Carmen Rivera

Rivera's plays have opened and seen success off-broadway. Her work has appeared at INTAR, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (E.T.C.), the Theater for the New City, and other domestic theaters in cities across the United States. Her plays have also been produced internationally at theatre festivals in Moscow, Chile, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Bolivia. She is a founding member and co-executive director of Educational Play Productions (E.P.P.).

Biography

Early life and education Rivera's parents were both born in Puerto Rico and came to the United States when they were about 8 years old. This led her to return to New York University to pursue her MA. She created her own course of study consisting of playwrighting, Latin American theatre, and educational theatre.

Professional career Rivera has enjoyed both domestic and international success for many of her pieces. One of her first and most successful plays, La Gringa which has run Off Broadway for 28 consecutive years, explores the Rivera's own feelings regarding the Puerto Rican diaspora and her own feelings of duality as a New York-born Puerto Rican. Many of her other pieces reflect the Puerto Rican diaspora, a narrative she is personally interested in exploring. Outside of her continued work as a playwright, Rivera is a Teacher Artist with the Manhattan Theatre Club, Arts Connections and Teachers and writers.

Plays

Off-broadway La Gringa (1996): A play following a young woman in search of her identity. María Elena Garcia visits Puerto Rico in the hopes of reconnecting with her extended family and her homeland. Feeling like an American in Puerto Rico and like a Puerto Rican in America, Maria feels like she doesn't belong anywhere. The play is the longest running, off-broadway, Spanish-language play; it celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016 and continues to be in repertory at Repertorio Español. La Gringa was awarded the OBIE Award (Off-Broadway Theater Award) in 1996.

La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny (2001): A musical that explores the life and stardom of Cuban-born singer Guadalupe Victoria Yoli – La Lupe. The musical featured performances in both English and Spanish and was awarded the ACE Award from the Association of Journalists and writers for Best Production in 2001.

Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz (2007): Co-written by Rivera and her husband, Cándido Tirado. the musical is told through the voice of Celia Cruz's husband Pedro Knight. Celia takes the audience through the life and early beginnings of Celia Cruz through her music and has seen both off-Broadway national and international success in New York, Chicago, Miami, Tenerife and Puerto Rico. Celia received the HOLA Award in 2008. Other works Rivera has written several plays that have received recognition:

In addition, she has authored or co-authored numerous works for her Educational Play Productions: The Next Stop (INTAR / Repertorio Español) Under The Mango Tree (INTAR) Ghosts in Brooklyn The Loves of our Lives The Next Cycle Betty’s Garage Delia’s Race Plastic Flowers The Power of Words

Filmography The screen adaptation of La Gringa was a finalist in the International Latino Film Festival/MTV Screenplay Competition in 2001.

Honors and awards 1995 – 1996: Writing Fellowship New York Theatre Workshop 1995 – 1997: Van Lier Fellowship for New Dramatists 1997: Legacy Award for the Achievement in Playwriting from the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre 1999: Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad (The Best of Our Community) from Puerto Rican Cultural Organization, recognizing individuals who practice their craft in their community