho. The new play by Christin Eve Cato (The Good Cop, DUAF 2022) directed by Rebecca Martinez (Miss You Like Hell; Theatre for One: Here We Are) will star Zuleyma Guevara (Bruise & Thorn, “Gotham”) and Shirley Rumierk (Good Person, “Manifest,” “Rise”). The limited engagement will run from March 11–April 9, 2023, at WP Theater (2162 Broadway). Opening Night is set for Thursday, March 23.
Simmering between two Puerto Rican sisters is a family tension that finally comes to a boil. Forced to confront the reality of their father’s rapidly declining health, Renata and Caridad clash over cultural divides, unearth old wounds, and reveal long-buried secrets. As Caridad’s sancocho bubbles on the stove, will the two sisters reconcile their past resentments to face their uncertain futures – together?
Sancocho features scenic design by Raul Abrego (Princeton University’s Adamandi, Ain’t Misbehavin’), costume design by Harry Nadal (Miss You Like Hell, Porgy & Bess), lighting design by Maria-Cristina Fusté (Jagged Little Pill, Songs About Trains), and sound design by Germán Martinez (Into The Woods, Ohio State Murders), production stage management by E Sara Barnes (Jersey Boys, Broadway Bounty Hunter). Casting by Kelly Gillespie, C.S.A.
Sancocho was produced by Vision Latino Theatre Company in October 2022, as part of Destinos, the fifth annual Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. The Chicago Tribune hailed the production as “inspirational” and “a multi-sensory experience…two strong [sisters] have the hard conversations, face down their generational trauma and find a path forward toward healing. The stew that they prepare throughout the evening serves as a metaphor for this process, as ingredients are sliced and crushed to create a meal ‘healing to the soul.’” The Chicago Reader described the show as “rich family fare. Named for a type of beef stew, Sancocho highlights the significance of familia for the best or otherwise. The dialogue melds between English and Spanish sweetly as the sancocho literally simmers on the stove. The scent made me long to return to Puerto Rico to devour más mofongo y tostones.” Originally developed at Latinx Playwrights Circle’s developmental programs, the play has also been selected as a featured play on #NewPlayExchange and developed at Ingenio Festival & Playwrights Center Core Apprentice Workshop.
Tickets are now available at www.wptheater.org. The ticket range is $29-$79 during previews, and $39-$89 after opening night. The regular performance schedule is Tuesday – Thursday at 7pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. The performances on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 are at 7pm.
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BIOGRAPHIES:
ZULEYMA GUEVARA (Caridad) is a NY based actress whose most recent stage credits include Somewhere by Matthew Lopez at Geva Theater, Carla in Grand Horizons at People’s Theater and this past spring was seen in the NYTimes pick of the week, Bruise and Thorn. Previous theater credits include the New Jersey premiere of Water by the Spoonful at Kean University, Columbia Stages La Paloma Prisoner and The Hour of The Star, the world premiere of Seven Spots on the Sun at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Working Theatre’s production of La Ruta. TV credits include “Sonia’s Choice”, “Legend of the 13 Suns”, “Gotham”, “FBI Most Wanted” as well as “Law and Order” and the CBS pilot “Limitless”. Film credits include New York State of Mind, Third Trinity, The Meal and the soon to be released Tumba del Mar.
SHIRLEY RUMIERK (Renata) will next be seen in Zack Braff’s film Good Person starring Morgan Freeman. She was series regular “Vanessa Suarez” on the NBC series “Rise” and appeared in HBO’s “Scenes from a Marriage”. She recurred as “Autumn Cox” on “Manifest” and as “Yolanda Carrion” in the Netflix series “Teenage Bounty Hunters” Shirley has guest-starred on “Chicago PD”, “New Amsterdam”, “East New York” and “Power”. She starred in the independent film 11:55 and can be seen in David Frankel’s feature Collateral Beauty. Shirley is a board member and alumna of The 52nd Street Project and Oliver Scholars. She is a graduate of Harvard University.
