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Comedies

Shakespeare's comedies have been adapted many times over for Latinx cultures. Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors both involve immigrants to a new land, and the musicality of Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing allow for a transposition to auralidad, or the aural excess that is a hallmark of Latinx Shakespeares. The shifting of The Taming of the Shrew into a contemporary context allows for its gender-based problematic aspects to be reformulated and revised, and Measure for Measure's heavy righteousness has been rescripted to a more contemporary religious piety.

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Scroll down or press these links for productions of As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

As You Like It

All ephemera courtesy of The Old Globe

2010 The Old Globe

San Diego, CA

As You Like It

(dir. Patrick Pearson)

After staging a trilingual Romeo and Juliet in 2008, a bilingual Pericles in 2009, The Old Globe staged Twelfth Night and As You Like It for their 2010 Summer Shakespeare intensive. Translator Raul Moncada had passed away, so the 2010 shows contained less Spanish, and the bilingual summer student program ended after this season.

2010 Drew University

Madison, NJ

As You Like It

(dir. Caitlin McWethy)

Director Caitlin McWethy, a student at Drew University in New Jersey, created a semi-bilingual version of As You Like It, turning the Forest of Arden into a barrio in Mexico City.

latinx theatre, devised theatre, latinx Shakespeares, community shakespeare, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares

The Comedy of Errors

All ephemera courtesy of The Old Globe

1987 The Old Globe

San Diego, CA

The Comedy of Errors

(dir. David McClendon)

The setting was 19th century California with high comedy stereotypes from cowboy westerns. John Bolger and Mark Moses played the Antifoli from Monterrey and San Diego, respectively, and when Bolger got a role on TV, Moses played both Antifoli for the rest of the run. Marissa Chibas played Luciana and Melody Rayne was Adriana.

1998 Educational Theatre Company

Arlington, VA

Comedy(A) of Error(es)
by Tom Mallan

(dir. Tom Mallan)

Tom Mallan created two bilingual shows that year, Bottom's Dream and The Comedy(A) of Error(E)s. In both shows, some characters spoke English and others Spanish in order to indicate a greater chasm between characters and locations.  In Comedy(A) of Error(E)s, one bilingual actor played both Antipholi, while another bilingual actor played both Dromios.

Latinx Comedy of Errors
Courtesy of Tom Mallan
Cuban Shakespeare

2008 Windsor Shakespeare

Windsor, CA

The Comedy of Errors

(dir. Jim Du Priest)

The action was set in modern-day Cuba, with the twins from Aruba and Cuba.

2009 University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN

The Comedy of Errors
(dir. Brad Wright)

Alex Oberhide and Mason Absher played both sets of twins, Antipholus and Dromio, respectively. The action was set in 1960s Cuba.

All images courtesy of the University of Indianapolis Frederick D. Hill University Archives and Special Collections
All ephemera courtesy of Joe Falocco
from the 2017 production

2015 Texas State University

San Marcos, TX

The Comedy of Errors / La Comedia de Equivocaciones
by Joe Falocco
Translation by: Luis Astrana Marín, modernized by David Navarro

(dir. Joe Falocco)

This play has been staged three times, directed by Joe Falocco in 2015 and 2017, and by Jerry Ruiz in 2019.

2015 The Public Mobile Unit

New York, NY

The Comedy of Errors

(dir. Kwame Kwei-Armah)

Both Antipholi were played by Bernard Cubría and the Dromios by Lucas Caleb Rooney. The names of the locations were not changed, but Syracuse and Ephesus became white-cowboy Texas and Mexico with some Spanish spoken throughout, and the Duchess of Ephesus (Shakespeare’s Duke) wore a baseball cap with the slogan “Make Ephesus Great Again.”

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, new york shakespeare, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares
Photography by Jenny Graham
Courtesy of Oregon Shakespeare Festival

2019 Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Ashland, OR

La Comedia of Errors
by Lydia G. Garcia and Bill Rauch

(dir. Bill Rauch)

La Comedia of Errors is a bilingual play that is featured in Chapter Five of Latinx Shakespeares (esp. p. 136-142). Micha Espinosa writes about her work as vocal coach in her chapter in Shakespeare and Latinidad and she and Cynthia DeCure discuss vocality for Shakespeare in the Folger Shakespeare Library podcast below.

