Gretchen Suárez-Peña is making a way forwomen andpeople of color in the theatre world.
“There’s notalotofparts for women and there’s also not a lot of parts for women of color. I try to write roles that can be played by anybody, if you’re Asian, white black, Hispanic whatever ethnicity or gender you are, and then I try to write parts thatare specificfor people of color,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
Suárez-Peña, 34, began writing and submitting plays as a member of International Thespians while in high school.As a freshman in high school, she sawan abridged version of"For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf"by Ntozake Shangeat The Florida Theatre Conference held in Lakeland.This showingkicked off her desire tobecome a playwright.
“That was the first time I was like people write like this. You canwritea play that’s reallypoetic and real?She was probably one of the first inspirations for me to even write,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
George Herman’s "A Company of Wayward Saints"alsoinspiredSuárez-Peñato become a playwrightbecause he took an older art form,commedia dell’arte,and wrote it in a modern format.
“That was the first time I was like ‘oh you can make old things new.’You can revamp the way that old artis done,” Suárez-Peñasaid.
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Suárez-Peñagraduated from the International Baccalaureate Program at Bartow High School in2005. She received her bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of South Florida in2009and her master's in environmental engineeringfrom the University of Floridain2011.
Suárez-Peñaspent three years in Kansas when her husband was inthe Army, and then when heenrolled inlaw school they moved to Miami. When she had her son in 2014, Suárez-Peñadecided it was time for her family to move back to Bartow.
"I had my son and I was like I have to move to Polk County;I have to be near my family,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
After moving back to Polk County in2015Suárez-Peñabegan writing plays again.Shethenstarted submitting and having plays produced in 2017.
“I really missed writing stories. I needed a creative outlet,”Suárez-Peñasaid.“I missed telling stories onstage.”
To date, Suárez-Peñahas25 plays produced that are one acts and full productions.
“I really like the intimacy of stage plays. It moves the audience in real time.”
She said plays and musicals allow the audience to experience the production in real time unlike TV or film, where the audience is removed from the action.
“Even a show that’s done over and over again, noactual performanceis the same. The actors get adifferentenergy from the differentaudiences,” Suárez-Peña said. “Some nightssomejokes will hit and be really funny and some nights the sad stuff will be extra sad. It’s really the audience is what makes it awesome because it’s an intimateendeavorandeverybody'sexperiencing it together.”
A factor thathelpsSuárez-Peñatohavesuccessful plays ishosting stage readings.A stage reading is a performance but without costumes and set.During stage readings actors will hold the script in their hands.
“As a writer, I learn a lot from stage readings because I learn what works. Stage readings I think are really valuable for a writer because then you know what works and doesn’t work,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
Her recent readings include "Across the Atlantic" and "Wingman." "Across the Atlantic" is a full-length play about an Indigenous womanin Florida. "Wingman" isaone-actplaywith a cast of two Hispanics and two African-Americans.Having a cast full of people of color is important and exciting forSuárez-Peña.
“The American theater has been dominated by the whitevoice,predominately the white male voice,so having parts for people of coloris really rare. I try to write things I can be in,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
Suárez-Peñapulls inspirationto write plays from her personalexperiences, experiences of those in her circle and even societal issues such as human trafficking.
“I wrote a play about human trafficking because I thought it was a really important subject to touch on. I wrote this play about this Indigenous womanbecauseit’s Florida historyandit’shistory that isn’t usually shared,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
Suárez-Peña's musical,“Melina: A Steampunk Musical Tragedy” was an official selection of the 2020 Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival.The old school melodrama is near to her heart because she’s worked on itfor 10 years.
“I think it’s great;obviouslyeveryone wants to win. It made me realize I have talent. It was confirmation that I was telling important stories. I was doing a good job executing the story, people were enjoying them. It was getting good reception,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
Even with the positive recognition,Suárez-Peñadeals with Imposter Syndrome, thinking sheisnot good enough.
“As a woman of color, sometimes I feel like I have to work harder than everybody else first because I’m a woman and second because I’m a Puerto Rican,”Suárez-Peñasaid.
With English as her second language, receiving recognition asaplaywright ismeaningfultoSuárez-Peña.
“It’s like, ‘Oh Imastered the English language in creating a story and executing it well,’” she said.
When she’s not writing plays,Suárez-Peñaco-hostsMayhem in the AM on96.7 FMandworks asa drainage engineer for Florida Transportation Engineers.
Her next show, "Elective Amnesia,"will be hosted virtually for the Voices of Women Theatre Festival on Saturday. To learn more about her plays visitwww.gretchensuarezpena.com.
Breanna Rittman writes news features for The Ledger. Send yourfeature ideastoBRittman@gannett.com.
