"Mojada" Playwright and Director Interview
The title of the play is based on the Spanish word mojado/a, which translates literally as “wet” and is also a slur akin to “wetback” for Mexican immigrants. In using the word for the title of his play, Luis Alfaro said, “It’s a word that has existed in my vernacular since I was little, so it’s a word that for me, has a lot of resonance and a lot of power ... I wanted to disarm that word, I wanted the word to re-appropriate itself, I wanted for us to own the word, and see how ugly that word is, and also give it new meaning.”
“The reason I adapt the Greeks is to re-interpret them to say something important about the time we’re in right now,” said Luis Alfaro. “In this case, it’s the ongoing immigration debate in this country. Medea embodies the immigrant experience. What is the price we pay when we come to a new country?” he continued. “[Medea] is a whole class of people — extraordinary people who work very, very hard to hold on to who they are as they navigate the waters of immigrating to America. The experience of trying to make it, to fit in, is a universally American experience.”
Want to dive deeper?
More about Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles:
"Mojada" Special Cocktails
Bar Supervisor (and resident mixologist) Melissa Larrabee introduces the specialty cocktails inspired by Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles.
Ni de aqui, ne de alla (Not from here, not from there) Gallery
Through November, The Armory hosts a collaborative art project in support of the Center for Immigration Defense.
Immigration Resources for "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
If you or someone you know is in need of low cost immigration legal services, help is available.
"Mojada" Cast and Creative Team
The cast from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival production comes to Portland!
Additional Resources: "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
Reading lists and research materials for Mojada.
Reviews of "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
"What the American theater should be." - The Daily Tidings
Photos: "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles"
See photos from Oregon Shakespeare Festival's production of Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles coming to The Armory Nov. 4 - 26, 2017.
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