When Coquis Sing

Orlando Family Stage (Orlando REP) is proud to present a reading of When Coquis Sing by Michelle LoRicco on January 20, 2018 at 3:00pm as a part of International Women’s Voices Day.

The Women’s Voices Theater Festival, in partnership with National New Play Network (NNPN) and New Play Exchange® (NPX®), invites theaters and theater makers around the world to join them in advocating for gender parity by presenting unproduced works by women playwrights for International Women’s Voices Day. These events will take place on or about Sunday, January 21, 2018, in celebration of the anniversary of the revolutionary 2016 Women’s Marches. Theaters or individuals are invited to find a previously unproduced play by a woman and, with the writer’s permission, read it aloud, then post photo of the event to social media with the #InternationalWomensVoicesDay.

A full list of participating theaters is available at WomensVoicesTheaterFestival.org. For more information on hosting a reading or to register an event email [email protected]. Registration continues until January 20, 2018.

ABOUT THE PLAY

Rosalina and her mother, Ivé, have a bond like no other. When Ivé’s condition worsens, Rosalina is desperate to find answers in her textbooks to ‘cure’ her mother. Ivé tries to distract her daughter with stories about Ivé’s childhood in the recently ravaged Puerto Rico, which will always be the Island of Enchantment: a place where coquis sing and caves have magic. After drifting off to sleep, Ivé and Rosalina find themselves in the magical Camuy Caves. With the help of the cave critters they meet along the way, they try to find the strength and wisdom to defeat the cunning Reina Araña, the scorpion spider. The magic within this play revolves around strength: the strength of the bond between single parents and their children, the strength of a woman who fights a terrible disease, and the strength of a little girl who must learn to let go.

When Coquis Sing is written by Michelle LoRicco. This production is directed by Maria Katsadouros and Emily Freeman, and stage managed by Pat LoRicco.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Michelle LoRicco is a passionate theatre artist, writer, and educator who believes that young audiences deserve their stories to be told in authentic and innovative ways. Michelle is currently an MFA candidate in the Theatre for Young Audiences program at the University of Central Florida. She also works as the Artistic Resident the Orlando Family Stage, and will be directing the staged reading of “Just Like Us” by Karen Zacarias in March. She received her Bachelor’s at Palm Beach Atlantic University, with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. Her writing credits include “Finding Freedom”, which she co-adapted for the Orlando Family Stage’s Writes of Spring 2016, with writings from over 60 Central Florida youth. “When Coquis Sing” is her first, original play, inspired by a resilient, young person in Michelle’s life, who lost her mother due to a twenty-two-year fight with cancer.

TICKETS

When Coquis Sing plays Saturday, January 20 at 3:00pm at Orlando Family Stage in the Black Box. This is a free event with general seating. Reserve your seats with our Box Office by calling (407) 896-7365. Seating is limited.

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About Orlando Family Stage – Orlando Family Stage is a professional theatre with a mission to create experiences that enlighten, entertain, and enrich families and young audiences. In addition to productions, Orlando Family Stage conducts community engagement initiatives. The award-winning REP Youth Academy provides classes and workshops for children, along with professional development opportunities to classroom teachers. Housed in a three theatre complex in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park, Orlando Family Stage is also home to the University of Central Florida’s MFA in Theatre for young Audiences graduate program. Orlando Family Stage is Florida’s only professional Theatre for Young Audiences.
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