Synopsis
Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz, one of the first published poets of the Americas, was born in Mexico in 1648, a poor and illegitimate child. She became renowned for her intelligence and ambition when, at the age of 12, she tried sneaking into the University of Mexico by dressing as a man. The viceregal court of New Spain heard about this phenomenal girl and invited her to join the court, where she developed an extremely close relationship with the vicereine. By all records Juana was a very attractive, complex, witty and difficult young woman. She wrote and read voraciously. Her circumstances and intelligence provoked admiration and envy. However, when she was 17, she suddenly and inexplicably left the viceregal court to join a convent. There are theories about failed love, fear of marriage and her sexual identity. In the convent her focus was not God, but writing—and her work and poetry expressed a feminism centuries ahead of her time. For years while the church struggled to silence her she resisted and continued writing until, one day, she wrote a declaration in her own blood, vowing never to write again. She remained true to her word and died soon after. This play is a researched fantasy that explores the two turning points in this woman's life.
Notes
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Details
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Status
In stock
- Type of Show Full-length Play
- Product Code SG1000
- Cast Size 7
- Min. Royalty Rate $90/perf
- Cost $10.95
- Approx. Run Time 120 min
Categories
- Target Audience High School | College and Adult
- Performing Group High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre
- Genre Drama
- ISBN(13) 9781583420614
Customer Reviews
- "Excellent show. Great story for Women's fight for the right to knowledge. "
- Review by Yvonne Rebsch, Westbury High School, Houston, Texas
- "An amazing play. We performed scenes from this play for our UIL One Act Play competition, and all of our judges thanked us for introducing them to the play. I would love to direct this in it's entirety someday. A must read!"
- Review by Laura Garcia, WT White High School, Dallas, Texas
- "Rich characters, wonderful historic perspective of the female role in early Hispanic culture. Poignant love story -- a perfect choice for my southern California high school."
- Review by Susan Stratton, Castle Park High School, Chula Vista, CA
- "[This] is a beautiful portrayal of Sor Juana. Intriguing, intelligent and inspiring, the script is like Sor Juana herself, exquisite."
- Review by Katie Carey Govier, Stockyards Theatre Project, Chicago, Ill.
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
- "If the show is produced for UIL OAP double casting is not always possible because of cutting the script."
- Tip by Yvonne Rebsch, Westbury High School, Houston, Texas
- "Use as much "magic" as possible."
- Tip by Emmy Estes, Randall High School, Canyon, Texas
- "This show is great for a strong female lead. However, make sure you have several strong men and women because every character is quite complex. "
- Tip by Laura Garcia, WT White High School, Dallas, Texas
Media Reviews
“A cultural phenomenon.” —Twin Cities Pioneer Press
“This is a story of a life turned upside down, precipitating a crisis of the heart and spirit.” —Twin Cities Pioneer Press
“A beautiful love story.” —Talkin’ Broadway
“It is both beautiful and tragic, scripted with tenderness, fury and intelligence.” —Talkin’ Broadway
"The play has everything … brilliantly written … The Sins of Sor Juana is a must-see … wonderfully complex and poetic." —Broadside
Gallery
WT White High School, Dallas, TX
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