hAVE TO BELIEVE WE ARE MAGIC
By Sara Guerrero
Performances
friday, JuNE 14 at 7pm–the medium
Sunday, JuNE 23 at 2pm–TheatreSquared
About the play
What is magic? Are we magic? And if so, how do we hold it? This part-biographical-part-magic love letter to a Pocha-Chicana-Latina coming-of-age time is filled with roller-skating, family, friendships, sex, love, abortion, and self-discovery. How does one keep and find their magic? All unfolds under the shadow of "The Magic Kingdom" (or “The Tragic Kingdom”) in central Orange County, California, in the summer of 1994.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Sara Guerrero (she/her) is a Southern California Chicana native of Mexican/ Mestizo ancestry. She is a versatile theater artist and educator whose mission is to model, share, and create theater-making opportunities for, with, and/or by her community.
As the founding artistic director of Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble (BOFLTE), the only Latina theater company in Orange County, she and the ensemble are artists-in-residence of California State University of Fullerton’s Grand Central Arts Center in downtown Santa Ana. She is also a faculty member of the university. Under Guerrero’s leadership, the organization, through its mission, serves as an incubator for voices that have been historically excluded in theater by providing free programming in the guidance in the art of storytelling. No one is ever turned away for lack of experience.
Guerrero recently directed the Los Angeles production of #1 New York Times Bestseller “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”, adapted for stage by Isaac Gomez and written by award winning author Erika L. Sánchez, as well as Benjamin Benne’s “ALMA” for the Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA.
Her awards and honors include: honorable mention at the 46th Annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival, semi-finalist for the Judith Royer Playwriting Excellence Award, recipient of the 2023-24 Individual Artists Established Fellowship (IAF) by the California Arts Council, Senate District 34 Woman of Distinction Senate (2021, 2020), 2020 Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence Honoree, Community Engagement COVID-19 Artist Grant Awardee, American Theatre Magazine’s People to Watch, and OC Weekly’s Best [Artistic] Director' and Person of Interest. She is a CalArts Alum.
ABOUT THE CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Fran De Leon (Director) makes her TheatreSquared debut. Her one person show, Faces of America, has been performed over 500 times across the country, including for the United Nations Association in both NY and LA. Recent directing credits: Everybody (5C Performing Arts); Sacrifice Zone: Los Angeles (Natural History Museum LA County); Holy Shiitake: A Wok Star is Born (Whitefire Theatre); and Into the Woods (Pasadena Playhouse). TV credits: The Brothers Sun, For All Mankind, Criminal Minds, For the People, General Hospital. Affiliations: Co-Artistic Director, Will & Company; Core Member, Critical Mass Performance Group; Adjunct Faculty, USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Harlie Gann-Egan (Stage Manager) returns to Theatre Squared after working on Fat Ham (ASM). Previous TheatreSquared ASM credits include Cambodian Rock Band, A Christmas Carol, The Band’s Visit, and Violet. Other credits include: crew on FLEX (TheatreSquared); SM for Arrivals & Salidas (LatinX Theatre Project); SM for The Rivals and Guilt/Less (Bridges/Larson Theatre). She received their B.A. in theatre at the University of Central Arkansas, where they stage managed, assistant stage managed, and acted in various productions.
Divinia Shorter (Dramaturg) returns to TheatreSquared. She is a queer, Black, Latina writer, dramaturg, and director freelancing in the DMV and beyond. She is a senior associate with LINK Strategic Partners and the co-founder of Greatest City Collective, a non-profit focused on uplifting artists and the social causes they care about. She is host to the Collective’s podcast Bus Ride Talks. A writer of many forms, her current focus is a YA novel and her full length play Queens. Her dramaturgical writing is available online. Regional credits include TheatreSquared, Nashville Repertory Theatre, and Bay Area Playwrights Festival. DC area credits include Round House Theatre, Studio Theatre, Rorschach Theatre Company, Imagination Stage, and Adventure Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include Roundabout Theatre Company. University credits include UC Santa Barbara and Towson University.
