←Recommendations of Torera

A beautiful and moving piece about the struggle for a dream and to defy gender stereotypes as well as work through family dynamics. Well done!

Monet has a winner here. ‘Torera’ effortlessly tells a story of gender power dynamics and class struggle by weaving it together through the theatricality of bullfighting. The dialogue shines here, and the conversations between Elena and Tanok mirror those of Pastora and Don Rafael, almost telling a generational love story. No wonder it was picked for the Kilroy’s list. This play should be produced everywhere.

This play lives, Monet creates a stunning portrayal of a young Latina wrestling with the machista world around her. She creates a world that is cinematic but still so theatrical. You really feel like you live next to Elena and Tanok. This play is also a director’s dream, with the beautiful sequences of bull fighting.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Monet Hurst-Mendoza and their play Torera as a finalist for our 2018 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 53 finalists out of more than 1,420 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

I had the privilege of reading this play a few months back and it stayed with me for days. It's got some very beautiful bones and plays with classicism, gender, and also gives us a bit of an education on matadors that the majority of America probably needs. I'm looking forward to seeing where this script goes.

A very touching exploration of the class and gender divide between two friends who share the same dream of becoming matadors. A haunting emotional roller coaster that stays with the reader long after it's over. We're lucky to have this play as one of our Fall Festival Finalists!!