2023 The Public Mobile Unit

New York, NY

The Comedy of Errors
by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri

(dir. Rebecca Martínez)

This bilingual musical adaptation has songs in English and in Spanish. It was performed in all five boroughs of New York.

The Public Theater Mobile Unit
latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, shakespearean productions and adaptations, latinx Shakespeares, productions and adaptations of Shakespeare's,
Image courtesy of Adrienne Dawes

2023 Theatre Bedlam

New York, NY

Dupe
by Adrienne Dawes

(dir. Melissa Crespo)

The story centers on a Black writer whose image has been stolen and used for another's work; she reaches out to her estranged identical twin sister for help. The play has a cast of four female or femme characters and is described by Dawes as "Comedy of Errors with a dash of Dolezal." It had its first reading at Bedlam's DO MORE: New Plays reading series.

Measure for Measure

Photography by Jenny Graham
Courtesy of Oregon Shakespeare Festival

2011 Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Ashland, OR

Measure for Measure

(dir. Bill Rauch)

This production was set in a 1970s bordertown with Angelo, Isabella, Claudio, and Juliet as Latinx. It included performances by the all-female mariachi band, Las Colibrí. This production is featured in Latinx Shakespeares (esp. p. 65-70). Frankie J. Alvarez writes about his role in the show in Shakespeare and Latinidad. An audio version of the production is available.

2013 The Goodman Theater

Chicago, IL

Measure for Measure

(dir. Robert Falls)

Bob Falls set the action in 1970s New York City with Isabella and Claudio as Dominican. Vocal coach Michelle Lopez-Rios writes about her work on the show in her essay for Shakespeare and Latinidad.

latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, shakespearean productions and adaptations, latinx Shakespeares, productions and adaptations of Shakespeare's,
Latinx Measure for Measure

2015 UC Riverside

Riverside, CA

Measure for Measure

(dir. Miles Anderson)

The production was set in 1910s Mexico with some Spanish and Spanish vocal music performed during the show.

Image courtesy of UC Riverside Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production

2016 San Diego Public Library

San Diego, CA

Measure for Measure / Medida por Medida: A Bilingual Play
by Bernardo Mazón

(dir. Bernardo Mazón)

The readings of this bilingual play were part of the 2016 First Folio tour, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Mazón mixed contemporary Spanish with Shakespeare's English.

bilingual Measure for Measure
Courtesy of: Bernardo Mazón Daher
Photography by: Liz Lauren
Courtesy of: American Players Theatre

2018 American Players Theatre

Spring Green, WI

Measure for Measure

(dir. Risa Brainin)

The production had an unspecified setting, not Shakespeare's, and not exactly today. Director Risa Brainin wanted to invoke contemporary issues of familial separations and #metoo, and Isabella, Claudio, and Juliet were all portrayed as Latinx by Latinx actors.

2022 Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago, IL

Measure for Measure

(dir. Henry Godinez)
All ephemera courtesy of
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Godinez's production was set in 1950s Cuba and included a poignant commentary on revolution.

The Merchant of Venice

1993 La Compañía de Teatro de Albuquerque

Albuquerque, NM

The Merchant of Santa Fe
by Ramón Flores and Lynn Butler

(dir. Ramón Flores)

This production incorporated some Spanish and reenvisioned Shylock as a converso.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, mexican shakespeare, chicano shakespeare, bilingual theatre

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Latinx A Midsummer Night's Dream

1998 Educational Theatre Company

Arlington, VA

Bottom's Dream: The Midsummer Mambo
by Tom Mallan

(dir. Tom Mallan)

Tom Mallan created two bilingual shows that year, Bottom's Dream and The Comedy(A) of Error(E)s. In both shows, some characters spoke English and others Spanish in order to indicate a greater chasm between characters and locations.  In Comedy(A) of Error(E)s, one bilingual actor played both Antipholi, while another bilingual actor played both Dromios.

Courtesy of Tom Mallan

2001 Shakespeare in the Parque

Alexandria, VA

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(dir. Susan Schulman)

A new theatre company opened in 2001 under the direction of Susan Schulman. The production included both Spanish and English and was performed in July with a large cast of twenty-one.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, borderlands theatre, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares
Chicano Shakespeare

2002 East LA Classic Theatre Company

Los Angeles, CA

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(dir. Tony Plana)

One of the four Latinx Shakespeares from Tony Plana's East LA Classic Theater Company. Read the article and interview.

