C   H   E   R   R   I   E       M   O   R   A   G   A


     

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Mailing address: Drama Dept., Stanford, CA 94305-5010

Cherríe Moraga is a playwright, poet and essayist whose plays and publications have received national recognition, including a Theatre Communications Group Theatre Artist Residency Grant in 1996, the NEA's Theatre Playwrights' Fellowship in 1993, and two Fund for New American Plays Awards (for "Shadow of a Man" in 1990 and "Watsonville: Some Place Not Here" in 1995).  A San Francisco Bay Area writer, Moraga has premiered her work at Theatre Artaud, Theatre Rhinoceros, the Eureka Theatre, and Brava Theater Center.  Brava's  production of "Heroes and Saints" in 1992 received numerous awards for best original script, including the Will Glickman Prize, the Drama-logue and Critic Circles Awards and the Pen West Award. Her plays have been presented throughout the Southwest, as well as in Chicago, Seattle and New York.  In 1995, "Heart of the Earth," Moraga's adaptation of the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation myth, opened at the Public Theatre and INTAR Theatre in New York City.  Both "Shadow of a Man" and "Heroes and Saints" were collected, along with Moraga's first play, "Giving Up the Ghost," in a volume entitled Heroes and Saints and Other Plays, published by West End Press in 1994.

Cherríe Moraga has also published extensively as an essayist and poet.  She is the co-editor of This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, which won the Before Columbus American Book Award in 1986.   She is the author of Loving in the War Years: Lo Que Nunca Pasó Por Sus Labios (1983) and The Last Generation (1993), published by South End Press in Boston.  She has edited numerous publications including Cuentos: Stories by Latinas and Third Woman: the Sexuality of Latinas. In 1997, she published a memoir on motherhood entitled Waiting in the Wings (Ithaca, New York: Firebrand Books). 

From 1991 to 1997, Moraga was the Playwright-in-Residence at Brava Theater Center of San Francisco during which time she developed numerous plays, including "Watsonville: Some Place Not Here" which premiered in 1996 and "The Hungry Woman:  A Mexican Medea," Moraga's most recent work.  "The Hungry Woman" was published this year by TCG Publications in a collection of Latino/a Theater entitled, Out of the Fringe.

Presently, Moraga serves in an on-going appointment as the Artist-in-Residence in the Department of Drama and the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at Stanford University.  In addition to working independently with student-playwrights at Stanford, Moraga teaches  Latino Theater and Literature, Intensive Playwriting and other Creative Writing courses, including poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.  Her most recent book is an expanded edition of Loving in the War Years, published nearly twenty years after the original, and includes essays and poetry written in the late 1990s.

 

 

 


 

R  E  S   U   M   E

 

PUBLICATIONS 

Books, Author

  • Loving in the War Years (Expanded Second Edition).  Cambridge, MA:  South End Press, 2000.
  • Waiting in the Wings:  Portrait of a Queer Motherhood.  (Non-fiction) Ithaca, NY:  Firebrand Press, 1997.
  • Heroes & Saints  and Other Plays.  Albuquerque, NM: West End Press, 1994.
  • The Last Generation (poetry, fiction and non-fiction).  Boston: South End Press, 1993.
  • Giving Up the Ghost (play).  Albuquerque, NM:  West End Press, 1986.
  • Loving in the War Years/Lo Que Nunca Pasó Por Sus Labios (poetry, fiction and non-fiction).  Boston: South End Press, 1983.

  • Books, Co-editor

    • The Bridge Called My Back:  Writings by Radical Women of Color  (poetry/non-fiction anthology).  New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 1981/3.
    • Cuentos: Stories by Latinas (fiction anthology).  New York: Kitchen Table, Women of Color Press, 1983.
    • Esta puente, mi espalda: Voces de mujeres tercermundistas en los Estados Unidos (Spanish adaptation of This Bridge Called My Back), co-editor.  San Francisco:  Ism Press, 1988.
    • Third Woman:  The Sexuality of Latinas (poetry and non-fiction anthology).  Berkeley:  Third Woman Press, 1989.


