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Exal Iraheta

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Exal Iraheta is a Salvi-American playwright & screenwriter, born in Houston, TX now based in Chicago, IL. Sometimes humorous and often uncomfortable, his writing explores the intersections of innocence, queerness, Latinx realities, violence, and sex.

Exal earned an MFA from Northwestern University’s Writing for the Screen and Stage program in 2019, and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Film & Video Production in 2009. He has worked with several Chicago-based organizations as videographer and editor, media advisor, and film/video equipment instructor. His TV original pilots have received staged readings at The iO Theater, Annoyance Theatre, and The Crowd Theater.

Recently, his full length play They Could Give No Name was curated as part of Victory Gardens' 2019 Ignition Festival of New Plays, and his short play Open Venas received a production as part of Theater Masters’ 2019 Take Ten New York Short Play Festival. His full length play Rules of a Closed Door was a semi-finalist for the 2019 Activate: Midwest New Play Fest, with an excerpt reading at The Goodman Theater the previous year.

Exal Iraheta News


Lucille Lortel Theatre Reveals New Artistic Initiatives and Programming


The Lucille Lortel Theatre has announced several artistic initiatives that further expand the historic theater’s impact on the Off-Broadway community and the field nationally. Learn more about the upcoming programming here!

PlayGround-Chicago Season 2 Monday Night PlayGround Blasts Off Next Month with ORIGIN STORY


Join PlayGround-Chicago for the start of their 2nd season with the Monday Night PlayGround series, featuring original short plays inspired by the prompt 'Origin Story.' The event will be held in-person and simulcast online on October 30th at 7pm CT.

Staged Reading of SUCH SMALL HANDS by Adam Szymkowicz to Close Out 2023 OTR New Works Series at Chance Theater


Chance Theater, Anaheim’s official resident theater company, will present a staged reading of a brand new play to close out our 2023 OTR New Works Series.

Chance Theater Presents WE AIN'T EVER GONNA BREAK UP: THE HYMON & PARFUNKEL STORY


Chance Theater, Anaheim's official resident theater company, will present a workshop production of an original two-man folk musical parody as part of its 2022 OTR New Works Series.

Staged Reading Of Exal Iraheta's HONGO Comes to Chance Theater in August


Chance Theater, Anaheim's official resident theater company, will present a staged reading of a brand new mind-bending play as part of the 2022 OTR New Works Series.

A Red Orchid Theatre Presents LAST HERMANOS, Beginning April 21


A Red Orchid Theatre presents the World Premiere of Last Hermanos by Exal Iraheta, directed by Ismael Lara, Jr.. Last Hermanos runs April 21 – June 12, 2022 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago. 

A Red Orchid Theatre Announces 2021-2022 Season


A Red Orchid Theatre announces its 29th Season, kicking off the with the Chicago Premiere of The Moors by Jen Silverman, directed by Artistic Director and Ensemble Member Kirsten Fitzgerald and followed by the world premiere of Last Hermanos by Exal Iraheta.

Goodman Theatre to Present Seven Readings of New Works By Goodman Playwrights Unit Members


Goodman Theatre's commitment to new work and emerging artists continues as dates are set for in-person readings of seven new works produced by Playwrights Unit members from the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 cohorts.

LAST HERMANOS to be Presented by A Red Orchid Theatre


A Red Orchid Theatre will present Last Hermanos – an audio translation of a play in progress, written by Exal Iraheta and directed by Melanie Queponds. Last Hermanos runs April 23-May 16, 2021.

Random Acts Announces SCARY STORIES Extension Through 11/15


Random Acts has announced an extension for SCARY STORIES: DARK WEB. The on-demand horror experience will now remain available to stream through November 15 at RandomActsChicago.com. Access for as low as $1.

Goodman Theatre Announces 2020/2021 Playwrights Unit


Goodman Theatre's commitment to new work and commissioning emerging artists continues as four Chicago-based writers are announced as the 2020/2021 Playwrights Unit.

Random Acts Announces SCARY STORIES On Demand


Random Acts presents SCARY STORIES: DARK WEB, an on-demand horror experience starting October 16. Tickets for the stream are Pay What You Can, with preorders beginning October 1.

Victory Gardens Announces IGNITION 2020


Victory Gardens Theater outgoing Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Artistic Erica Daniels announce the lineup for the 2020 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including Black Like Me by Monty Cole, North Star by Georgette Kelly, Last Hermanos by Exal Iraheta, and Pivot by Alex Lubischer. The annual festival of new plays, now online for Summer 2020, will run from mid-June to mid-July with free readings of four new plays from Chicago playwrights on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. Each reading will be followed by a a?oeCoffee with the Creatorsa?? chat at noon the following day.

Casting Announced For Random Acts' SCARY STORIES: ARE YOU AFRAID?


Random Acts presents SCARY STORIES: ARE YOU AFRAID?, featuring ten world premiere tales by some of the country's most exciting playwrights. Performances take place at Otherworld Theatre (3914 N. Clark).

Random Acts Presents SCARY STORIES: ARE YOU AFRAID?


Random Acts presents SCARY STORIES: ARE YOU AFRAID?, featuring ten world premiere tales by some of the country's most exciting playwrights. Performances take place at Otherworld Theatre (3914 N. Clark).

Victory Gardens Theater Announces Casting And Events For The 11th Anniversary IGNITION Festival of New Plays 


Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Director Erica Daniels and Director of New Play Development Skyler Gray announce the lineup for the 11th Anniversary IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including The Tasters by Meghan Brown; The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso; [hieroglyph] by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; #NEWSLAVES by Keelay Gipson; Reckoning: Furies from a New Queer Nation by Geraldine Inoa; and They Could Give No Name by Exal Iraheta. The 2019 Festival runs August 2 -4, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Announces IGNITION Lineup


Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Director Erica Daniels and Director of New Play Development Skyler Gray announce the lineup for the 2019 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including The Tasters by Meghan Brown; The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso; [hieroglyph] by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; #NEWSLAVES by Keelay Gipson; Reckoning: Furies from a New Queer Nation by Geraldine Inoa; and They Could Give No Name by Exal Iraheta. The 2019 Festival runs August 2 -4, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N Lincoln Avenue.

Theater Masters Presents TAKE TEN 2019


An evening of stellar 10-minute plays from some of the top MFA playwrights in the country, Theater Masters Take Ten 2019 is an exciting presentation of new short plays from the next generation of American Playwrights. This year's Take Ten features 10-min plays by 6 stellar playwrights from some of the best MFA programs in the country. Presented in association with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.

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