The Play You Want

The Road Theatre Company and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce its return to live performances with three plays performing in repertory, beginning and re-opening with the world premiere of  “The Play You Want,” written by Bernardo Cubria and directed by Michael John Garcés, on March 11.

“The Play You Want” Show Synopsis

Fed-up by the theatre world’s desires to box him in, Mexican playwright Bernardo Cubría sarcastically pitches “Nar-Cocos” a play about drug dealers on Dia de los Muertos. Much to his surprise, the Public Theatre picks it up. With financial pressures mounting and a newborn at home, this is his chance at a commercial success. But when Scott Rudin offers him a Broadway run on the condition he further exploit his identity and the headlines, he must decide just how much he’s willing to compromise in order to finally be accepted. 

About the Team

BERNARDO CUBRIA (Playwright) recently sold his screenplay “Like It Used To Be” to star Gina Rodriguez and Karla Souza. He is writing the “Untitled Ryan Garcia Project,” directed by Gina Rodriguez and starring boxer Ryan Garcia. He was the winner of the NNPN Playwright Award for Political Theatre in 2021. He co-wrote the short film “Spanish Class,” which won Best Comedy at The NBC Universal Shorts Awards in 2018. “The Play You Want” was awarded the Generation Award by Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company in 2020 and the Ingenio 2020 Award for new play by a Latinx Playwright by The Milagro Theatre in Portland, Oregon. He was nominated for best playwright at The Ovation Awards, Stage Raw Awards, and The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for his play “The Giant Void In My Soul,” which received a reading at Circle in the Square on Broadway in 2019 and will be produced at Luna Stage in 2022, and the Foro Shakespeare in Mexico City in 2022. His play “Neighbors: A Fair Trade Agreement” was produced Off-Broadway at INTAR in fall of 2017. It has since received a regional premiere at The Studio Theatre in Florida. He was a proud member of The Road Theatre Company’s Inaugural Under Construction Playwright’s Lab where “The Play You Want” was developed.

MICHAEL JOHN GARCÉS (Director) is the artistic director of Cornerstone Theater Company, a community-engaged ensemble based in Los Angeles.  Recent projects include “The Rivers Don’t Know” by James McManus (City Theatre), “Seize the King” by Will Power (The Alliance Theatre); “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse (The Geffen Playhouse); “The Royale” by Marco Ramirez (Arizona Theatre Company); “the just and the blind” by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center); and, for Cornerstone, “Highland Park is Here” by Mark Valdez, “Native Nation” and “Urban Rez” by Larissa FastHorse and “What Happens Next” by Naomi Iizuka.

Plays he has written for Cornerstone include “Magic Fruit,” “The Forked Path” and “Los Illegals.”  Michael is the recipient of the 2020 Doris Duke Artist Award, the Princess Grace Statue and the Alan Schneider Director Award.  He serves as first vice president of the executive board of SDC, the theatrical union for stage directors and choreographers.

The Cast of “The Play You Want” will feature: Peter Pasco as “Bernardo,” Chelsea Gonzalez as “Vera,” Natalie Llerena as “Chloe/Mija/J.Lo,” Jonathan Nichols as “Gilbert Cruz/Alfred Molina,” Roland Ruiz as “Lin Manuel Miranda/Mijo/Pablo/John Leguizamo,” Christopher Larkin as “Sam Gold/Chay Yew/Variety Reporter,” Stewart J. Zully as “Oskar Eustis/Scott Rudin,” and Presciliana Esparolini as “Abuela/Gloria Estefan.”

The Design Team for “The Play You Want” is as follows: Scenic Design by Brian Graves; Lighting Design by Derrick McDaniel; Projection Design by Nicholas Santiago; Sound Design by Marc Antonio Pritchett; Costume Design by Michele Young; Puppet Design by Lynn Jeffries; Music Composition by Arian Saleh. The Production Stage Manager is Maurie Gonzalez. “The Play You Want” is produced by Tina Carlisi, Carlyle King and Danna Hyams.