"Mojada" Playwright and Director Interview
The title of the play is based on the Spanish word mojado/a, which translates literally as “wet” and is also a slur akin to “wetback” for Mexican immigrants. In using the word for the title of his play, Luis Alfaro said, “It’s a word that has existed in my vernacular since I was little, so it’s a word that for me, has a lot of resonance and a lot of power ... I wanted to disarm that word, I wanted the word to re-appropriate itself, I wanted for us to own the word, and see how ugly that word is, and also give it new meaning.”
“The reason I adapt the Greeks is to re-interpret them to say something important about the time we’re in right now,” said Luis Alfaro. “In this case, it’s the ongoing immigration debate in this country. Medea embodies the immigrant experience. What is the price we pay when we come to a new country?” he continued. “[Medea] is a whole class of people — extraordinary people who work very, very hard to hold on to who they are as they navigate the waters of immigrating to America. The experience of trying to make it, to fit in, is a universally American experience.”
Want to dive deeper?
More about Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles:
"Mojada" Special Cocktails
Bar Supervisor (and resident mixologist) Melissa Larrabee introduces the specialty cocktails inspired by Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles.
Ni de aqui, ne de alla (Not from here, not from there) Gallery
Through November, The Armory hosts a collaborative art project in support of the Center for Immigration Defense.
Immigration Resources for "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
If you or someone you know is in need of low cost immigration legal services, help is available.
"Mojada" Cast and Creative Team
The cast from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival production comes to Portland!
Additional Resources: "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
Reading lists and research materials for Mojada.
Reviews of "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
"What the American theater should be." - The Daily Tidings
Photos: "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
See photos from Oregon Shakespeare Festival's production of Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles coming to The Armory Nov. 4 - 26, 2017.
Current & Upcoming
Art Exhibit: ¡Soy Yo! by Mika Martinez
¡Soy Yo!, is a multi-media project, created by Mika Martinez, that examines and celebrates Latinx identity featuring more than 50 portraits of the Hispanic/Latino community in Portland.
Piano Bar with Courtney Freed and David Saffert
Join us for this monthly event with local songstress Courtney Freed and Portland-based pianist David Saffert as they host a good old-fashioned PIANO BAR.
NASSIM
From Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (creator of the Off-Broadway smash hit White Rabbit, Red Rabbit) comes an audacious new theatrical experiment, presented in collaboration with Boom Arts. Each night, a new, unrehearsed local performer joins the playwright on stage, while the script waits, unseen, in a sealed box... Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, NASSIM is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.
Art Exhibit: Garam Garam Chai by Yusra Siddiqui
Portland Center Stage will host Garam Garam Chai, an art exhibit by Portland-based multidisciplinary artist Yusra Siddiqui, featuring a series of hand-sewn teabag printmaking pieces that serve as a contemplation of the communal tea times shared between Desi and British culture.
Coriolanus
Shakespeare’s tragedy about the war hero Coriolanus and the fight between the elite and the deprived masses will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble with a muscular, movement-focused staging.
May First Thursday with Adriana Wagner Quartet
May First Thursday will feature live music by the Adriana Wagner Quartet in the Main Lobby, joined by Garrett Baxter on bass, Matthew Sazima on piano and Ken Mastrogiovanni on drums.
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
Season Superstars
Season Supporting Sponsors
Season Producing Sponsors
Guardians of the Arts