2007 Cornerstone Theater Company

Holtville, CA

A Holtville Night's Dream
By: Alison Carey in collaboration with the people of Holtville, California

(dir. Laurie Woolery)

One of Cornerstone's community inspired Shakespeare adaptations, the company collaborated with Holtville residents.

All ephemera courtesy of Cornerstone Theater Company
Mexican Shakespeare

2009 Arclight Repertory Theatre

San Jose, CA

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(dir. David Koppel)

The setting of the production was contemporary Piste, Mexico, nearby to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, although dramaturgical elements from various time periods intersect in the performance.

2009 Cuban Office of Scenic Arts and The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL and Havana, Cuba

Un Sueño de Una Noche de Verano
by Seth Panitch

(dir. Seth Panitch)

Part of the UA Cuba-Alabama Initiative, this production included Cuban and American actors.

Photography by: Mr. Porfirio Soloranzo
Courtesy of: Seth Pantitch
Shakespeare Alta California

2014 Vortex Theatre & City of Albuquerque for "Shakespeare in the Plaza"

Albuquerque, NM

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(dir. David Richard Jones)

Director David Richard Jones set the action in 1850s New Mexico.

2015 Teatro SEA

New York, NY

Sueño: A Latino Take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
by Norge Espinosa

(dir. Manuel Morán)

This adaptation celebrates Afro-Caribbean culture with dance, movement, puppetry, and a live orchestra. Sueño was performed on alternating nights in contemporary English or Spanish. It is featured in Chapter Five of Latinx Shakespeares (p.142-147).

Photography by: George Riverón
Courtesy of: Teatro SEA

2018 Texas Light Opera (TLO) and Killer Productions

San Antonio, TX

A Midsummer Night's Dream

(dir. Ashley Rose Trevino)

The play was performed in April for Fiesta in San Antonio with Day of the Dead themes and music in Spanish.

Photography by: JPL Productions / Julián P. Ledezma
Courtesy of: Ashley Rose Trevino & Dave Cortez

2019 Something from Abroad Theatre Company

New York, NY

Sueño de Una Noche de Verano

(dir. Lorena Marín)

This Spanish-language production was part of the FRIGID NY festival that included six different versions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, including burlesque, improvisational, queer, and other adaptations of the play. Sueño de Una Noche de Verano was set in the 1950s in a Pueblo Mágico and performed in Spanish by eleven Latinx actors.

Photography by: Mateo Salcedo Cancino
Courtesy of: Something from Abroad Theatre
latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, shakespearean productions and adaptations, latinx Shakespeares, productions and adaptations of Shakespeare's,

2022 NYU Libraries

virtual

Midsummer Sueño
Arranged by: Emily Stone

(dir. Antonio Disla)

Emily Stone integrated different Spanishes for different characters into this bilingual play.

Image courtesy of: Emily Stone

2023 Sociedad Actoral (SAH) Acting School / Theatre & Film Co.

Doral, FL

Solsticio
by Ernesto García, adapted by Miguel Sahid

(dir. Miguel Sahid)

This reimagining was written and performed entirely in Spanish and included Cuban music.

Shakespeare in Spanish

Much Ado About Nothing

1987 The Acting Company

Washington, DC

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. Gerald Gutierrez)

The action was set in 1930s Cuba. The production was successful and toured across the country in 1987-88.

1998 Illinois Shakespeare Festival

Bloomington, IL

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Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. Robert E. Leonard)

The action is set in Messina, New Mexico, in 1917, with Don John, Benedick, and the men as U.S. Army troops returning from their pursuit of Pancho Villa.

borderlands Shakespeare
mariachi Shakespeare

1999 East LA Classic Theatre Company

Los Angeles, CA

Much Ado About Nothing: Mariachi Style
by: Tony Plana and Bert Rosario

(dir. Tony Plana)

One of the four Latinx Shakespeares from Tony Plana's East LA Classic Theater Company. Read the article and interview.

2002 University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. Gavin Mundy)

The setting was the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917) in South Texas. Elena Araoz, then an MFA student, played Hero.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, mexican shakespeare, chicano shakespeare, bilingual theatre
Program courtesy of the Department of Theatre and Dance
at The University of Texas at Austin
latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, california shakespeare, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares

2006 Brown University

Providence, RI

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. John Emigh)

The production was set in Yerba Buena, CA, in 1846.

