Carmen Rivera Tirado

Carmen Rivera holds an MA in Playwriting and Latin American Theatre from New York University. Her play, La Gringa, was part of the OBIE Award Winning Series New Voices in 1996, and this year celebrated its 29th anniversary in repertory at Repertorio Español.  It is now the second longest running play in Off-Broadway history, after The Fantasticks.  It was published in both English and Spanish by Concord Theatrical Productions (Formerly Samuel French).   

Off-Broadway productions include: Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz (Co-Written with Cándido Tirado) – (HOLA Award, Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting); La Lupe: My Life, My Destiny (ACE Award – Best Production); Julia de Burgos: Child of Water; To Catch the Lightning (Nomination ACE Award – Best Production.)   

La Caída De Rafael Trujillo (The Downfall of Rafael Trujillo) received an ATI Award for Best Production and was recently revived for a fourth production at Teatro Círculo.  Both the English and Spanish versions were published by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW). Under the Mango Tree was published by Steep Spring Stage Rights. Betty’s Garage is included in The Women’s Project and Productions: Rowing to America and 16 Other Short Plays.  Riding The Bear (Honorable Mention – Kilroy’s List, 2016) was recently featured in a reading series, produced by Dramatic Question Theatre at The Flea. Carmen is also included in Women Who Make Theatre, both published by Smith and Kraus. Delia’s Race is included in the anthology, POSITIVE/NEGATIVE – women of color and HIV/AIDS, published by Aunt Lute. JULIA has toured the New York City Public Schools and is included in Nuestro New York, an anthology of Puerto Rican Theatre published by Penguin USA.  

Carmen has been the subject of two doctoral dissertations: Latinidad: The Theatre of Carmen Rivera, written by theatre scholar Dr. Jason Ramirez; and “Es que ella es de afuera.” La identidad puertorriqueña desde la experiencia diaspórica nuyorican vista en la obra teatral “La Gringa” de Carmen Rivera, written by Dr. Ruth Torres Hernández.

Carmen’s work can also be found on the online archive, ProQuest.  She has been the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), ATT On-Stage and New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA).

Carmen is a Founding Member and Co-Executive Director of E.P.P. (Educational Play Productions), which brings plays, that deal with social issues into the public schools.  She has taught Playwriting at The City College of New York, NYU, and at The New School.  Carmen currently teaches Playwriting at Dramatic Question Theatre (DQT).  As a Teaching Artist she works with Manhattan Theatre Club, Remote Theatre Project, and Repertorio Español. 

For more information on Carmen, check out www.carmenrivera-writer.com.

For more information on EPP, check out www.educationalplayproductions.com.