Arizona Theatre Company presents First Public Reading of how to make an American Son on Nov. 18

christopher oscar peña

from our friends at Arizona Theatre Company:

The first public reading of the new play, how to make an American Son,by Arizona Theatre Company (Sean Daniels, Artistic Director; Billy Russo, Managing Director) Artistic Associate and playwright christopher oscar peña, is at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 18 at the Arizona State University Performing and Media Arts Building (APMA), Room 131.  Parking is free in the lot on the corner of Rural and University.

The reading, which is free and open to the public, will complete a four-day workshop of the play, which begins Nov. 15. The workshop and public reading is part of ATC Artistic Director Sean Daniels’ commitment to introduce Arizona theatergoers to new plays from the world’s best playwrights.

how to make an American Son is the story of Honduran-born “model immigrant” and business mogul, Mando, whose cleaning empire is bracing for a downturn forcing him to rein in his over-privileged American son Orlando, who is living large on dad’s dime.

To teach him a lesson, Mando puts Orlando on the floor with the cleaning team.  But, in the wake of an identity crisis, Orlando suddenly finds himself responsible for the fate of a treasured undocumented worker and the future of his father’s entire enterprise. 

“It is an insightful and eye-opening play about the complexities of privilege, status, sexual identity and legal status within a newly wealthy immigrant family,” Daniels said.

The reading will feature an all-Arizona cast directed by Kimberly Senior, who directed the Broadway production of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning play Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar and currently is directing Bella Bella, written and starring Harvey Fierstein, at Manhattan Theatre Club. Senior is an award-winning Resident Director at Writers Theatre and an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre, both in Chicago.

Actors in the workshop cast are Roberto Garcia (Mando), Anthony Diaz-Muniz (Orlando), Alida Holguín Gunn (Mercedes), Marcelino Quiñónez (Rafael), Matthew Milne (Sean) and David Dickenson (Dick).

Playwright peña, is a story-teller originally from the Silicon Valley. Before joining ATC Artistic Director Sean Daniels in Arizona, he co-directed the world premiere of Daniel’s adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s “lost novel” The Haunted Life at Merrimack Rep. The production marked the first time the Kerouac Estate had ever sanctioned an official theatrical adaptation of Kerouac’s work. 

Most recently as a playwright, the Clarence Brown Theatre commissioned and produced the world premiere of his play The Strangers.  In New York, the Flea Theatre produced the world premiere of his play a cautionary tail. His TV credits include HBO’s Insecure,Sweetbitteron Starz and, most recently, the upcoming Freeform show, Motherland: Fort Salem.

The reading and workshop also reflect ATC’s “important partnership with Arizona State University for creative collaborations,” Daniels said.

For more information about Arizona Theatre Company, visit www.arizonatheatre.org.