Diane Rodriguez

CURRENT PROJECTS

2008-08-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

NEW WEBSITE AT www.diane-rodriguez.com CHECK IT OUT!

Directing and Writing 2011-2012

Diane's play Living Large in a Mini Kind of Way will be produced by Teatro Luna in Chicago in celebration of the company's 10th season. DR will also direct.

Barbie Live a musical that Diane was commissioned by Mattel Inc. Toy Company to write the book for starts a year long tour of Brazil in 2011. It premiers in Sao Paolo in June 2011.

Diane directed Cave Quest by Les Thomas at East West Players. It opened on February 17, 2010. Read LA Times review.

She also d irected Sick by Erik Patterson at Playwrights Arena in April, 2010. Read LA Times review. The production was named by the LA StageTimes as a 2010 Theatre Highlight.

-Diane donated her papers to UCLA Chicano Studies Library. Read about it in the UCLA Chicano Studies archives spring newsletter. When you get to the site, scroll down to New Collections in Process.
-Marked the celebration of Miracle Theater's 25 Anniversary. Read about it in Jessica Wallenfels blog.
-Adapted for the stage and directed, 8 Ways to Say I love My Life and Mean it. Read the review in the LA Times.

2008-05-21T07:58:00.001-07:00

PROJECTS 2008-2010

Book Writer and Supervising Director for Barbie Live: The Adventures of a Princess Produced by Mattel and Theme Star

Barbie Live was translated into Spanish and premiered in Buenos Aires in July of 2008. It toured Latin America under the title of
Barbie Live: Las Aventuras de una Princessa

Director of And Her Hair Went With Her by Zina Camblin

PICK : Pairing two versatile powerhouse actors -- veteran Broadway and TV star Tonya Pinkins and her younger, multicredited colleague Tracie Thoms -- elevates this enjoyable dramedy to a higher level, each scene more captivating than the preceding one. Even if some of the characters are stereotypes, Diane Rodriguez's snappily paced direction and the skills of Pinkins and Thoms make them fresh and fun. And Zina Camblin's script has a couple of unexpected moments that are endearing and memorable.
Backstage May 15-21, 2008

GO! And Her Hair Went With Her- "Energetic, skillful portrayals by these fine performers under Diane Rodriguez's astute direction." -LA Weekly

Director: Cave Quest by Les Thomas for East West Players with Kim Miyori and West Liang below.

Director Diane Rodriguez smartly tracks this burgeoing relationship, and throws in a surprise or two that keeps the audience guessing.-Los Angeles Times, February 20, 2010

Directed by Diane Rodriguez Cave Quest balances pure fanasy and distinct possibility..Rodriguez expertly handles material that requires severe pacing fluctuartions, from rapid fire action and dialogue to silent and still.-Los Angeles Downtown News, February 19, 2010

GO: Cave Quest Diane Rodriguez captures the tiny motions that show Padma's comfortin her harsh world-and Justin's ease in upending it. LA Weekly, March 6, 2010

CURRENT BIO 2009

2008-01-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

Diane is an Obie Award winning multi-disciplinary theatre artist. She is an accomplished actor, anthologized writer, regional theatre director and Associate Producer at Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles .

She began her career as an 18 year performing with the internationally renowned political theatre company, El Teatro Campesino and was one of the companies leading actors for eleven seasons. After moving to Los Angeles and tiring of playing stereotypical television roles, she co-founded the comedy troupe, Latins Anonymous which skewered Latino life in the United States. The much hailed group went on to publish a two play anthology titled Latins Anonymous currently in its sixth printing.

Recognized as one of the country’s leading Latino theatre artists and advocate of Latino actors and playwrights, she maintains her artistic career while being a senior member of the artistic staff of the multiply Tony Award winning Center Theatre Group, which includes the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Few in the American theatre have her pedigree.

From performing in the fields for farm workers to performing on the stages of Europe to sitting at the leadership table of one of the most influential theatre companies in the country, Diane continues to be passionate about her art and those she supports.

