Hiding in Plain Sight with Peppur Chambers-Soraci & Diana Burbano
In this episode, two well-established writers and actors, Diana Burbano and Peppur Chambers-Soraci, share their experiences as female artists of color.
This month
Peppur & Diana connect over how there are no female heroes because women are often the end goal for male characters and their “Hero’s Journey.”
Peppur discusses how her observant nature and acting training helps her create detailed descriptions in her writing.
Diana chats about her work for Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) and how it was a place for actors of color to belong and be seen.
Diana tells us about her powerful experiences watching Ian McKellen on stage, (including one particularly fun story about playing a corpse on stage).
Peppur responds to L. Trey’s admiration for her piece and how it switched between beauty and tragedy so eloquently.
Both writers talk about how actors of color don’t get any grace because they either have to be perfect or be a one-dimensional stereotype.
Diana expands on a line in her essay, “I have nothing against a good love story, but I wanted to explore a journey between people who have more on their minds than their hearts.”
Peppur discusses how she felt ugly as a girl and young woman despite what everyone else said about her beauty.
Both writers talk about how actors shouldn’t have to hide things about themselves, such as their accents, but should be able to celebrate every bit of themselves.
Diana advises through her play, “Don’t take away people’s joy.”
Peppur laments the lack of discussion around sex trafficking, especially for black children.
Peppur and Diana discuss what is inspiring them now.
“I love what you said because it’s a good lesson for all of us. It’s really just about not hiding and bringing your full self and celebrating, you know, every bit of you.”
Pieces Read
Prologue from, HARLEM’S AWAKENING, a novella by Peppur Chambers-Soraci
An essay by Diana Burbano that describes the inspiration for her TYA play, CALIBAN’S ISLAND
Peppur Chambers-Soraci
Writer, Producer, & Educator
PEPPUR CHAMBERS is an international writer/producer/educator. A member of Circle X Emerging Playwrights Group, Moving Arts MADLab, and Antaeus Playwrights Lab, she uses her voice to scream, shout or sing about women’s issues, social justice and love. Her radio play, End of the Line, examines about human trafficking and was featured in Antaeus Theatre Company’s The Zip Code Plays Season Two. Her plays For the Love of You, House Rules, The Build UP, Dick & Jayne Get A Life and one-woman show, Harlem’s Awakening: Storytelling Live have been produced in Los Angeles and Prague. A published novella author, she’s also recently directed a short film she co-wrote, Do Something, shot during the pandemic, socially distanced and entirely on iPhones. Learn more at penandpeppur.com where she tells stories of heroes, including her own.
Diana Burbano
Playwright, Actor, and Teaching Artist
Diana Burbano, a Colombian immigrant, is a playwright, an Equity actor, and a teaching artist at South Coast Repertory and Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble. Diana’s play Ghosts of Bogota, won the Nu Voices festival at Actors Theatre of Charlotte in 2019. Ghosts was commissioned and debuted at Alter Theater in the Bay Area in Feb 2020. Sapience, was a Playground-SF 2020, Winner and was featured at Latinx Theatre Festival, San Diego Rep 2020. Fabulous Monsters, a Kilroys selection was to premiere at Playwrights Arena in 2020 (postponed). She was in Center Theatre Group’s 2018-19 Writers Workshop cohort and is in the Geffen’s Writers Lab in 20-21. She has worked on projects with South Coast Repertory, Artists Repertory Theatre, Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble and Center Theatre Group and Livermore Shakespeare Festival.
Diana recently played Amalia in Jose Cruz Gonzales' American Mariachi at South Coast Repertory and Arizona Theatre Company, and Marisela in La Ruta at Artists Repertory. You can also see her as Viv the Punk in the cult musical Isle of Lesbos. She is the current Dramatists Guild Rep for Southern California. www.dianaburbano.com