Brava Studio Sessions presents a staged reading of Piernas by Cristal Gonzalez
Tuesday March 15, 7pm
Readings are FREE and open to the public but donations are greatly appreciated!
Piernas is the heartfelt story of Cecilia, a Chicana journalist on a trek back home to confront a family secret from the past. Challenges unfold as Mama's illness takes hold on her journey to expose the truth.
About the playwright:
Cristal Gonzalez is a first generation Chicana actress, director, facilitator, and playwright born to campesino (farmworker) parents in the small farming town of Watsonville, California. She grew up amongst blooming apple orchards, caressed by the blistering heat and nurtured by the stories and songs of fellow campesinos, living life one harvest at a time. She obtained a B.A in Theatre Arts from San Jose University in 2010 and in the same year was the 1st place Reed Award recipient for Excellence in Acting and Oral Interpretation. After graduating she continued to develop her skills as a performer with El Teatro Campesino (ETC). Soon thereafter, the writer within her was born. In 2012 Cristal completed her first play "La Sombra" (The Shadow), a solo performance that deals with immigration, trauma, loss of innocence, and the cycle of domestic violence. After a self-produced run at Casa 0101 Theater in Los Angeles, Cristal was invited to participate in the renowned Los Angeles Women’s Theater Festival in March of 2013, as well as the 3rd International Latino Theater Festival in San Diego, CA.
Cristal has since toured with the Los Angeles-based independent theatre collective MoonAguas performing original street-theater pieces on migration in the Los Angeles area as well as Mexico City and surrounding areas including La Universidad Internacional de Antropologia e Historia (National University of History and Anthropology), La Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Amnesty International Mexico, and also performing for groups of migrants along the railroad tracks that head north to the U.S. and had the opportunity co-create theater with women in Tlaxcala using Theatre of the Oppressed methods as a form of community healing and cultural therapy. More recently, Cristal has created and lead groups through a 12-week women’s writing circle in the Boyle Heights, using storytelling as a form of healing for individuals and communities. Piernas: the story between our legs, is her most recent work.