ABSTRACT
“South Texas Playwrights” is a discussion of the plays and careers of three notable playwrights originally hailing from South Texas: Tanya Saracho, Mando Alvarado and Raul Castillo. Their conversation is facilitated by South Texan director Jerry Ruiz. Beginning in 2010, this trio of playwrights garnered major productions in New York City and important regional theater hubs, premiering several plays that depict the Mexican-American experience in the South Texas borderlands. Key plays include Saracho’s Mala Hierba and El Nogalar, Alvarado’s Basilica and Castillo’s Knives and Other Sharp Objects and Between You Me and the Lampshade.
While scholarship on Latinx theater has often highlighted movements originating in New York City and the West Coast, these South Texas playwrights articulate a new perspective on Latinidad and share a unique aesthetic of contemporary hyper-realism distinct from other branches of Latinx theater. The discussion reflects on this movement’s artistic platforms, key influences and professional achievements.
