←Recommendations of Ghosts of Bogotá

Simultaneously heartbreaking and gleeful, Ghosts of Bogotá is the play I wish I could’ve been able to read when I was younger. There is so much thematic material packed into this piece, and it never skips a step in telling a complex story about healing. I can’t wait for the day I get to watch this on a stage.

A challenging, thought-provoking piece that deals not only with the repercussions of abuse, but with the question of what we inherit from those who came before. Surprisingly funny, but also tender, lyrical and moving.

This play was an adventure. A world within worlds. The characters felt close to home - the sisters' banter was especially relatable. Their story took me someplace new, with a language and culture I got to observe and absorb. It dealt with such serious, painful topics with straight truth, honest anger, and a surreal alternate reality that felt like the world that trauma creates around you. (In a funny moment, one line made me feel an inside joke with myself as a reader: “I don’t think there has ever been a truly hot priest.“ Must've been written pre-Fleabag ;)

What a spectacular piece that navigates a tightrope walk between comedy, drama, and fantasy in a deft way that feels complex, eclectic and yet cohesive and aesthetically unified. The larger narrative of family trauma, abuse, healing, patriarchal structures, and toxic masculinity definitely feels universal and troublingly relevant. At the same time, the characters' social, political, and cultural context is so specific it adds numerous nuances and complexities to the larger themes addressed. It feels brilliantly theatrical and like the kind of play a production team couldn't wait to dive into. Hope to see it live!

On top of the obvious craft of the playwright, this Four Walls production featured terrific performances up and down the line, particularly Tiffany McCue and Susanne Pinedo. It was a resourceful production of a naturally harrowing story filled with great wit and humanity.

I had the pleasure of seeing this play presented as a virtual reading with Four Walls Theater. Burbano has crafted a powerful, unique, darkly humorous exploration of the lasting impact of trauma on both individuals and families. And who doesn't love a good ghost story?

What a beautiful and surreal piece! Burbano deals wonderfully with abuse, family secrets and difficult relationships. Her use of mixed English and Spanish adds dimensions to her very well-drawn characters.

I saw this at AlterTheater. It's a wild, messy, wonderful play about family, abuse, death, culture, religion and how you find your place in this world as an adult when your childhood was so out of control. Funny and sad, this transported me to another place. See it!

Diana Burbano's "Ghosts of Bogota" is a powerful play! It's a showcase for Burbano's amazing writing: replete with her signature theatrical symbolism; authentic characters; moving, important themes; and beautiful dialogue. The family dynamics are so real, and what great points she makes about the legacies of family secrets over generations. I cannot wait to see this excellent play onstage. I always love seeing shows that have things in them I've never seen onstage before. "Ghosts of Bogota" definitely has that (Hello, talking Jesus head in a jar) and more! I admire this show so much.

Diana Burbano has created a play that is equally heartbreaking and hilarious. Ghosts of Bogota is a rare treasure that re-creatively tells a standard funeral family drama. The dialogue and characters are unforgettable and sharply created. This work holds fantastic roles for bilingual Latinx/o/a actors.