Maria Irene Fornes

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Maria Irene Fornes (born 1930) is a Cuban-American playwright.

Fornes was born in Havana, Cuba, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 15.

Her first publicly performed play, Tango Palace, was produced in 1963. She gained prominence in avant-garde circles and became friendly with such prominent figures of 1960s and 1970s culture in New York as the now deceased Joseph Papp and Susan Sontag, and was later championed by the prestigious Performing Arts Journal (later PAJ).

She became a pivotal figure in both Hispanic-American and experimental theater, winning nine Obies. Among her masterworks is Fefu and Her Friends (1977). Fornes's influence in theater is vast, due not only to her unique vision as a writer but also her ongoing role as a teacher. She continues to direct plays and receive fellowships and grants from key foundations. Fornes received an honorary Litt.D. from Bates College in 1992. Playwright Nilo Cruz also studied with Maria Irene Fornes, who recommended him to Paula Vogel.

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Fefu and Her Friends follows eight women throughout the rooms of a house on a single spring day in 1935. It's impossible to convey the emotions that this play conjures up, or even what it's about, really. But here are some words that one might use in the attempt: Avant-garde, absurd, insightful, honest, engaging, disturbing, outrageous, hilarious.

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