Migdalia Cruz
| Migdalia Cruz | |
|---|---|
| Born | The Bronx, New York |
| Occupation | Writer, plays, operas, screenplays, musicals |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Notable works |
Latino Chicago Theatre Company writer in residence Lark's Mexico/US Word Exchange |
| Notable awards | Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwright Award(NYCommTrust), 2010, 3rd place. Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays, 1996. |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Website | |
|
migdaliacruz | |
Migdalia Cruz is a writer of plays, musical theatre and opera in the U.S.
Her works have been produced in venues as diverse as Playwrights Horizons in New York City, the Old Red Lion Theatre in London, Miracle Theatre in Portland, Oregon, and Houston Grand Opera.[1]
Cruz is the recipient of numerous awards including the National Endowment for the Arts playwriting fellowship (in 1991 and 1995). In 1999, she was named the first Sackler Artist in the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut and was commissioned to write a play about children in war. Her research took her to Cambodia, Tibet, and Bosnia where she sought out stories by interviewing children.[2]
In December 2013, Cruz was awarded the New York Community Trust/Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwright's Award. She is a recipient of the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays award for Another Part of the House (1996). In 1994, she was the PEW/TCG National Artist in Residence. She was a McKnight Fellow in 1988.[3]
Influences
Cruz' writing is known for its bold poetic crispness, violence and sexuality. Her themes are drawn from Latino history and her personal experiences of growing up in the South Bronx.[4]
Cruz received her MFA degree from Columbia University, and is an alumna of New Dramatists. From 1985 to 1988, Cruz was a playwright in residence at Latino Chicago Theater Company.[5] Cruz also worked with Maria Irene Fornes's Playwright's Laboratory, a professional workshop for Latino writers in New York City. Cruz was profoundly influenced by Fornes and expressed her gratitude in "A Double Haiku for Irene Because She Detests the Ordinary From Her Eternal Fan, Migdalia:"
In six lines or less –
I must honor the teacher
who gave me the moon.
It was an honest,
clear, yet savage light, poured from
desire's heart-fire.[1]
- ^ Delgado and Svich, Maria M., and Caridad (December 1999). Conducting a Life: Reflections on the Theatre of Maria Irene Fornes (First ed.). Lyme, NH: Smith and Kraus, Inc. p. xxxiv. ISBN 1-57525-204-X.
Plays
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Translations
Affectionately known as the madrina of the Lark’s Mexico/US Playwright Exchange, Cruz has translated four plays for the project, 2008–2013.[6]
- THREE SISTERS – work in progress
- ALASKA (with author Gibran Portela)
- LAS MENINAS (with author Ernesto Anaya)
- VAN GOGH IN NEW YORK (with author Jorge Celaya)
References
- ↑ Svich, Caridad (April 1, 2004). Trans-Global Readings: Crossing Theatrical Boundaries. Manchester University Press. p. 71. ISBN 9780719063251.
- ↑ "Telling Tales". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage Learning. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Pen America". Pen America. Pen American Center. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ↑ Montilla, Patricia M. (October 10, 2013). Latinos and American Popular Culture. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CIO. p. 179. ISBN 978-0313392221. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Telling Tales". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage Learning. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.larktheatre.org/words-from-the-madrina-of-the-mexicou-s-playwright-exchange-program-migdalia-cruz/