Reflections on Directing Apa's Girl, a new short play by Elvia Susana Rubalcava

Gabriel Romero and Marlene Luna in a tech rehearsal at the Short and Sweet Festival in Hollywood, CA
October 11, 2019

Imagine you are sleeping in your room, and you get a phone call from a parent who is from one moment to the next incoherent and not sounding like themselves. What do you do? What do you say? How do you get them back on track? Especially if they are miles away? This is what happens to our lead character, Marie, in Apa's Girl written by Elvia Susanna Rubalcava (2019). In this short play, we find ourselves in the world where Marie is confronted by her father's health three different times, and how her world changes in just one night.

I signed up to direct for the Short and Sweet Hollywood Latino Theatre Festival thanks to a suggestion from friend, Elisa Noemi, and was amazed to see so many plays submitted by Latinx community including close friends from Casa 0101 Theater. That is when I came across the name of Elvia Susanna Rubalcava, someone I've worked with since 2015; a friendship that developed with Rocio Diaz's short play in a show called Drunk Girl at Casa 0101 Theater. Elvia has directed me, let me play her in one of her original pieces in a show titled Teatro Moz, and recently we co-directed Diana Burbano's Page to the Stage: That's What She Said piece GARGOYLES at The Curtis Theatre.  Now I had Apa's Girl in my hand, and I could not resist.

After 3 nights of performances in the Short+Sweet Festival - Latino Theater, Apa's Girl won the Semi-Finals People's Choice Award - folks who attended the plays all weekend picked us and we won. Elvia and the performers were present to receive the good news. A huge thank you to Marlene Luna, Gabriel Romero, Carmelita Maldonado, and Alan Michael Rice - who were incredible human beings and phenomenal actors during this entire process. We all carried this piece in our hearts, as it pertains to realities surrounding our wonderful writer, Elvia.

It has been an incredible journey directing this piece. I learned a lot about myself, my personal process, and what is valued in space while working with dedicated souls. It came down to everyone's well-being. I wasn't worried. Watching these actors build a world of infinite meaning through tender and tough love was mesmerizing. Every night I noticed something new, and it made me proud to have been the witness to their exploration.

This piece is inspired by real events and real people, and the actors were wonderful about navigating the text and interpreting their roles. This experience pushed our artistry to a new level and we joke now that someday we will look back at this time in our lives and reminisce on how it all came together. I have the outmost respect for Elvia and learn from her all the time. She is a beautiful writer, but above all she is a courageous artist willing to open herself up to the world with vulnerability and truth. And that my friends is the kind of writing we should all be doing, otherwise why/por que?

I invite you to google Elvia and all our actors. They are all currently doing amazing things since the festival. From commercials, to voice over, to working in wonderful production houses - they rock!

Thank you, Elvia, for trusting us with your stories. Looking forward to our next one.

Writer, Elvia Susana Rubalcava, and actor Gabriel Romero who plays Apa.

Alan Michael Rice and Marlene Luna as Tony and Marie.

Carmelita Maldonado and Marlene Luna in Apa's Girl