CHRISTIN EVE CATO (Author) is a playwright and performing artist from the Bronx. She holds an MFA in Playwriting from Indiana University and completed her BA in Political Science and Philosophy at Fordham University. Cato is also a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music and Art and the Performing Arts. She is affiliated with NYC theater companies, Pregones/PRTT (ensemble member & former Resident Dramaturg), INTAR Theatre (UNIT 52 ensemble member), and the Latinx Playwrights Circle. Cato’s artistic style is expressed through Caribbean culture and the Afro-Latinx diaspora, honoring her Puerto Rican and Jamaican roots. Recent Off-Broadway productions include The Good Cop (DUAF 2022) . Recent productions include, Sancocho (Vision Latino Theatre Company/ Destinos, 5th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival); American Made (Samuel French OOB Festival/ NYC); and an audio play journey, The Mayor of Hell’s Kitchen Presents: A Time Traveling Journey Through NYC’s Wild West (The Parsnip Ship & Playwrights Horizons/ NYC). www.christinevecato.com
REBECCA MARTíNEZ (Director) (she/her) is an award-winning director and choreographer and the BOLD Associate Artistic Director at WP Theater. Upcoming projects include: Living and Breathing (Two River), a musical adaptation of The Comedy of Errors (The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit). Recent projects: Los Complicados (EST Marathon), Randy’s Dandy Coaster Castle (Egg & Spoon Collective), Songs About Trains (Working Theater and Radical Evolution), Somewhere Over the Border (Syracuse Stage and Geva Theatre). Rebecca has developed new work with The Public Theater, Amas Musical Theater, the O’Neill, Latinx Playwrights Circle, the Sol Project, NAMT, INTAR, Working Theater, The Playwrights Realm, among others. Affiliations: Sojourn Theatre Ensemble, 2021 TCG Rising Leaders of Color; Sol Project Collective, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, INTAR’s Unit52, New Georges Affiliated Artist, WP Lab, Drama League Directing Fellow, member of SDC. Awards: Colorado Henry Award for Directing; four Portland, Oregon Drammy Awards; Lilla Jewel Award for Women Artists. Rebecca is originally from Colorado with deep ancestral roots in the Southwest. rebeccamartinez.org.
RAUL ABREGO (Scenic Design) is a set designer for Opera, Theater and Television. His work has been seen at The Juilliard Opera Center, The Manhattan School of Music, The Spoleto Opera Festival in Italy, The Rattlestick, Cherry Lane Theater and Intar. Noted Recent projects: Adamandi for Princeton University, book and lyrics by Mel Hornyak and Elliot Valentine Lee, directed by Georgina Escobar, Ain’t Misbehavin’ for Barrington Stage and Geva Theater Center, directed by Jeffrey Page. The Brobot Johnson Experience by Darian Dauchan at The Bushwick Starr, Living and Breathing by Mando Alvarado, directed by Rebecca Martinez for Two River Theater, How to Melt Ice by Amalia Oliva Rojas for Boundless Theater Company and New Perspectives directed by Elena Araoz. Assistant Art Director credits for Television include: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Season 3 & 4, “Ghost” (Power Book 2) and “John Wick”, Art Director for “Falling Water” (pilot), The Outcasts (film) and Production Designer for 2009 film Cruzando.
