National Council on the Arts Member, Pulitzer Winner Among Directors for FESTIVAL IRENE

Recently appointed member of the National Council on the Arts Diane Rodriguez, Latino Theater Company's Jose Luis Valenzuela and Juliette Carrillo are part of the roster of directors for Hero Theatre's Festival Irene: Celebrating María Irene Fornés with Her Plays, Panels and the Words of Her Students. More festival directors include Jose Cruz Gonzalez, Beth Lopes, Sylvia Blush, Yetta Gottesman and Elisa Bocanegra.

Festival Irene will include Fornés' plays Letters from Cuba, Conduct of Life, Mud, Summer In Gossensass, Fefu & Her Friends and selections from What of the Night? and Promenade. Festival Irene will also feature work from Award-winning Fornés students including Pulitzer-winner Nilo Cruz, Lisa Loomer, Octavio Solis and more.

The complete list of names of Fornés students participating and their plays are This Golden State Part One: Delano by Luis Alfaro,Queer Is Not Yet Here by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas, Fur by Migdalia Cruz, Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz, The Cook by Eduardo Machado, Giving Up the Ghost by Cherríe Moraga, Any Place But Here by Caridad Svich and a program called De Mexico A Cubafeaturing a selection of works by Lisa Loomer and Octavio Solis alongside a Fornés play.

Fornés student and author of the new book The Fornés Frame, Anne-Garcia Romero, will also be part of the festival.

Festival Irene plays will be presented as readings and audience members will have a voice in selecting which one of Ms. Fornés' plays Hero Theatre will be presenting a full production of.

Proceeds for Festival Irene will benefit María Irene Fornés' medical fund and the Alzheimer's Association. The festival will take place March 31 - April 10 2016 at the Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles.