Interview: Playwright Bernardo Cubria on Realizing THE PLAY YOU WANT & The Newborn He Wants

The Road Theatre Company returns to live performances with the world premiere of Bernardo Cubria's THE PLAY YOU WANT March 1, 2022; the first of three plays performing in repertory. Michael John Garcés directs the cast of Peter Pasco, Chelsea Gonzalez, Natalie Llerena, Jonathan Nichols, Roland Ruiz, Christopher Larkin, Stewart J. Zully and Presciliana Esparolini. I had the chance to query Bernardo on THE PLAY YOU WANT and his other important upcoming projects.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Bernardo!

You developed THE PLAY YOU WANT at The Road Theatre Company's Inaugural Under Construction Playwright's Lab. How did you first connect with Road Theatre Company?

I had seen a couple productions at The Road because friends of mine are company members and I have always been a fan. So when Jessica Broutt asked me to join their Inaugural Writer's Lab it was a no-brainer. Thank you, Jessica! I learned so much from each of the playwrights and feel forever connected to them.

Did you have a couple other ideas for a script to develop at the Lab before deciding on THE PLAY YOU WANT?

I originally started writing a play about a Mexican and an American family watching the Mexico vs U.S. match at the 2002 World Cup. Soccer fans know the game as "Dos a Cero." I know it as the worst day of my life.

But then I got a rejection letter from a Latinx playwriting festival that said my play did not qualify as "Latinx" because it did not include "Latinx Themes." Here I was thinking that me being Mexican was enough to make my play "Latinx"... so I got quite upset, opened a bottle of tequila and wrote the first draft of THE PLAY YOU WANT.

What would your three-line pitch of THE PLAY YOU WANT be?

"A satire about the American Theatre that steals a lot from THE PRODUCERS but no music or singing and, like, Mexican." Or: "Latinx playwright yells into the void begging the American theatre to let us write about things besides Narcos, The Border and Day of The Dead."

Was it a no-brainer to name your main character after yourself?

Not at all. I still wonder if it's a giant mistake. I fully expect lots of people to make fun of me for this choice. I did it because a playwright I admire greatly, Jami Brandli, challenged me in The Road's Writer's Lab when she said, "You name a lot of real people by name in this play, so why be a coward and change your own name?" And since Jami is a better playwright than I am, I took her advice. So, if you like the choice, you're welcome! If you hate it, email Jami.

So, if you were to submit your THE PLAY YOU WANT character on a dating website, what qualities of his would you submit?

Deeply insecure, neurotic, serial people-pleaser, searches for external validation. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, SWIPE RIGHT!

What character flaws would you definitely omit?

Does not like beans or potatoes. This is true of me and makes people irrationally upset. #CancelFrijoles

What cosmic forces brought you to join creative talents with director Michael John Garcés?

I'm a huge fan of his. I met Michael at the Great Plains Theatre Conference where I took a workshop that he taught on Community Based Theatre. I was like, "This guy is such a badass, I will now email him until he agrees to work with me." The work he does at Cornerstone is the most important theatre work being done in Los Angeles in my opinion. I am so lucky to have him on this team.

How involved are you in the pre-production of the premieres of your scripts? Casting decisions? Choice of directors?

I mean... I'm there, I give my two cents, but I have learned that if you have a great director and producer, you have to let them do their jobs, and the play will be all the better for it. The cast for this play is so talented and I trust Michael one hundred percent. The Road has been so kind and supportive and always asks for my input. I feel very lucky. To even have a play being produced during a global pandemic is a miracle. The amount of work it takes to even hold in-person rehearsals is insane. I am so grateful to the entire team.

Do you try to attend your shows' premieres?

I do. Openings are so fun! Cause after the play you get to celebrate with all the artists that you have built this thing with. But I don't much enjoy watching the play. I'm too insecure and I always sit in the audience wishing I had changed this or that line. It's really hard. But in the way that theatre people say things are "hard", not like real life "hard."

Have you worked with any of THE PLAY YOU WANT cast or creatives before?

Short answer: A lot of them!

Long answer: Roland Ruiz is a dear friend from theatre school. We both attended University of Houston ages ago and I always like casting him in my projects. Christopher Larkin is also a friend and an actor I adore. I will be directing him in the Fall when Ammunition Theatre Company puts on Carla Ching's brilliant new play REVENGE PORN. Chelsea Gonzalez directed me in a short film years ago and we had an instant artist connection. And I directed Peter Pasco when he understudied Malcolm Barrett in Ammunition Theatre Company's production of BRAIN PROBLEMS. He's such a gifted comedic actor and I'm thrilled he's in this play, even though he's a Yankees fan. Our composer Arian Saleh is a close friend and has scored short films and plays I have written in the past. The rest of the cast and team I knew from shows at The Road and was thrilled to work with them on this.

Have you tweaked your script at all for this Road Theatre production from the 2020 productions at Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and The Milagro Theatre in Portland, Oregon?

Very much so. I am so grateful to both of those theatre companies. They gave me money and space to workshop a play during a global pandemic. I mean, these people are theatre heroes. Zoom is super helpful for playwrights and the play wouldn't be in the place it is today if not for the work that all of those actors and theatres did. Please consider donating to both theatre companies if you can. They champion works by BIPOC playwrights and are just dope humans.

You have six plays published. How long does it usually take for you to finish a play that's workshopping-ready?

It's cliché, but I never think a play is finished. Each piece is different too. Some come together quickly and some take years to get to a place where you are not embarrassed to share them with an audience. But what really helps a play come together is organizations and theatre like The Road that create space for writers to improve their plays. I wouldn't be here without them. Thank you, Carlyle, Taylor and Danna!

You've been winning notable awards the last couple of years (NNPN Playwright Award for Political Theatre in 2021, Generation Award by Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company in 2020 and the Ingenio 2020 Award for new play by a Latinx Playwright by The Milagro Theatre). Any one award carry more significance to you?

Honestly, no. I never thought I would win any awards as a playwright, so it all feels very surreal. All three awards have a special place in my heart -- The NNPN grant is special because it's about reaching Latinx and Black audiences, the Ingenio award means a great deal because it was given to me by the Latinx theatre community, and the Boulder Ensemble Theatre award was for playwrights who are parents. So they all touch different soft spots.

What's the status on screenplay Untitled Ryan Garcia Project that was announced this past summer? Any COVID delays?

We just turned in a draft and I could not be more excited about this movie. Gina Rodriguez changed my life and opened doors to me that were closed for years. Getting to develop a script with her is a dream. I hope we shoot this thing soon and y'all get to see what a dope ass director she is. And the entire team at One Community is amazing. Look them up, they are a production company who make social justice films, I am so happy to work with them.

What's in the near future for Bernardo Cubria?

Well as I type these answers, my wife is nine months pregnant, so that's number one. (She is also grammar checking all my answers). I can't wait to meet this baby! Then the Untitled Ryan Garcia Project will hopefully go into production soon. I am so proud of this film. And then more plays, more movies, probably lots more heartache and questioning why I majored in theatre... but mostly being a dad and a husband and pretending to go on diets.

Thank you again, Bernardo! I look forward to checking out THE PLAY YOU WANT.

For tickets for the live performances of THE PLAY YOU WANT through April 17, 2022; log onto www.RoadTheatre.org