HARRY NADAL (Costume Design) Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. NEW YORK: Lincoln Center Institute, Atlantic Theater Co., Brooklyn Academy of Music, Juilliard, Intar, Labyrinth Theater Co., Pregones/PRTT, Boundless Theater, HERE Arts Center and Theater for the New City among others. REGIONAL: Arena Stage (Washington, DC), Chicago Opera Theater, TheaterWorks Hartford, Des Moines Metro Opera, Zach Theatre (Austin, TX), George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick, NJ), UrbanArias (Arlington, VA), Baltimore Center Stage, Boise Contemporary Theater, People’s Light Theater (Malvern, PA), Open Stage (Harrisburg, PA), Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and Danza del Alma (Cuba) among many. Faculty member at Pratt Institute’s Film School. MFA: New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. WEBSITE: harrynadal.com
MARÍA-CRISTINA FUSTÉ (Lighting Design) Broadway: Jagged Little Pill, Associate LD 2021 remount. Off Broadway: Songs About Trains (Working Theater/Radical Evolution); Fur, Mud, and The Conduct of Life (Boundless Theatre Company, NYC) Regional: Cleveland Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare, Bay Street Theater. American Mariachi (Goodman Theatre, Chicago); Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare Co); Anna in the Tropics (Barrington Stage, MA); Airness (Geva Theatre Center, NY); Children of Eden (Aurora Theatre, GA); Sweat (People’s Light Theater, PA); In The Heights (Westport Country Playhouse, CT); The Heath (MRT, MA). Opera: Cecilia Valdés (Teatro Colón, Bogotá); Tosca, Bluebeard’s Castle, Madama Butterfly, Don Pasquale, and L’Elisir d’Amore (Ópera de Puerto Rico, San Juan PR). Training: MFA in Lighting Design (NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts). Awards: Princess Grace Award 2018, Suzi Bass Award 2016/ 2017, Nomination 2019, HOLA Award 2022. MC is the Executive Artistic Director of Boundless Theatre Company: www.boundlesstheatre.org. Website: www.mcfuste.com
GERMÁN MARTÍNEZ (Sound Design) A proud son of immigrant parents, Germán Martínez is a Honduran-American NYC/NJ based Sound Designer. Germán is a Montclair State University alum (2018), and is the current Eastern Representative for the TSDCA (Theatrical Sound Designer and Composers Association). His work has been featured at: The Public, Theaterworks Hartford, Playhouse 46 ,Page 73, Williamstown Theatre Festival, MCC, American Repertory Theatre, Repertorio Español, GALA Hispanic, George Street Playhouse, Two River Theater, and Trinity Rep. Broadway credits include Associating on: Into The Woods. The Piano Lesson, and Ohio State Murders. As a designer, he seeks work that will uplift and support BIPOC, queer, and immigrant stories in innovative and beautiful ways. Germán calls this work, “art from the heart”. He invites any like-minded artists to collaborate. You can keep up with his work on Instagram: @GermanTheSoundDesigner.
E SARA BARNES (Production Stage Manager) With WP Theater:: Weightless, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord , Other NYC: Broadway Bounty Hunter (Greenwich House Theater), Jersey Boys (New World Stages), Pacific Overtures (Classic Stage); Oh, Hello (Cherry Lane); Straight (Theatre Row); By the Water (Manhattan Theatre Club); Pageant (Davenport Theater); Bloodsong of Love (Ars Nova); The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise (Play Company); Three Men on a Horse, Bedroom Farce (The Actors Company Theatre); Twelfth Night (Sonnet Repertory Theatre). REGIONAL: May We All (TPAC), Other World (DTC), Broadway Bounty Hunter (Barrington Stage Company), Gypsy! (starring Karen Ziemba, Sharon Playhouse), I Promised Myself to Live Faster, Twelfth Night, Zero Cost House (Pig Iron Theatre Co.); Guys and Dolls, Saving Aimee, Memphis! Hello, Dolly! (5th Avenue Theatre).
THE LATINX PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE (LPC) is an artist-led development and production organization for Latinx(é) playwrights. Founded in 2017 by playwrights Guadalís Del Carmen and Oscar Cabrera with the mission to build a network of Latinx(é) playwrights nationwide in order to promote, develop and elevate their work while making their plays accessible to theater makers looking to find the next generation of American Storytellers. Its programs include Sunday Service, Fresh Draft Series, Greater Good Commision and Festival, Intensive Mentorship Program, LPC Community Nights and Page-to-Stage, whose inaugural production is Sancocho by Christin Eve Cato. In 2020 LPC received a residency at Kabayitos Theater, located in the Clemente Soto Velez Center where it produces a portion of their programming. In 2022 LPC was awarded a Creatives Rebuild New York Grant (CRNY) as well as the HOLA Award for Excellence in Theater.
