MARISOL Revival to Open at Open Fist Theatre Company

Open Fist Theatre Company will present a rare revival of Marisol, the Obie-winning work by Puerto Rican playwright José Rivera. Directed by Open Fist associate artistic director Amanda Weier, the production runs September 12 through October 24 at Atwater Village Theatre, with low-priced preview performances September 10 and 11.

Marisol is a darkly funny, apocalyptic fable about survival, faith and hope. After her guardian angel abandons her to join the celestial battle against a senile God, Bronx resident Marisol Pérez must navigate a terrifying, unraveling world on her own while struggling to preserve her humanity. 

Born in Puerto Rico in 1955, Rivera moved with his family to New York City at the age of four. Among his best-known plays are Cloud Tectonics and References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot, which earned him a second Obie. He became the first Puerto Rican writer to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Motorcycle Diaries. Rivera has cited Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, whom he met while both were at The Sundance Institute, as one of his most significant artistic influences and mentors.

Jade Santana, recently seen at Open Fist in Amerika and Brownstone, stars as Marisol opposite Taylor Scott as the Guardian Angel. The cast also features Barbara Lee Bragg, Hutchins Foster, Matthew Goodrich, Carmella Jenkins, Mara Michelle, Chima Rok, Jack Sharpe and Grace Soens.

The creative team includes scenic designer Brad Bentz, lighting designer Matt Richter, sound designer Christopher Moscatiello, Costume Designer Mylette Nora, and props designers Bruce Dickinson and Anna Kraus. Saskia Young serves as associate producer, and John Dimitri is the production stage manager.