| about the authors
 KAREN
ZACARIAS (playwright)
In the 2008-2009 season there were several world premieres
of plays by Karen Zacarías: THE BOOK CLUB PLAY
at Round House Theater and the Berkshire Theater Festival,
CHASING GEORGE WASHINGTON
at the Kennedy Center, the musical LOOKING
FOR ROBERTO CLEMENTE at Imagination Stage, a bilingual
adaptation of ROMEO y JULIETA (starring Elizabeth Peña)
at Chicago Shakespeare, the adaptation of HOW THE GARCIA
GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS at Round House Theater and
the world premiere of LEGACY OF LIGHT directed by Molly
Smith at Arena Stage. This last season also had an East
and West Coast Premieres of MARIELA IN THE DESERT.
Karen is the winner of the 2006 Francesca Primus Award
for her play, MARIELA IN THE DESERT (World Premiere
at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago). MARIELA is also
the winner the 2005 TCG/AT&T First Stages Award,
the 2004 National Latino Playwrights’ Competition,
finalist for the 2004 Susan Smith Blackburn prize, and
short listed for 2005 Kesselring Prize. Her play, THE
SINS OF SOR JUANA won Outstanding New Play at the 2000
Helen Hayes Awards and has been produced throughout
the country. Her musical plays for young people with
composer Debbie La Puma have enjoyed productions at
The Goodman Theater, The Coterie, Chicago PlayWorks,
The Alliance Theatre, Imagination Stage, Arden Theater,
Cleveland Playhouse, and St. Louis Rep. The plays include
EINSTEIN IS A DUMMY
(developed at New Vision/ New Voices), a flamenco version
of FERDINAND: THE
BULL, the mariachi-inspired THE
MAGICAL PIÑATA , and salsa/hip-hop CINDERELLA
EATS RICE AND BEANS:A SALSA MUSICAL.
Karen Zacarías is the founding artistic director
of Young Playwrights’ Theater, an award-winning
non-profit dedicated to enhancing literacy, arts empowerment
and conflict resolution through playwriting in Washington,
DC area schools. She also teaches playwriting at Georgetown
University.
Karen lives in D.C. with her husband Rett, and children
Nico, Kati, and Maia.
DEBORAH WICKS LA PUMA (music)
- see her bio page
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