2009 Folger Theatre

Washington, DC

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. Timothy Douglas)

The setting was the annual H Street Caribbean Carnival in Washington, DC, with Don John, Benedick, and the men as friendly police officers. An onstage DJ played music from the balcony and functioned as the multiple messengers in Shakespeare’s play.

Craig Wallace (Brother), Roxi Victorian (Hero), and Doug Brown (Leonato) in Much Ado About Nothing at Folger Theatre
Craig Wallace (Brother), Roxi Victorian (Hero), and Doug Brown (Leonato)
Photo by: James Kegley
Courtesy of: Folger Shakespeare Library
Latino Much Ado About Nothing

2011 Shakespeare Theatre Company

Washington, DC

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. Ethan McSweeny)

This production set in 1930s Cuba raised controversy and ultimately became a turning point for the STC and for Latinx theatre.

Photography by Scott Suchman
Ephemera courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company

2012 University of North Florida

Atlantic Beach, FL

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. Pam Monteleone)

The production was set on a hacienda in the 1800s in Messina, "a town near the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia" near today's Oceanside, California. Spanish was intermixed and audiences could sing along to music ranging fro "Cielito Lindo" to "Sigh No More." 

Latinx Much Ado About Nothing
Courtesy of University of New Florida
Dept. of English, Theater/Drama Program 

2017 Aux Dog Theatre

Albuquerque, NM

Much Ado About Nothing

(dir. VJ Liberatori)

Director VJ Liberatori adapted and directed this production set in contemporary Placitas, New Mexico, for Aux Dog's first show in their "Shakespeare 505" series (505 is the area code for Albuquerque). Dogberry and the constables were played as Latinx by Latinx actors, and some Spanish was intermixed. 

Photography by: Russell Maynor
Courtesy of: Aux Dog Theatre

2018 Shakespeare in Detroit

Detroit, MI

Much Ado Para Nada
by Bernardo Mazón

(dir. Jennifer Tuttle)

Mazón integrated references to the local area of Detroit and translated about 20% of the script into Spanish.

latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, bilingual classical theatre, Latinx adaptation, Latinx classics

2019 Symmetry Theatre Company

Berkeley, CA and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Mucho Ruido y Pocas Nuecas
by Chloe Bronzan

(dir. Chloe Bronzan)

This production was part of Symmetry's Bridge Across the Wall Bilingual Theatre Festival, which included performances of the one-man show of Richard III by Erando Gonzales and readings of plays by Karen Zacarías, Mary Ann Rodgers, and Robert Parsons. The cast included both American and Mexican actors, and the show was performed in both locations. See Latinx Shakespeares (p.133-134).

Mucho Ruido y Pocas Nuecas by Chloe Bronzan
Graphic Design by: Daniela Elena Franco
Courtesy of: Symmetry Theatre
Photography by and Courtesy of: Marta V. Martínez

2019 Trinity Rep with Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA)

Providence, RI

Tanta Bulla… ¿Y Pá Qué?

(dir. Tatyana-Marie Carlo)

Translated and adapted by Kufa Castro, this production included more Spanish and more music than previous Trinity Rep /RILA productions, and it involved an entirely Latinx cast. It opened with a musical performance by Lydia Perez and Yoruba 2. It was performed in Providence, Newport, and Woonsocket.

It was reconstructed for A Guthrie Experience in Minneapolis in 2023 (dir. Maija García).

Photographs courtesy of Maija García

2021 Off Square Theatre Company

Jackson Hole, WY

Much Ado About Nothing

(dirs. Edgar Landa & Kate Gleason)

The setting was an upper-class society of the late 1800s Southwest, as Wyoming was part of Alta California. Co-director Edgar Landa played Benedick and integrated some Spanish into the show. Kate Gleason played Doña John (Shakespeare's Don John).

latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, shakespearean productions and adaptations, latinx Shakespeares, productions and adaptations of Shakespeare's,

The Taming of the Shrew

Jimmy Smits The Taming of the Shrew

1981 Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

The Taming of the Shrew

(dir. Stephen Cole)

The production was set circa 1910 in revolutionary Mexico. It starred Jimmy Smits as Petruquio, as he was a student in the MFA program. He received rave reviews for his performance.

