Curse of the Puerto Ricans by Rosa Fernandez

Julia Rodriguez has sacrificed everything for her family comprised of her alcoholic father, her miserable mother, her absentee older sister and her lively little sister. When "the one that got away" re-enters her life and asks her to run away with him to California, she begins to question if she's made a mistake. Dealing with themes of familial obligation and identity within the Hispanic...
Julia Rodriguez has sacrificed everything for her family comprised of her alcoholic father, her miserable mother, her absentee older sister and her lively little sister. When "the one that got away" re-enters her life and asks her to run away with him to California, she begins to question if she's made a mistake. Dealing with themes of familial obligation and identity within the Hispanic community, Curse of the Puerto Ricans follows one family's dysfunctional Christmas celebration.
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Curse of the Puerto Ricans

Recommended by

  • Doug DeVita:
    26 Mar. 2021
    “ Filled with lovably endearing, if fractiously irritating family members, this play is a wonderfully contemporary model of the “family drama” genre. Sharp, funny dialogue, stakes which keep rising, and those aforementioned family members all bumping off each other like balls in an out of control pinball machine, along with that beautifully quiet, perfectly pitched ending, make Fernandez’ script a winner. ”
  • Samantha Marchant:
    13 Apr. 2020
    “ The writing has such beautiful intimacy, that we really get to know and feel for the characters and this family. The script raises questions about family, responsibility and when is it time to go. The dialogue moves and takes you to a wonderful, wordless ending. A great read, I’d love to see it on stage! ”
  • Jon Elston:
    22 Apr. 2018
    “ READ THIS PLAY! While Rosa is consciously evoking familiar family melodramas of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, her characters occupy a distinct psychological landscape and bring their own unique, fractious dynamic to the dinner table. The dialogue absolutely crackles in performance. Julia and Baby transcend simple character descriptions, becoming individuals of human dimension and remaining vivid in my mind years after I first encountered them. Julia's relationship with Nene also explodes expectations and feels unlike any other stage romance I can recall. We'll all be talking about "Rosa Fernandez" ten years from now - why wait? ”

Character Information

  • Julia Rodriguez
    28,
    Nuyorican
    She is the glue that holds her fragile family together.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Millie Rodriguez
    30,
    Nuyorican
    The one who left. Her family resents her for leaving.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Elizabeth “Baby” Rodriguez
    17,
    Nuyorican
    A highly intelligent teen who says whatever is on her mind. Delicate in spite of her tough exterior.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Milagros Rodriguez
    47,
    Puerto Rican
    The matriarch of the family.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Nene
    29,
    Nuyorican
    Julia's first and only love.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Repertorio Español
    ,
    2017
  • Reading
    ,
    Road Less Traveled Productions
    ,
    2014

Production History

Awards

The List 2020
,
The Kilroys
,
2020
Runner Up
,
Metlife Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition
,
Repertorio Español
,
2016