DIRECTOR

2008-01-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

Photos:
L to Right:
Highest Heaven
Intimate Apparel

As a director her credits include: Regional: Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage City Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams by Nilo Cruz/Victory Gardens, Chicago, Pryetown by John Belluso/City Theatre, Pittsburgh and Playwrights Arena, Los Angeles, Bordertown by Culture Clash (Arizoni Theatre Award Nomination Best Director) and Spic- a- Rama by John Leguizamo (Arizoni Theatre Award Nomination Best Director)/ Actors’ Theatre of Phoenix, Az.; Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott /Mixed Blood Theatre Minneapolis; Inside Out, Book Doug Haverty /Lyrics Haverty/Adryan Russ and Our Lady of the Tortilla, Luis Santiero /Phoenix Theatre/Arizona; Heroes and Saints by Cherrie Moraga/ Borderlands Theatre Tucson; Center Theatre Group: Gaytino by Dan Guerrero Highest Heaven by Jose Cruz Gonzales; Drive My Coche by Roy Conboy;

Other L.A.: La Posada Majica (four seasons) by Octavio Solis South Coast Repertory; Los Vecinos, A Play for Neighbors Luis Alfaro and Diane Rodriguez Cornerstone Theater; The Have Little by Migdalia Cruz The Group at Strasberg.

Developmentally, she has also directed workshops and readings at Hartford Stage and San Jose Repertory. She has worked with the following writers on their new plays: Kirsten Greenidge, Octavio Solis, Cherrie Moraga, Polly Penn, Nilo Cruz, Jessica Goldberg, Oliver Mayer, Roy Conboy, Naomi Iisuka, Dan Guerrero, Julia Cho, Eric Loo and Lynn Nottage at Sundance Theatre Lab 2003 as well as Lloyd Suh at the Ojai New Play Festival 2007.

AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS

2008-01-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

Awards:
Obie Award for Performance 2007
Photo: Diane with Tracy Leigh at Obie's 2007

Theatre Communications/National Endowment Directing Early Career Development Award 1998-2000
La Opinion Newspaper Woman of the Year 2007

Selected Publications:
Latins Anonymous Two Play Anthology published by Arte Publico
Laff Tracks Echo Park Studios A Comedy CD
Puro Teatro A Latina Anthology
Liner Notes for the Grammy nominated Los Lobos Box Set titled Cancionero 2001
Creme de la Femme The Best of Contemporary Women's Humor, Ann Dalin Editor

Diane’s image is on the cover of three books dedicated to the work of Latina/Latino theatre artists:
Puro Teatro A Latina Anthology, Alberto Sandoval-Sanchez, Nancy Saporta Sternbach, Editors;
El Teatro Campesino Theater in the Chicano Movement by Yolanda Broyles Gonzalez;
Stages of Life Transcultural performance & Identity in US Latina Theatre Alberto Sandoval-Sanchez, Nancy Saporta Sternbach, Editors.

ACTOR

2008-01-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

Production Photos Top: Diane with Culture Clash in Carpa Clash at the Mark Taper Fourm Clockwise: Spirits Rising at the John Anson Ford Theatre for the Mark Taper Forum; Ballad of Ginger Esparza at Taper, Too; Ballad of Ginger Esparza, El Teatro Campesino,

In 2006 Diane originated the role of Gabriela for the world premiere of Heather Woodbury’s ensemble piece, Tale of 2Cities premiering in New York City and Los Angeles for which she won he Obie Award. During the 2002-2003 season at the Mark Taper Forum she originated the roles of Zoila in Lisa Loomer’s "Living Out" and Minerva in Luis Alfaro’s "Breakfast Lunch and Dinner".

Diane has appeared in over twenty-five premiere productions and has performed at La Jolla Playhouse (Tony Kushner’s adaptation of Good Person of Setzuan), Mark Taper Forum (Breakfast Lunch and Dinner, Living Out, School Talk and Family Album) , South Coast Repertory (Latins Anonymous) , San Diego Repertory (Latins Anonymous, the LA LA Awards) , Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, (Wings, Macbeth, Corridos), Cornerstone Theatre (contemporary adaptation of Twefth Night) , Los Angeles Theatre Center (The Promise) and El Teatro Campesino (Conference of the Birds directed by Peter Brook, La Carpa de los Rasquachis (Tent of the Underdogs), El Fin del Mundo (The End of the World), among many others). For ten seasons she was a leading actress for the seminal theatre company, El Teatro Campesino where she toured internationally. She has worked in television and film for nearly thirty years.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER CENTER THEATRE GROUP

