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José Rivera (playwright)

February 15, 2023

José Rivera (born March 24, 1955) is a playwright and the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar.

José Rivera
Rivera, 2009
Born (1955-03-24) March 24, 1955 (age 67)[1]
San Juan, Puerto Rico[1]
OccupationScreenwriter, playwright
Period1983–present
Notable worksMarisol
The Motorcycle Diaries Letters to Juliet
On the Road
Notable awardsObie Award, Goya Award, Academy Award (nom.)

Early years

Rivera was born in the Santurce section of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1955. He was raised in Arecibo where he lived until 1959. Rivera's family migrated from Puerto Rico when he was 5 years old, and moved to New York City. They settled down in Long Island, whose small town environment would be of an influence to him in the future. His father was a taxi driver, he said "...for a long time I just wanted to do better than him...so for years I wanted to be a bus driver."[2] His parents were very religious and he grew up in a household whose only book was the Bible. His family enjoyed telling stories and he learned a lot by hearing these stories. As a child, he also enjoyed watching The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits T.V. series. He received his primary and secondary education in the New York state public school system. In 1968, when Rivera was 12 years old, he saw a traveling company perform the play "Rumpelstiltskin" at his school. Witnessing the collective reaction of the audience towards the play convinced the young Rivera that someday, he too, would like to write plays.[3][4]

Career

Many of his plays have been produced across the nation and even translated into several languages, including: The House of Ramon Iglesias, Cloud Tectonics, The Street of the Sun, Sonnets for an Old Century, Sueño, Giants Have Us in Their Books, References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot and Adoration of the Old Woman. In 2003, Cloud Tectonics was presented in the XLII Festival of Puerto Rican Theater, an event sponsored by the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture, in San Juan. Rivera helped found the Los Angeles-based theater company, The Wilton Project.[3][4]

Television

Rivera contributed as a writer to the following shows: ‘’a.k.a.Pablo’’ (1984) (TV series), The House of Ramon Iglesias (1986) (TV), Family Matters (1989) (TV series), Goosebumps (1995) (TV series), The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998), Night Visions (2001) (TV series) and the "Harmony" segment of Shadow Realm (2002). He also co-created and co-produced the NBC-TV series, Eerie, Indiana with Karl Schaefer.[3][4]

TV appearances

Rivera was featured in The Dialogue interview series. In this 90 minute interview with producer Mike DeLuca, Rivera describes his transition from playwright to Oscar-nominated screenwriter.[3][4]

The Motorcycle Diaries

In 2002, Rivera was hired to write the screenplay for the film Diarios de Motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) by director Walter Salles. The movie, which was released in 2004, is based on Che Guevara's diary about a motorcycle trip which he and Alberto Granado had, and how it changed their lives. In January 2005, Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to be nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for "Best Adapted Screenplay" for the film. His screenplay won awards from the Cinema Writers Circle (Spain) and from the Argentine Film Critics Association; it was also nominated for awards by the American Screenwriters Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the Writers Guild of America.[5][6]

This work with the subject of Che Guevara later led Rivera to write and perform a play entitled School of the Americas which focuses on Che's last few hours alive. The play starring John Ortiz as Che, imagines Che's final conversations, mainly with a young and fairly naive female schoolteacher, in the one-room village schoolhouse where he is imprisoned before his execution. The play was featured in New York City 2006-2007 and later San Francisco 2008.[4][7]

Influences

In high school and later in college, he read everything that had to do with Shakespeare, Ibsen and Molière. His education was directed towards the Anglo-Euro Cultures, without receiving any exposure to the literature and writers of Latin America. However, he was profoundly influenced later by a Latin American novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude by 1982 Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. Márquez later became his mentor at the Sundance Institute.[3][4]

Rivera incorporates many of his life experiences into his plays. In The Promise and Each Day Dies With Sleep, Rivera discusses his experiences as a Puerto Rican in a small American town, with an emphasis on family, sexuality, spirituality and the occult. Marisol was inspired by the situation of his homeless uncle.[3]

Awards and honors

Rivera has won two Obie Awards for playwriting, a Kennedy Center Fund for New American plays Grant, a Fulbright Arts Fellowship in playwriting, a Whiting Award, a McKnight Fellowship, the 2005 Norman Lear Writing Award, a 2005 Impact Award and a Berilla Kerr Playwriting Award.[3]

Currently

His play, "Brainpeople," premiered in San Francisco January 30, 2008, and was co-produced by the American Conservatory Theater. Rivera will also direct and write the screenplay for "Celestina", a film loosely adapted from his play "Cloud Tectonics", which will be produced by Walter Salles. Among his recent projects is the movie adaptation of On the Road, based on the novel by Jack Kerouac.[3][4]

Plays

  • The House of Ramon Iglesia (1983)
  • The Promise (1988)
  • Each Day Dies With Sleep (1990)
  • Marisol (1992)
  • Tape (1993)
  • Flowers (1994)
  • Giants Have Us In Their Books (1997)
  • Cloud Tectonics (1995)
  • Maricela De La Luz Lights The World
  • Godstuff
  • Adoration of the Old Woman
  • The Street of the Sun (1996)
  • Sueno (1998)
  • Lovers of Long Red Hair (2000)
  • References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot (2000)
  • Sonnets for an Old Century (2000)
  • School of the Americas (2006)
  • Massacre (Sing To Your Children) (2007)
  • Brainpeople (2008)
  • Boleros for the Disinchanted (2008), world premiere Yale Repertory Theatre
  • Human Emotional Process (2008), commissioned by McCarter Theatre
  • Pablo and Andrew at the Altar of Words (2010)
  • Golden (2010)
  • The Kiss of the Spider Woman (translation) (2010)
  • The Hours are Feminine (2011)
  • Lessons for an Unaccustomed Bride (2011)
  • The Book of Fishes (2011)
  • Another Word for Beauty (2012), musical, music and lyrics by Héctor Buitrago, book by Rivera, production of The Civilians[8]
  • Written on my Face (2012)
  • Another Word for Beauty (2013)
  • The Last Book of Homer (2013)
  • The Garden of Tears and Kisses (2014)
  • Sermon for the Senses (2014)
  • Charlotte (2014)
  • The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona[9]

Many of these plays are published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc.

