Jonathan Ceniceroz

The Cruise is a father/son comic drama set aboard a boutique luxury cruise ship in the Caribbean Sea.

The father, charismatic and street-smart Ramon, (performed in the World Premiere by Culture Clash's Ric Salinas) has maneuvered his way on board as the ship’s “enrichment lecturer,” a privileged position among the staff despite his spotty credentials and work history.

Ramon takes the high end gig to reconcile with his estranged son, the more polished and erudite James (played in the World Premiere by rising talent Kenneth Lopez), recently graduated from NYU and pursuing a career in writing.

However, when Ramon’s professional credentials and past antics as a closeted gay man are revealed to his son and the ever present Cruise Director, father and son must confront deeper issues of identity and social value, especially after the son is befriended by a wealthy couple from Arizona who sees the young man’s potential to work on their conservative political campaign.

The play is unique in part for its portrayal of contemporary middle-class Latinos and the exploration of displacement among the dominant Anglo culture, presented against the background of Columbus’ presence in the Americas and the decimation of the Arawaks in particular, the ironic focus on Ramon’s lecture.

Moreover, the play deals with matters of sexuality, specifically gay male identity and the sometimes ambiguous spectrum it entails in Latin culture, with matter of fact, normative aplomb.

At the heart of it, the play is a touching piece about a father and son, gifted misfits trying to find their place in the world, despite a history of colonial and social oppression. Since their tale is told with equals parts humor and quick-paced action, the character driven story is made universal for anyone who has ever felt marginalized and questioned their place in the world.

A cold November night in 1981 on a pleasure craft off the coast of Catalina Island, near L.A. Three high profile actors behaving badly. A simmering feud causes the drowning death of Natalie Wood, one of the stars on board. My play uses published accounts and re-imagined scenarios to provide a triptych, purposefully theatrical account to this enduring American mystery. The play does not seek to implicate any one individual rather to artfully render each witness partially culpable in the shared illusion of what it means to live continuously in a heightened, performative manner-- against the contradictory nature of the human heart.

Pre-Columbian Mexico: A ten minute play that tells the story of two young men who have spent the last year impersonating Aztecan gods, as per tradition, and now must face their imminent sacrifice once the sun rises.

Unrest is brewing in 1980s Yugoslavia when an eccentric, vivacious traveler is stranded in a remote Montenegrin village. He is way off his course, and the help he seeks--and that which he offers--exposes the risks and rewards of striving for something better in a fracturing country.

Los Angeles, SFV: Struggling actor Carlos leaves his elderly companion Gil for the excitement and inspiration of the younger bad boy Jeremy. However, when the new relationship falters over money troubles and role play, “Big Bro” Carlos is lured by "Lil Bro" Jeremy toward staking a claim on Carlos' gay inheritance, toward lethal and heart-breaking returns.