Image and program courtesy of:
Cornell University Department of Performing & Media Arts

1993 Will & Co.

Los Angeles, CA

The Taming of la Shrew
Translated and adapted by Edgar Landa

(dir. Colin Cox)

This is the first Latinx Shakespearean production I have tracked that had the same cast perform the show in English, and in Spanish, on alternating nights.

All images courtesy of Colin Cox
latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, shakespearean productions and adaptations, latinx Shakespeares, productions and adaptations of Shakespeare's,

2003 Yale Repertory Theatre

New Haven, CT

The Taming of the Shrew

(dir. Mark Lamos)

Mark Lamos staged an all-male Latinx version of the play with Spanish ad-libbed and some Spanish-language music included.

2013 Lean & Hungry Theater

Washington, DC

La Fierecilla Domada

(dir. Javier Rivera)

This one-hour audio show was recorded live in performance. It is mostly in Shakespeare's English with some Spanish, with both bilingual and semi-bilingual characters. See p.108-109 of Latinx Shakespeares for more.

Latinx The Taming of the Shrew

2015 The Vortex Theatre

Albuquerque, NM

The Taming of the Shrew

(dir. Leslee Richards & Karhleen Welker)
New Mexico Shakespeare

One of Vortex's Latinx Shakespeares, this production was set in nineteenth-century New Mexico.

2017 Seattle Shakespeare Company

Seattle, WA

The Taming of the Shrew

(dir. Erin Murray)

This bilingual production mixed together Spanish and English.

Ephemera courtesy of Seattle Shakespeare Company

2019 Teatro Audaz

San Antonio, TX

The Taming of the Shrew

(dir. Laura T. Garza)

Director Laura T. Garza set the action in a contemporary Texas border town.

All images courtesy of Teatro Audaz
Ephemera courtesy of Teatro Audaz
Images courtesy of Miami New Drama

2022 Miami New Drama

Miami, FL

The Cuban Vote
by Carmen Peláez

(dir. Loretta Greco)

Carmen Peláez plays a Latina who is running for mayor of Miami-Dade County, and Andhy Mendez is the political consultant from Washington, DC who is hired to help with her campaign. The play is of the Miami of today, mostly in English with some Spanish. The run was extended several times due to its success. The play then had a reading at the Folger Shakespeare Library Reading Room Festival in 2024.

Twelfth Night

1998 East LA Classic Theatre Company

Los Angeles, CA

Twelfth Night

(dir. Tony Plana)

One of the four Latinx Shakespeares from Tony Plana's East LA Classic Theater Company. Read the article and interview.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, california shakespeare, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares
Latinx Twelfth Night

2004 East LA Rep

East Los Angeles, CA

Twelfth Night or, What You Will

(dir. Jesus A. Reyes)

Reyes integrated Latinx comedy with Shakespeare's comedy and Cantinflas with Feste.

Artwork by Antonio Arias Bernal (1943)
Courtesy of: Jesus A. Reyes

2008 Sacramento Shakespeare

Sacramento, CA

Twelfth Night

(dir. Christine Nicholson)

Nicholson set the play in 1950s Cuba with interspersed Spanish phrases.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, cuban shakespeare, Cuban theatre, bilingual theatre
All ephemera courtesy of The Old Globe

2010 The Old Globe

San Diego, CA

Twelfth Night

(dir. Gina Rattan)

After staging a trilingual Romeo and Juliet in 2008, a bilingual Pericles in 2009, The Old Globe staged Twelfth Night and As You Like It for their 2010 Summer Shakespeare intensive. Translator Raul Moncada had passed away, so the 2010 shows contained less Spanish, and the bilingual summer student program ended after this season.

2011 A Noise Within

Pasadena, CA

Twelfth Night

(dir. Julia Rodriguez-Elliot)

Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliot, who also played Malvolio, set the action in 1950s pre-Castro Cuba without modifications to Shakespeare's script; the concept setting figured largely as the premise for the dance sequences.

Cuban Shakespeares

2012 University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC

Twelfth Night (O Lo Que Queremos) (Or What We Want)
by Mary Tilden

(dir. Mary Tilden)

Tilden created a semi-bilingual production that was set during Day of the Dead festivities.

