Name: Rubén C. González
Hometown: Commerce, Ca.
Current Town: Alexandria, Va.
Affiliations: El Teatro Campesino. UC Davis
Q: How do you self-identify?
A: Mexican
Q: Tell me about LeRoach’s LaMent.
A: Post-apocolyptic insect play. Iceman Cometh meets Rhinoceros. This play is about the “other” but played out in the world of insects. The human have all died and the insects are continuing where the humans left off. This play was the featured play in 2018 at the Texas State Black and Latino Playwright’s Conference. It was directed by Herbert Siguenza.
Q: What else are you working on now?
A: My latest play is Inocente. Written both in Spanish and English. It’s a #MeToo play for my mother’s generation. The women that came from Mexico to this country with their own stories. It is my gift to my mother, tías and all the women of their generation who have had to endure the patriarchy in order to make a home for their children.
Q: What have been the defining moments of your journey as a playwright?
A: There are no defining moments to highlight. I think the answer is in your question. It’s all a journey. You just keep writing and keep creating. You get older and some writers, not due to talent, get produced and others not as much.
Q: Who have been your playwriting mentors and heroes?
A: I do not have personal mentors or heroes. I don’t like that word heroes. I respect Luis Valdez for what his plays have done for social causes. I like novelists such as James Baldwin for his honesty. He opened a world up to me that contributed to the artist I am today. I also enjoy Gabriel Garcia Marquez for his mastery in weaving a story together. I am appreciative of the working-class folks who mentor my writing through the stories they live and inspire in me to write.
Q: What advice do you have for Latinx playwrights at the beginning of their career?
A: Write your truth. It’s good to have writers you admire but write from your own truth and voice. Nobody owes you anything. Read read read.
Q: What else should we know about you?
A: I am currently working on a master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. I want to work with men of color in marginalized communities. I want to do my part in bringing our fathers and brothers back into the family fold.
***For more on Rubén C. González, see:
- Rubén C. González’s personal website
- “In Context: A Note From The Writer/Performer Behind LA ESQUINITA, USA” – Rubén C. González (Arizona Theatre Company)
- Encuentro: Latinx Performance for the New American Theater – Trevor Boffone, Teresa Marrero, and Chantal Rodriguez
- “Ruben C. Gonzalez Plays 10 Characters in ‘La Esquinita USA’” – Sam Sanchez (Out In SA)
- “Gonzalez’ one-man show ‘La Esquinita, USA’ still relevant as it moves to New York” – David John Chavez (Bay Area Plays)