    Anthologized Writings, A Selected List

    • "Watsonville:  Some Place Not Here" in Latino Plays from South Coast Repertory Hispanic Playwrights Project Anthology.  Juliette Carrillo and José Cruz Gónzales, eds.  New York:  Broadway Play Publishing, Inc., 2000.
    • "Heart of the Earth:  A Popol Vuh Story" in Puro Teatro:  An Anthology of Latina Theater, Performance and Testimonios.  Alberto Sandoval and Nancy Saporta, eds.  University of Arizona Press, 2000.
    • "The Hungry Woman:  A Mexican Medea" in Out of the Fringe:  Latino/a Theater and Performance.  Caridad Svich, et al, eds.  New York:  Theater Communications Group, 2000.
    • "Waiting in the Wings" (an excerpt) in The Politics of Motherhood:  Activists' Voices from Left to Right.  Jetter, Orleck and Taylor, eds.  Hanover, NH and London:  University Press of New England, 1997.
    • "Giving Up the Ghost" in Literatura chicana 1965-1995.  Manuel de Jesús Hernández-Gutiérrez and David William Foster, eds.  New York:  Garland, 1997.
    • "El Mito Azteca" and "Our Lady of the Cannery Workers" in Goddess of the Americas:  Writings on the Virgin of Guadalupe.  Ana Castillo, ed.  New York:  Riverhead Books, 1996.
    • "Heroes and Saints" in Contemporary Plays by Women of Color:  An Anthology.  Kathy A. Perkins and Roberta Uno, eds.  New York:  Routledge, 1996.
    • "The Breakdown of the Bicultural Mind" in Names We Call Home:  Autobiogaphy on Racial Identity.  Becky Thompson and Sangeeta Tyagi, eds.  New York & London:  Routledge, 1996.
    • "Where Beauty Resides" in The Art of Love:  An Anthology of Lesbian Love Poems.   Clare Coss, ed.  New York:  Scribner, 1996.
    • "New Mexican Confession" in Daughters of the Fifth Sun:  A Collection of Latina Fiction and Poetry.  B. Milligan, M.G. Milligan, and A. de Hoyos, eds.  New York:  Riverhead Books, 1995.
    • "Giving Up the Ghost" in The Actor's Book of Gay and Lesbian Plays.  Eric Lane and Nina Shengold, eds.  New York:  Penguin Books, 1995.
    • "La Güera" in The Woman That I Am:  The Literature and Culture of Contemporary Women of Color.  D. Soyini Madison, ed.  New York:  St. Martin's Press, 1994.
    • "Art in América con Acento" in Negotiating Performances:  Gender, Sexuality and Theatricality in Latino/o America.  Diana Taylor and Juan Villegas, eds.  Durham, N.C. and London:  Duke University Press, 1994.
    • "Shadow of a Man" in Shattering the Myth:  Plays by Hispanic Women.  Linda Feyder, ed.  Houston:  Arte Público Press, 1992.
    • "Poema como Valentín" in An Ear to the Ground:  An Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry.  Athens:  University of Georgia Press, 1989.
    • "Feed the Mexican Back into Her:" and "For you, Mamá" in Gay and Lesbian Poetry in Our Time.  Carl Morse and Joan Larkin, eds.  New York:  St. Martin's Press, 1988.
    • "A Long Line of Vendidas" in Feminist Studies/Critical Studies.  Teresa de Lauretis, ed.  Bloomington:  University of Indiana Press, 1986.
    • "La Dulce Culpa"  (and other poems) in Pleasure and Danger:  Exploring Female Sexuality.  Carole S. Vance, ed.  Boston:  Routledge and Kegan Paul Press, 1984.
    • "What We're Rolling Around in Bed With"  (with Amber Hollibaugh) in Powers of Desire:  The Politics of Sexuality.  New York:  Monthly Review Press, 1983.


    THEATER  PRODUCTIONS/STAGED READINGS

    "Who Killed Yolanda Saldívar?" 
    Staged Reading.  "Lesbian Playwrights' Festival" at The Magic Theatre, San Francisco.  January 13 and 23, 2000.  Directed by Irma Mayorga.

