A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

i put the fear of mexico in 'em

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 2m

Matthew Paul Olmos

An American couple on holiday in Tijuana stumble off the beaten path, and are accosted by a Mexican couple in an alley.

i put the fear of mexico in 'em

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • ***Received the 2009 Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship Award.***

Details

Summary

When Jonah and Adray cross the border into Tijuana for a quick vacation, they stumble off the beaten path and come face to face with a Mexican couple in an alley. What ensues is a humorous and complex dance that explores and challenges notions of boundaries, safety and identity.

History

I Put the Fear of Mexico in 'em received its world premiere with Teatro Vista at Chicago Dramatists in Chicago, IL on November 4, 2012.

Keywords
Performing Groups

EFREN – mexican, 37
JUANA – mexican, 30
ADRAY (uh-dray) – güera, 34
JONAH – güero, 34
VIVIA – female
All Other Characters – mexican

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting

    The sort of alley you're not supposed to go down in Tijuana, Mexico. 

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Stage Combat
  • Duration 105 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Drugs
    • Gun Shots
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"What ensues is a complex encounter that challenges notions of boundary, safety, identity and what you would do for your family. It's a dissection of difference, of connection, of the borders and barriers we use to distance ourselves, and those dangerous moments when we cross over those borders and barriers." - Philip Himberg, Artistic Director - Sundance Institute

“An American couple is taken hostage in Matt Olmos’ frightening trip through a real and imagined Mexico. Olmos’ writing is both hallucinatory and brutal. His story of an American couple’s nightmare is not at all different from America’s nightmare with its ever present neighbor.” - Rogelio Martinez, playwright

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Matthew Paul Olmos

Matthew Paul Olmos

Matthew Paul Olmos is a Mexican-American playwright who focuses his work on the creation of space for marginalized and underrepresented communities. While always personal, his work is aimed at reaching across sociopolitical boundaries, showing the ridiculous of how separate o ...

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