Torera
by Monet Hurst-Mendoza

Name: Torera
Brand: Monet Hurst-Mendoza
SKU: 9780573710773
Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)

Highlights

Female

Male

105 mins Present Day Role(s) for Latine Actor(s) Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Synopsis

Bullfighting in Yucatán, Mexico is a world nearly exclusive to men – yet for Elena María Ramírez, it is her life’s ambition.

With the help of her best friend, a matador’s son, Elena begins secretly training to compete with the greatest.

But when she discovers that her seemingly inherent talent can beat even the most accomplished toreros, this young woman must choose between accepting society’s limits or breaking boundaries.

A powerful play written by a stunning new voice in the American theatre, Torera tells a poignant story about becoming your truest self by proudly stepping into the ring.

Press Reviews

"Torera is of course about bullfighting, but it’s about a lot of other things, too – privilege, chauvinism, the generational divide, and how much an intractable class system can distort the destinies of two people from (almost) the exact same place."
— Houston Chronicle

"A young girl’s rite of passage and study of empowerment... the play’s a rom-com until the dark overtones leach in: patriarchy, rigid class status, family pride, and a social system where girls must know their place and serve their men."
— Houston Press

"I’ve loved stories about fiery little girls ever since I was one. Even now, at 27 years old, I’ll ritually devour any story about a girl who crashes and clatters against convention, nourishing the younger self that lives within me. Newly added to my evergrowing list of beloved, fierce girl protagonists is Torera’s Elena María Ramírez. I found myself beaming, enchanted by a protagonist who exhibited the fierceness of my favorite childhood heroes, this time, against a cultural backdrop I recognized. It was a joyous experience."
— Citlali Pizarro, 3Views

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
ELENA MARÍA RAMÍREZ 12-28. Free-spirited, confident, unusually perceptive. Dreams of becoming a famous bullfighter. A great torera.	—	12-28	12-28. Free-spirited, confident, unusually perceptive. Dreams of becoming a famous bullfighter. A great torera.
TANOK CÁRDENAS 12-28. A privileged, charming, slightly arrogant smart-ass but sweet-natured. A great rejoneador.	—	12-28	12-28. A privileged, charming, slightly arrogant smart-ass but sweet-natured. A great rejoneador.
PASTORA RAMÍREZ Early 40s-50s. Wise, loving, dutiful; mother to Elena, nanny and housekeeper to the Cárdenas family. Sharp and determined when needed.	female	40s	Early 40s-50s. Wise, loving, dutiful; mother to Elena, nanny and housekeeper to the Cárdenas family. Sharp and determined when needed.
DON RAFAEL CÁRDENAS Late 40s-50s. A great rejoneador-turned-trainer in retirement; a taskmaster, dripping with machismo. The type of older aristocratic man with a love of the game you’d see in an old Mexican film about caballeros. Doesn’t like to show emotion, but holds within him a suffocating vulnerability.	male	40s	Late 40s-50s. A great rejoneador-turned-trainer in retirement; a taskmaster, dripping with machismo. The type of older aristocratic man with a love of the game you’d see in an old Mexican film about caballeros. Doesn’t like to show emotion, but holds within him a suffocating vulnerability.
GROOMS / ENFERMERA / CUADRILLA TORERÉ / ENSEMBLE Toreré in the bullring and stable helpers in the Picadero. The Enfermera can double with one of the Grooms. Open to all gender identities.	female	—	Toreré in the bullring and stable helpers in the Picadero. The Enfermera can double with one of the Grooms. Open to all gender identities.