Theater Up Close La Gringa

No late seating after 20 minutes of the beginning of the performance.

La Gringa
By Carmen Rivera

A Miami premiere!

Carmen Rivera's La Gringa is a poignant comedy about a young woman’s search for identity. Maria Elena Garcia visits her family in Puerto Rico during the Christmas holidays and plans to connect with her homeland. Although this is her first trip to Puerto Rico, she has an intense love for the island. She even majored in Puerto Rican studies in college. Once Maria is in Puerto Rico, she realizes that Puerto Rico does not welcome her with open arms. The majority of Puerto Ricans on the island consider her an American — a gringa — and Maria considers this a betrayal. If she’s a Puerto Rican in the United States and an American in Puerto Rico, Maria concludes that she is nobody everywhere. Her uncle, Manolo, teaches her that identity isn’t based on superficial and external definitions, but is an essence she has had all along in her heart.

La Gringa is an immersive bilingual experience, featuring dialogue and captioning in English and Spanish.

The play is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French Inc.

La Gringa es la búsqueda de identidad de una joven de origen puertorriqueña nacida en los Estados Unidos. María Elena decide visitar a su familia borinqueña durante las navidades y llega a Puerto Rico con gran ilusión de conectarse con ellos y con la madre patria. Aunque es su primer viaje a Puerto Rico, ella siempre ha tenido un gran amor por la isla y hasta ha estudiado la historia del país en la Universidad. Sin embargo, a su llegada se da cuenta de que la isla no le da la bienvenida. La mayoría de los puertorriqueños la consideran americana – una gringa – y María Elena se siente traicionada por los suyos. María Elena llega a la conclusión de que si es puertorriqueña en los Estados Unidos y americana en Puerto Rico, en realidad no es nadie a donde quiera que vaya. Su tío Manolo le enseña que la identidad no está basada en lo superficial o lo externo sino que es una esencia que ella ha llevado en su corazón toda su vida.

La Gringa es una experiencia immersiva y bilingua con diálogo y subtítulos en ingles y español.

La obra es presentada en acuerdo con Concord Theatricals a nombre de Samuel French Inc.

Join us for post-show discussions with Karina Batchelor following Friday night performances.

After each Friday night performance of La Gringa, audiences are invited to join post-show discussions hosted by dramaturg Karina Batchelor. Featured guests, including artists from the production, delve into topics stemming from the play, such as the art and culture of Puerto Rico, issues of identity and intersectionality and the creative process behind bringing this story to life. These discussions offer audiences a deeper understanding of the play's themes and provide an engaging platform for meaningful conversations.

Tickets for students and teachers are available for $15. Use promo code EDU15 at checkout. Tickets will be available for pick-up at the box office.