All ephemera courtesy of Mary Tilden

2014 Washington University St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Twelfth Night, of What You Will

(dir. Henry Schvey)

The action was set in 1950s Cuba.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, cuban shakespeare, Cuban theatre, bilingual theatre
latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, new york shakespeare, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares

2014 E3Outlaws

New York, NY

Reyes y Reyes: El Musical
by Enmanuel García Villavicencio

(dir. Enmanuel García Villavicencio)

E2 Outlaws had produced Macbeth in 2009 and Los Amantes del Alto Manhattan (Romeo and Juliet) in 2010, and they continued Spanish-language Shakespeares with Reyes y Reyes (Twelfth Night) in 2014. They have also produced a range of more contemporary plays, such as Lorca’s Bodas de Sangre and new work in Spanish.

2015 Cottage Theatre

Cottage Grove, OR

Twelfth Night

(dir. Tony Rust)

Director Tony Rust set the action in pre-Castro 1950s Cuba and added some Spanish into the play.

All ephemera courtesy of Cottage Theatre
All ephemera courtesy of David Jenkins

2015 Jobsite Theater

Tampa, FL

Twelfth Night

(dir. David M. Jenkins)

Jenkins set the action in Ybor City during Prohibition, with Cuban-born Viola and Sebastian arriving in Florida after the hurricane that rocked Florida in September 1926. For the soundscape, Jenkins infused some of the Works Progress Administration's sound recordings of 1930s Ybor. The theater also had an installation of Burgert Brothers' photographs from historic Tampa.

2016 Coeurage Theater Company

Los Angeles, CA

Twelfth Night

(dir. Kate Jopson)

Kate Jopson set the action in contemporary Los Angeles, and moved the action (and audience) outdoors twice during the production. Viola and Sebastian were Filipinx, and I argue in Latinx Shakespeares that the production is in fact part of Latinx Shakespeares. See p. 84-87.

All ephemera courtesy of Coeurage Theatre Company
The Public Theater Mobile Unit

2017 The Public Theater Mobile Unit

New York, NY

Twelfth Night

(dir. Saheem Ali)

Here Viola and Sebastian are Cuban refugees that arrive in Florida, with some Spanish integrated into the play.

2017 The Old Globe

San Diego, CA

Twelfth NIght

(dir. Jerry Ruiz)

Part of the Globe for All series, this touring production had Viola and Sebastian as Mexican, newly-arrived in contemporary southern California.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, borderlands theatre, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares
Latinx Twelfth Night directed by Karin Magaldi

2018 Portland State

Portland, OR

Twelfth Night

(dir. Karin Magaldi)

Magaldi set the action in 1920s Cuba, and during intermission, students performed songs from the era.  Additional original music was composed by David Spear.

Courtesy of School of Music & Theater,
Portland State University 

2019 Pierce College

Woodland Hills, CA

Twelfth Night

(dir. Esdras Toussaint)

This production was set in 1940s-50s Cuba and included music and some dance.

latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, cuban shakespeare, Cuban theatre, bilingual theatre
latinx theatrical adaptation, latinx plays, shakespearealatinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, borderlands theatre, bilingual theatre, bilingual shakespeares

2022 Delaware Shakespeare

Wilmington, DE

Twelfth Night, A New Musical
by Liz Filios and Tanaquil Márquez

(dir. Tanaquil Márquez)

Originally scheduled for 2020, this bilingual musical adaptation included Latinx characters Viola and Sebastian. DelShakes had previously explored immigration through Shakespeare in 2016 with their workshop, "Nuestro América, Nuestro Shakespeare" in advance of their production of The Comedy of Errors.

2023 Shakespeare St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Twelfth Night

(dir. Lisa Portes)

Shakespeare St. Louis set this production of Twelfth Night in contemporary Miami, with Viola and Sebastian as Cuban refugees. Sound design and original music were by David R. Molina, scenic design by Regina García, and costume design by Danielle Nieves.

Shakespeare St. Louis Twelfth Night

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

1989 Shakespeare Festival Dallas

Dallas, TX

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

(dir. Dale AJ Rose)
latinx theatre, latinx plays, latinx Shakespeares, cuban shakespeare, Cuban theatre, bilingual theatre

The production began in Verona, Texas, in the 1950s and moves to Havana (before the Cuban Revolution). Willie Welsh and Johnny Reno composed the music and lyrics.

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