    "The Hungry Woman:  A Mexican Medea," 
    Commissioned by Berkeley Repertory Theater.

    • Staged Reading.  A  Contemporary Theater, Seattle.  May 21, 1999.  Directed by Richard E.T. White.
    • Staged Reading.  Brava Theater Center in San Francisco.  June 10, 1997.  Directed by the author.
    • Staged Reading.  New Work Festival at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. December 3, 1995.  Directed by Lisa Wolpe.
    • Reading.  Berkeley Repertory Theater.  April 10, 1995.  Directed by Tony Kelly.
    Watsonville:  Some Place Not Here, Winner of the 1995 Fund for New American Plays Award. 
    Commissioned by Brava Theater Center, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation.
    • World premiere at Brava Theater Center of San Francisco.  May 25, 1996.  Directed by Amy Mueller.
    • Staged Reading at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  February 19, 1996.  Directed by Amy Mueller.
    • Staged Concert Readings at The Traveling Jewish Theater.  June 5-6, 1995.  Directed by Amy Mueller.
    • Staged Reading at South Coast Repertory Theater of Costa Mesa, CA.  August 6, 1995.  Directed by José Luis Valenzuela.
    • Opened at Frontera @ Hyde Park Theater of Austin, Texas.  June  18, 1998.  Directed by  Rodney Garza.


    A Circle in the Dirt
    Commissioned by The Committee for Black Performing Arts, Stanford University.
    World Premiere at Stanford University.  November 29 - December 3, 1995.  Directed by Roberto Gutiérrez Varea. 

    Heart of the Earth:  A Popol Vuh Story
    Commissioned by INTAR Theater, New York.

    • Premiered at the Public Theater in New York, September 14, 1994.  Directed by Ralph Lee.  A collaboration with composer, Glen Velez and visuals by Ralph Lee. 
    • Opened at INTAR Theater of New York, January  10, 1995.  Directed by Ralph Lee.
    • Opened at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in January 1997.  Directed by Ralph Lee.
    Heroes and Saints
    Commissioned by the Los Angeles Theater Center.  Winner of the Pen West Drama Award and the Will  Glickman Prize.
    • Premiered at The Mission Theater in San Francisco.  Produced by Brava Theater Center. April 4 - May 17, 1992.  Directed by Albert Takazauckas.
    • Opened at The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio, Texas.  October 23, 1992.  Directed by Susana Tubert.
    • Opened at Borderlands Theater in Tucson, Arizona.  August 18, 1993.  Directed by Diane Rodríguez.
    • Opened at The Latino Chicago Theater in May 1994.   Directed by Juan Ramírez. 
    • Opened at The Miracle Theater in Portland, Oregon.  October 21, 1994. 
    • Opened  at The Working Theater in New York City.  December 7, 1994.  Directed by Albert Takazauckas.

    Shadow of a Man
    Winner of the Fund for New American Plays Award.

    • Premiered at The Eureka Theater in San Francisco.  A co-production with Brava! For Women in the Arts.  November 10 - December 9, 1990.  Directed by María Irene Fornes.
    • Opened at The Latino Chicago Theater on May 17, 1992.  Directed by Carmen Aguilar.
    • Opened at The Miracle Theater in Portland, Oregon.  May 1992.
    • Opened at Su Teatro in Denver, Colorado.  January 1995.
    • Opened at The Cara Mía Theater in Dallas, Texas.  May 23, 1996.


    Coatlicue's Call/ El llamado de Coatlicue
    Premiered at Theater Artaud in San Francisco.  October 25, 1990.   Conceived and performed by Guadalupe García.  Directed by the author. 

    Giving Up the Ghost

    • Premiered at the Theater Rhinoceros in San Francisco.  February 10 - March 12, 1989.  Directed by Anita Mattos and José Guadalupe Saucedo.
    • An earlier version opened at The Front Room Theater in Seattle.  March 8, 1987.  Directed by Laura Esparza.
    • Opened at the Diversionary Theater of San Diego.  March 1998.

