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The Sins of Sor Juana

The Sins of Sor Juana

By Karen Zacarías.

Product Code: SG1000

  • Full-length Play
  • Drama
  • Cast size: 3m., 4w. (10 characters are played by 7 actors-doubling necessary to the story. May be expanded with chorus, court and nuns.)

    Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available

  • Awards: Helen Hayes Award

Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold throughout the World.

* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.

$10.95 /script

Min. Royalty Rate: $90/perf

In stock

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

Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available

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A revised version of this title is available as a prepublication manuscript. Please contact our customer service department for details.

Details

  • 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
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.

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

Production Map

Location City State Opens Closes
Florida State University Tallahassee Florida 4/9/2025 4/19/2025
Furr High School Houston Texas 3/22/2024 5/25/2024
Red Rocks Community College Theater Lakewood Colorado 11/21/2024 11/23/2024
Austin ISD Performing Arts Center Austin Texas 3/19/2024 3/27/2024