Reviews & Press

YOUR BEST AMERICAN GIRL (2019)

Your Best American Girl explores what makes a young, mixed race woman from the United States the ideal American girl. Coming of age at 25 years old, Ciarlene Coleman uses what she knows best--American movies, musicals, and television--to tell her own story. With tales of everything from cowboy grandfathers to sexy Asian actresses, Coleman addresses the harsh realities of racism, sexism, and other experiences that, she has found, come with being an American. The world premiere production at the 2019 San Diego international Fringe Festival received several 2019 Fringe Awards, including “Outstanding World Premiere”, “Critic’s Pick”, and “Best of Fest”. Your Best American Girl is a solo, short play with a run time of approximately 45 minutes. The performance is written and performed by Ciarlene Coleman, Founding Managing Director and Resident Artist of MaArte Theatre Collective.

guadalupe in the guest room (2018)

“(Meneses’ play) tells the story of Guadalupe Castillo, who has lost a daughter, and her son-in-law Steve, who has lost a wife. Guadalupe and Steve have nothing in common but a shared grief. And although neither of them speak the other’s language, they find a new way to connect: through an unlikely love of telenovelas — wildly popular Latin American soap operas.” - New Village Arts

avenue q (2018)

“But if [it] seems [like] a sign that time and changing tastes have turned ‘Avenue Q’ into some kind of cultural cul de sac, New Village Arts Theatre is here to prove very much otherwise.

The Carlsbad company has opened its own winning revival of the puppet-centric musical comedy, one that preserves the show’s irreverence while smartly tweaking a few elements to 2018 tastes.” - James Hebert