     

    PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

    • Artist-in-Residence: Instructor in Latino Theater, Playwriting, Creative Writing and U.S. Latino/a Literature.  Department of Drama and the Department of Spanish & Portuguese.  Stanford University.  1994 to the Present.
    • Visiting Professor:  Instructor in Creative Writing.  Chicano Studies Department.  University of California at Berkeley.  Fall 1999 and Fall 2000.
    • Guest Faculty: Instructor in Playwriting.  MFA program,  Creative Writing Department.  St. Mary's College, Moraga, California.  Fall 1997 & Fall 1999.
    • Playwright-in-Residence.  Theater Communications Group (TCG) National Theater Artist Residency Program.  Brava Theater Center in San Francisco.  1996-7.
    • Regents Professor, Instructor in Literature and Playwriting.  Department of English, The University of California at Los Angeles.  Winter 1996.
    • Playwright-in-Residence & Instructor in Latino Theater.  Committee for Black Performing Arts at Stanford University.  1994-1995.
    • Artist in Residence, Instructor in Creative Writing and Theater.  California Arts Council Residency Program. Brava Theater Center in San Francisco.  1991 to 1995.
    • Instructor in Writing and Theater.  Chicano Studies, The University of California at Berkeley. 1986 -1991.
    • Instructor in Literature.   California State University at Hayward (1987); Stanford University (1986); San Francisco State University (1980 & 1986).
    • Instructor in Women's Studies. San Francisco State University (1986) and University of Massachusetts (1981).
    • Playwright-in-Residence.  INTAR Latin American Theater, New York City.  1984-85. 

     

    AWARDS

    • David R. Kessler Award.  The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies, City University of New York.  (In honor of contributions to the field of Queer Studies), 2000.
    • The First Annual Cara Award. UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center/ Cesar Chavez Center for Interdisciplinary Instruction in Chicana/Chicano Studies, 1999.
    • Theater Communications Group National Theater Artist Residency Program, 1996.
    • The Fund for New American Plays Award, a project of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1995 and 1991.
    • Lifetime Achievement Award, Ellas in Acción, San Francisco, 1995.
    • Lesbian Rights Award, Southern California Women for Understanding ("for Outstanding Contributions in Lesbian Literature and for Service to the Lesbian Community"), 1991.
    • The National Endowment for the Arts Theater Playwrights' Fellowship, 1993.
    • The Pen West Literary Award for Drama, 1993.
    • The Critics' Circle Award for Best Original Script, 1992.
    • The Will Glickman Playwriting Award, 1992.
    • The Drama-logue Award for Playwriting, 1992.
    • The Outlook Foundation, Literary Award, 1991.
    • The California Arts Council Artists in Community Residency Award, 1991-2 & 1993-5.
    • The American Book Award, Before Columbus Foundation, 1986.
    • The Creative Arts Public Service  (CAPS) Grant for Poetry, New York State, 1983.
    • The Mac Dowell Colony Fellowship for Poetry, New Hampshire, 1982.


    EDUCATION

    • Master of Arts in Literature (Special Major:  Feminist Studies).  California State University, San Francisco, 1980.
    • Bachelor of Arts in English.  Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles, 1974.
    • Community College Teaching Credential in English and Ethnic Studies.
     

    LINKS:

    About Cherrie

    Voices from the Gaps biography of Cherrie

    Lesbian Feminists of Color (Ohio State)

     

    Artists & Cultural Workers

    Esther Hernandez, Chicana artist

    Juana Alicia's Taller de los Milagros, San Francisco

    Alma Lopez.net: Los Angeles visual and public artist

    Josefina Lopez, writer, playwright

    Ana Castillo, writer/scholar

    Brava! For Women in the Arts 

     

    Web zines

    Tongues magazine:  a coalitional webzine for queer women of color

    http://worsethanqueer.com - Mimi Nguyen's personal site

    Bianca Ortiz at http://messtiza.com  

     

    Other

    Student work on "La Guera

    NYU MedLit entry on Heroes & Saints

     

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