ABSTRACT
Maria Irene Fornes (1930–2018), considered by many to be the mother of Latinx playwriting, was an influential Cuban American playwright, director, and teacher. Born in Havana, Fornes immigrated to the United States in 1945, where she lived in New York City throughout her life. She won an unprecedented nine Obie Awards, Off-Broadway’s highest honor, and her play, What of the Night? (1990) was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Fornes eschewed identity politics yet her work has been described as feminist, Latinx, lesbian, and avant-gardist. She was also an influential educator, teaching playwriting across the US, Europe, and Latin America.
