Golden Tongues Shine on Page and Stage

As we celebrate the landmark tenth anniversary of the Golden Tongues project, Diversifying the Classics is delighted to announce both an upcoming anthology and our seventh series of Golden Tongues staged readings. Since 2013, Diversifying the Classics has collaborated with Playwrights’ Arena to commission and stage English language adaptations of Hispanic classical theater, composed by local L.A. playwrights in conversation with dramaturgs from our working group on translation and performance. The ongoing production of new works illustrates exciting possibilities in the present for engaging with the rich tradition of Spanish language comedia. Now, a new anthology will make the adaptations available for theatermakers, scholars, and students everywhere.

Golden Tongues: Adapting Hispanic Classical Theater in Los Angeles, an anthology of seven previously unpublished plays from our series, edited by Barbara Fuchs, Aina Soley, and Robin Kello, is under contract with Bloomsbury Press. The volume features adaptations from our 2013 inaugural event to the most recent LA Escena festival of 2022, with brief introductions to each play. Including riffs on classical Spanish authors such as Calderón de la Barca, Miguel Cervantes, Maria de Zayas, and Lope de Vega, the volume will make the case for both studying and producing these vibrant texts. The playwrights featured in the volume are, in chronological order of their contribution: Luis Alfaro, Boni B. Alvarez, Madhuri Shekar, Mary Lyon Kamitaki, Julie Taiwo Quarles, June Carryl, and Lina Patel.

To that fantastic list of innovative playwrights, we are now thankful to add the names of Diana Burbano, Rosie Narasaki, and Zharia O’Neal. These award-winning authors will choose a play from the extensive comedia canon to adapt for the seventh iteration of Golden Tongues staged readings. As with the Golden Tongues performed at Greenway Court in 2018, virtually in 2020, and on the UCLA campus in 2022, these plays will have their audience premiere at the LA Escena theater festival. Mark your calendars for September 2024!

Since its inception, Diversifying the Classics has sought new ways of promoting Hispanic Classical Theatre for educators, students, artists, and audiences, and Golden Tongues has been central to our success in that project. The staged readings of the next Golden Tongues will provide further access to the L.A. community, while the anthology will expand access to plays that deserve both performance and study. On the page and on the stage, Golden Tongues continue to shine.