For more information on Latinx Playwright Circle and its many programs please visit latinxplaywrights.com
LPC embraces the ever evolving landscape of Latinidad and the names used to describe this community, including Latiné, Latinx, Hispanic, and the next generation of names to come. Like language itself, this is an ever evolving name.
WP THEATER now in its 45th Season, is the nation’s oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of Women+ at every stage in their careers. For over four decades we have served as leaders at the forefront of a global movement towards gender parity, and the example we set and the artists we have fostered have grown into a robust and thriving community of artists in theater and beyond. WP Theater received a 2018 Lucille Lortel Award, a 2019 Obie Award, and a 2020 Drama Desk Award, all for Outstanding Body of Work, recognizing WP’s unique place and vital work in the theatrical landscape. WP empowers Women+ of all kinds to reach their full potential and, in doing so, challenges preconceptions about the kinds of plays women write and the stories they tell. As the premiere launching pad for some of the most influential Women+ theater artists today, our work has had a significant impact on the field at large. Nearly every prolific female theater artist has been through our doors, including 2019 Tony Winner for Best Direction of a Musical, Rachel Chavkin, 2018 Tony Winner for Best Direction of a Play, Rebecca Taichman, 2013 Tony Winner for Best Direction of a Play, Pam MacKinnon, 2013 Tony Winner for Best Direction of a Musical, Diane Paulus, 2018 Pulitzer Prize Winner Martyna Majok, and two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner Lynn Nottage. These powerful women found an artistic home at WP and are a testament to our role as a driving cultural force.
“When we say Women+ we mean: cis women, trans, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming people and all gender identities which have been systematically oppressed throughout history in the theater and beyond.”
THE SOL PROJECT is a national theater initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of Latiné playwrights by supporting, nurturing, and advocating for fully realized productions in NYC and beyond. Founded by Jacob G. Padrón and driven by an artistic collective, The Sol Project works in partnership with leading theaters to center Latiné dramatists and nurture a growing community of Latiné theater artists. With the writers we champion, The Sol Project aspires to create a bold, timeless, and kaleidoscopic body of work for the new American theater.
The Sol Project launched in 2016 with the world premiere of Alligator by Hilary Bettis in collaboration with New Georges, followed by the New York premieres of Seven Spots on the Sun by Martín Zimmerman (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater) and Oedipus El Rey by Luis Alfaro (The Public Theater). In the fall of 2018, The Sol Project collaborated with Yale Repertory Theatre to produce the world premiere of El Huracán by Charise Castro Smith and in early 2020 partnered with Baltimore Center Stage and The Playwrights Realm to produce the world premiere of Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally by Noah Diaz. In 2022, The Sol Project collaborated with Soho Rep for the world premiere of Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members by Mara Vélez Meléndez. The Sol Project will partner with MCC Theater for the world premiere of Bees and Honey by Guadalís Del Carmen this spring.. In addition to productions, The Sol Project advances its mission by producing a yearly new play festival, SolFest, in partnership with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, while also supporting our community through readings, workshops, a podcast (SolTalk), and ongoing symposia.
The artistic collective includes Adriana Gaviria (Co-Artistic Director), Rebecca Martínez, David Mendizábal, Jacob G. Padrón (Co-Artistic Director), Julian Ramirez, and Laurie Woolery. Isabel Pask is the Producing Associate. Brian Herrera is the Resident Scholar. Stephanie Ybarra is the Resident Dramaturg. Our partners include Atlantic Theatre Company, Baltimore Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group, LAByrinth Theater Company, Latinx Playwrights Circle, Magic Theatre, MCC Theater, New Georges, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, The Playwrights Realm, The Public Theater, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Soho Rep, WP Theater, and Yale Repertory Theatre.
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