"I do what I do because I don't see images of myself onstage. I want to complicate the image of what a Latina woman is without standing on a soapbox. I'm dedicated to telling Her stories - to letting us look at life through her eyes. Politically and socially we have gone voiceless for so long and that is obviously reflected in the American Theatre. We have so much to say; I'm making it my job to make us listen."
Tanya Saracho was born in Sinaloa, México and moved to Texas in the late 1980s. She is a performer, director and playwright-in-residence at Chicago Dramatists and Teatro Vista.
As Founding Artistic Director of Teatro Luna, Chicago's all-Latina theater ensemble, Saracho's writing has been featured in most of Teatro Luna's ensemble-built works including Generic Latina, Dejame Contarte, The Maria Chronicles, SOLO Latinas, SOLO Tu, S-E-X-Oh! and Lunatic(a)s.
Productions include an adaptation of The House on Mango Street for Steppenwolf for Young Audiences, Our Lady of The Underpass with Teatro Vista (2009), Surface Day with Chicago Children's Humanity Festival (2008) and Jarred (A Hoodoo Comedy) with Teatro Luna (2008).
Tanya's play Kita y Fernanda, a finalist for the 2003 Nuestras Voces playwriting competition, received productions at Teatro Luna (2003) and 16th Street Theater (2008, directed by Ann Filmer). Other awards include The 3Arts Artists Award, The Ofner Prize given by the Goodman Theatre, Finalist for the Christopher B. Wolk Award at Abingdon Theatre in NYC, nominee for the Wasserstein Prize, and winner of the Khan Award. Saracho's solo play Quita Mitos received a world premier with Teatro Luna in November of 2006 and has toured colleges and festivals, including the International Hispanic Theatre Festival and the Goodman's Latino Theatre Festival.
Tanya is working on a reverse migration adaptation of The Cherry Orchard, for Teatro Vista www.teatroluna.org |
