Under Construction

“A disgraced TV talk show host whose once beloved career ended in controversy seeks to reset his life by reopening his family’s historically significant hotel in Puerto Rico with his sister and cousin. But when rumors of hauntings, and deep family wounds stop any momentum for the hotel’s reopening, the once-beloved host questions what sacrifices he must make to reach the next level. Are his sins beyond forgiveness? Is his family beyond repair? Should he have started a podcast instead? Are those dolls really talking?”

Content warning:

Please note this play depicts graphic violence, gore and gun violence.

Nelson Diaz-Marcano is a Puerto Rican NYC-based theater maker, advocate, and community leader whose mission is to create work that challenges and builds community. He currently serves as the Literary Director for the Latinx Playwright Circle where he has helped develop over 100 plays in the past four years. His plays have been developed by Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, The Road Theatre Company, Pipeline Theatre Company, Clubbed Thumb, The Lark, Vision Latino Theater Company, The Orchard Project, The William Inge Theatre Festival, Classical Theatre of Harlem, and The Parsnip Ship among others. Select credits include: Las Borinqueñas (Ensemble Studio Theatre) World Classic (Bishop Theatre Arts Center, Pa’Lante Theater) Y Tu Abuela, Where is She? Part 1 (CLATA) The Diplomats (Random Acts Chicago,) Paper Towels (INTAR,) Misfit, America (Pa’Lante Theater) and Revolt! (Vision Latino Theatre Company.)

DR. DAPHNIE SICRE is a multi-hyphenated artist. She is a director-dramaturg-scholar-educator who shares a deep passion for Black and Latinx perspectives in theatre. Daphnie was recently named Co-Artistic Director of Ammunition Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. She has directed for Skylight Theatre, East West Plays, Greenway Court Theatre, Hollywood Fringe (New Musicals Inc), Playwrights’ Arena, Garry Marshall Theatre, The Road Theatre, San Diego Rep/Latinx New Play Festival, The Robey Theatre, The Fountain Theatre, Circle X, The Hollywood Fringe/New Musicals Inc, Austin Latinx New Play Festival, FringeNYC, and many more. This fall, she joined the faculty at UC Riverside. When she is not directing or teaching, you can find her working on dramaturgy or writing theatre scholarship.

CAST:

MIGUEL/DOÑA BELLA-Leandro Cano

TAINA- Angela Townsend

MICHELLE- Emily Jerez

RAFIN- Geoffrey Rivas

STAGE DIRECTIONS- Gloria Ines