Playwrights' Arena Announces The Cast of WAITING

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights - has announced the cast for WAITING by Daniel A. Olivas, which includes Shanelle Darlene, Valentina Guerra, Amir Levi, and Raul Vega Martinez.

WAITING, directed by Daphnie Sicre, is inspired by Samuel Beckett's iconic play, WAITING FOR GODOT. With humor deeply steeped in Latinx culture, and our country's anti-immigrant policies, WAITING explores the meaning-and absurdities-of identity and belonging. This is a shorter, pandemic version of the playwright's full-length play, WAITING FOR GODÍNEZ.

"What harm have you done to them? You are as much of this country as you are of México. But you are not home in either place. Ni de aquí, ni de allá."

Daniel A. Olivas, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised near downtown Los Angeles. He is an award-winning author of nine books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry including, The King of Lighting Fixtures: Stories (University of Arizona Press), Crossing the Border: Collected Poems (Pact Press), and Things We Do Not Talk About: Exploring Latino/a Literature through Essays and Interviews (San Diego State University Press). He co-edited The Coiled Serpent: Poets Arising from the Cultural Quakes and Shifts of Los Angeles (Tía Chucha Press), and edited Latinos in Lotusland: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature(Bilingual Press).

Widely anthologized, Olivas has written on culture and literature for The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, BOMB, La Bloga, and The Guardian. Olivas's first full-length play, Waiting for Godínez, was selected for the Playwrights' Arena Summer Reading Series (2020), and The Road Theatre's Twelfth Annual Playwrights Festival (2021). The play was also a semi-finalist for the American Blues Theater's 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Olivas was selected for Circle X Theatre Company's inaugural Emerging Playwrights Group to adapt his acclaimed novel, The Book of Want (University of Arizona Press), for a reading in 2021. Waiting is Olivas's first fully-stage play that he describes as a "pandemic remix" of Waiting for Godínez. Olivas received his degree in English literature from Stanford University, and law degree from UCLA. By day, Olivas is an attorney and makes his home in Southern California with his wife. They have an adult son, Ben, who is also a proud Bruin and works in the video game design industry.

Dr. Daphnie Sicre teaches Directing & Theatre for Social Change at Loyola Marymount University. Engaging in anti-racist and cultural competent theatre practices, she facilitates workshops to teach about EDI theatre pedagogy. When she is not teaching, writing, or conducting workshops, she can be found directing or serving as a dramaturg. She recently directed the following Zoom productions: This Bitch by Adrienne Dawes (Austin Latinx New Play Festival), Diversity Awareness Picnic by Leah Nanako Winkler (LMU), Talking Peace by France-Luce Benson (Fountain Theatre) and multiple stage readings, including Waiting for Godinez. Her LMU debut was In the Heights before the pandemic hit. Select New York City directing credits include: Jose Casas's 14 (BMCC), Shower Me by Sheyenne Brown (FringeNYC), Stranger by Kendra Augustin (Stage Black), where she won Best Director and the AUDELCO nominated Not About Eve by Karl Williams. She is also the resident dramaturg at the Robey Theatre.

Production Team includes: Matt Richter (sound design), Mylette Nora (costume design), and Letitia Chang (Stage Manager).

Opening set for Saturday, July 24, 7 PM, in the courtyard of Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles. Regular performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 7 PM. It closes on Sunday, August 15, 2021, at 7 PM.

Tickets are $30 online. For reservations go to www.playwrightsarena.org or call 213-925-7631.

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