2008-01-27T18:47:00.000-08:00

Photo L to R Nancy Keystone, Suzan Lori Parks and Diane

365 Days/365 Plays photo by Ryan Miller

For Center Theatre Group (CTG) she is an Associate Producer and Director of New Play Production. She was the Los Angeles producer for the Suzan-Lori Parks 365 Days/365 Plays a year long multi-city premiere that involved 52 theatre companies throughout Los Angeles county. As the director of New Play Production she oversees the LA Company Partnerships and artists residencies. She travels across the country cultivating new relationships with artist, maintaining others as well as scouting for new national and international work for CTG theatres.

For ten years at the Mark Taper Forum she was one of the Directors of the Latino Theatre Initiative where she commissioned, supported and developed new works by Nilo Cruz, Jose Cruz Gonzalez, Octavio Solis, Oliver Mayer, Ricardo Bracho, Ann Garcia Romero, Alina Troyano, Marga Gomez, Rogelio Martinez, Michael John Garces, Evelina Fernandez, Cherrie Moraga, among others .

DIRECTING REVIEWS

2008-01-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

Diane Rodriguez directs with such intelligent simplicity you might not even realize how intricate her work is…
Pyretown by John Belluso
City Theatre, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh City Paper
March 23, 2006

Dan Guerrero and director Diane Rodriguez execute the song and dance sequences to a T, splicing into them comic or biographical bits that add even more joy to the proceedings.
Gaytino
Kirk Douglas Theatre/CTG Los Angeles
Variety May 14, 2006

Cruz still hasn’t written a play that will turn many heads, but a playwright who can create real people and a director who knows how to engage them will always be a good match, so it works all the same.
Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams
Victory Gardens Chicago
Time Out Chicago
November 24-December 1, 2006

What is manifest from every vantage is the atmosphere conjured by director Diane Rodriguez and her perfectly selected actors. Together this ensemble engage our empathy with such sensual allure that we leave wanting to book the next flight to Havana.
Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams by Nilo Cruz
Victory Gardens Chicago
Windy City Times November 13, 2005

Diane Rodriguez has assembled such genuine and appealing actors that you find yourself rooting for their happiness.
Hortensia and the Museum of Dreams by Nilo Cruz
Victory Gardens Chicago
Chicago Sun Times November 17, 2005

Diane Rodriguez’ direction and the trio’s powerhouse acting is wild and brisk.
Bordertown by Culture Clash
Actors’ Theatre of Phoenix
Goldfish Publishers
March 3, 2004

This great production resides in the realms of the cutting edge- the quirky, the multicultural and the hard hitting. It’s great to see the second largest theatre company in Phoenix give a voice to its Latino population.
Spic o Rama by John Leguizamo
Actors’ Theatre of Phoenix
Goldfish Publishers
January 25, 2002

Director Diane Rodriguez has assembled a number of quality ingredients and given each the sharp spark of reality.
The Have Little by Migdalia Cruz
The Lee Strasberg Creative Center Los Angeles
Back Stage West March 21, 2002

Director Diane Rodriguez keeps a fast-paced tempo, allowing the audience to dwell on the atmospherics rather than the improbable aspects of the plot. She has a strikingly cinematic sensibility and skillfully uses the interweaving of languages to create new suspense for those members of the audience who may be all too familiar with the mechanic of this rapidly aging play.
Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott A bilingual production
Mixed Blood Theatre Minneapolis, Minn.
Star Tribune
May 2, 2001

As directed by Diane Rodriguez, the play’s familial informality, with sing-alongs, remarks to the audience and dynamic on-stage musicians, gives way to a deepening resonance, making its own unexpected uplifting journey.
La Posada Majica by Octavio Solis
South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California
Los Angeles Times
December 12 2000

...effortless precision.
Drive My Coche by Roy Conboy
Taper, Too Mark Taper Forum Los Angeles
Downtown News
June 14, 2000

Expert direction by Diane Rodriguez.
Drive My Coche
Mark Taper Forum
Hollywood Reporter
June 13-19, 2000