Josette Canilao (Mimi) makes her TheatreSquared debut. Her theatrical credits include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hero in Much Ado About Nothing (Thin Air Shakespeare); Adriana in The ABC’s (Hollywood Fringe Festival); and Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Classic Stage Company). Television credits include Dara Oum in The Cleaning Lady (Fox); Kelly Reyes in FBI’s Most Wanted (CBS); and Naomi in The Crossing (ABC). She holds an MFA in acting from Columbia University, NYC.
Crissy Guerrero (Carmen) makes her TheatreSquared debut. Most recent roles: Soyla Reina in American Mariachi (Latino Theater Company at LATC; also, South Coast Repertory, Old Globe Theatre & Denver Theater Center); Abuela Claudia in In the Heights (Marriott Theater); Melissa Frake in State Fair (The REV Theatre); Camila in In the Heights (La Mirada Theatre & Dallas Theater Center); Gloria Fajardo in On Your Feet (Moonlight Amphithetre); Helen in Fun Home (Theatreworks); Jasmine in Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl & Other Superheroes Like Me (Mark Taper Forum); La Posada Magica (South Coast Repertory); Wild in Wichita (LATC). Producer/Podcast Host: Studio C & C, Really?!. with Tom & Dave, and Home for Mom (EMMY Nomination). TV: Dave Foley's True Meaning of Christmas Specials (Gemini Award), Conan O’Brien, Ellen DeGeneres Show, George Lopez, and Mind of Mencia. VO: Big Mouth, Handy Manny, Parks and Recreation, & SpongeBob.
Ana Miramontes (Esther) returns to TheatreSquared, where she previously appeared as G in Sanctuary City, Lucha in American Mariachi, Eva in At the Wedding, and in Miss You Like Hell. Regional credits include Adele in Jane Eyre (Alley Theatre); Titus Andronicus (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Jaime in Slow Jam (The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Playwriting Program); Tortuga & the Hare, Mariposa/Butterfly, and more (Trike Theatre/Ovations+); Harriet in Symphonie Fantastique (UARK/The Arkansas Philharmonic); Your House Is On Fire (ArkansasStaged); and For Carmen in San Sebastian (The REV Theatre). She was the recipient of the 2018 KCACTF National Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress. She has participated in the New Play Lab at the William Inge Festival (39th and 40th), The Arkansas New Play Festival at TheatreSquared, and The Process Series at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ana holds a double BA in theatre performance and media advertising from The University of Texas at El Paso, and an MFA in acting from the University of Arkansas.
Addie Morales (Gloria) makes her TheatreSquared debut. She has recently appeared as Cosette in Les Misérables (Broadway National Tour). Her credits include Maria in West Side Story (Berkshire Theatre Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical—Barrington Stage); Shelby in Steel Magnolias (Casa Mañana); Nina in In the Heights (Marriott Theatre, Cleveland Play House); Eva Peron in Evita (Drury Lane); and Maria in The Sound of Music (Marriott Theatre). Television credit: Law & Order: SVU (NBC).
Ryan Nebreja (Kirk) makes his TheatreSquared debut. His credits include Tate Gyoji in SUMO (Ma-Yi/La Jolla Playhouse); Lance Graham in Mama Mama Can’t You See (Coin&Ghost); Larry Itliong in Sama Sama (East West Players); Roberto Zucco in Roberto Zucco (CalArts); Ensemble in Augustine Machine (Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique Paris/Center of New Performance); and Mortimer in The Fantasticks (Point Loma Playhouse). He holds an MFA in acting from California Institute of the Arts.
Audrey S. Romero (Gabby) returns to TheatreSquared. They have previously appeared as Jessica in Saturday Mourning Cartoons, Maricela in Ashes of a Great Fire, and G u/s in Sanctuary City. Credits include Renee in Hurricane Diane and Nicole in 21 North (The Theatre School at DePaul University); Hero in Much Ado About Nothing (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre); Madeinusa in This Bitch: Esta Sangre Quiero (University of Arkansas); Birdie in Birdie and the Beanstalk, Neighbor 2 in Mariposa/Butterfly, and various roles as former resident teaching artist and actor at Trike Theatre. They hold a BA in theatre performance and a BA in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of Arkansas. They are a current MFA acting candidate at The Theatre School at DePaul University.