Bibliography of Scholarly Criticism

  1. Toward a Rhetoric of Sociospatial Theatre: José Rivera's Marisol By: J. Chris Westgate, Theatre Journal, 2007 March; 59 (1): 21–37.
  2. Split Personality: Random Thoughts on Writing for Theater and Film By: José Rivera, Cinema Journal, 2006 Winter; 45 (2): 89–92.
  3. The Motorcycle Diaries By: Yon Motskin, Creative Screenwriting, 2005 January-Feb; 12 (1): 89.
  4. 'An Urgent Voice for Our Times': An Interview with José Rivera By: Caridad Svich, Contemporary Theatre Review: An International Journal, 2004 November; 14 (4): 83–89.
  5. Die Imaginierung ethnischer Weltsicht im neueren amerikanischen Drama By: Herbert Grabes, IN: Schlote and Zenzinger, New Beginnings in Twentieth-Century Theatre and Drama: Essays in Honour of Armin Geraths. Trier, Germany: Wissenschaftlicher; 2003. pp. 327–44
  6. José Rivera By: Miriam Chirico, IN: Wheatley, Twentieth-Century American Dramatists, Third Series. Detroit, MI: Thomson Gale; 2002. pp. 281–301
  7. Marisol, Angels, and Apocalyptic Migrations By: Jon D. Rossini, American Drama, 2001 Summer; 10 (2): 1-20.
  8. An Interview with Jose Rivera By: Norma Jenckes, American Drama, 2001 Summer; 10 (2): 21–47.
  9. Dream Editor By: Stephanie Coen, American Theatre, 1996 December; 13 (10): 26.
  10. Exile and Otherness: Examples from Three Continents By: Phyllis Zatlin, Hispanofila, 1993 January; 107: 33–41.
  11. Poverty and Magic in Each Day Dies with Sleep By: José Rivera, Studies in American Drama, 1945–present, 1992; 7 (1): 163–232.
  12. An Interview with José Rivera By: Lynn Jacobson, Studies in American Drama, 1945–present, 1991; 6 (1): 49–58.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Jose Rivera", Turner Classic Movies. Accessed August 8, 2022
  2. ^ McElroy, Steven (26 February 2006). "José Rivera". The New York Times.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Diction and Contradiction by Michael Feingold, Village Voice, July 4, 2006
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Book Rags
  5. ^ Jose Rivera's Che Guevara Play: "School of the Americas" by Delfin Vigil, January 20, 2008
  6. ^ Jose Rivera awards and nominations at IMDB.com, accessed 1 August 2009.
  7. ^ Diction and Contradiction by Michael Feingold, Village Voice, July 4, 2006
  8. ^ "Playwright José Rivera Finds "Another Word for Beauty"". 28 January 2016.
  9. ^ "The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona".

External links

February 15, 2023
josé, rivera, playwright, josé, rivera, born, march, 1955, playwright, first, puerto, rican, screenwriter, nominated, oscar, josé, riverarivera, 2009born, 1955, march, 1955, juan, puerto, rico, occupationscreenwriter, playwrightperiod1983, presentnotable, work. Jose Rivera born March 24 1955 is a playwright and the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar Jose RiveraRivera 2009Born 1955 03 24 March 24 1955 age 67 1 San Juan Puerto Rico 1 OccupationScreenwriter playwrightPeriod1983 presentNotable worksMarisolThe Motorcycle Diaries Letters to JulietOn the RoadNotable awardsObie Award Goya Award Academy Award nom Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 2 1 Television 2 2 TV appearances 2 3 The Motorcycle Diaries 3 Influences 4 Awards and honors 5 Currently 6 Plays 7 Bibliography of Scholarly Criticism 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksEarly years EditRivera was born in the Santurce section of San Juan Puerto Rico in 1955 He was raised in Arecibo where he lived until 1959 Rivera s family migrated from Puerto Rico when he was 5 years old and moved to New York City They settled down in Long Island whose small town environment would be of an influence to him in the future His father was a taxi driver he said for a long time I just wanted to do better than him so for years I wanted to be a bus driver 2 His parents were very religious and he grew up in a household whose only book was the Bible His family enjoyed telling stories and he learned a lot by hearing these stories As a child he also enjoyed watching The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits T V series He received his primary and secondary education in the New York state public school system In 1968 when Rivera was 12 years old he saw a traveling company perform the play Rumpelstiltskin at his school Witnessing the collective reaction of the audience towards the play convinced the young Rivera that someday he too would like to write plays 3 4 Career EditMany of his plays have been produced across the nation and even translated into several languages including The House of Ramon Iglesias Cloud Tectonics The Street of the Sun Sonnets for an Old Century Sueno Giants Have Us in Their Books References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot and Adoration of the Old Woman In 2003 Cloud Tectonics was presented in the XLII Festival of Puerto Rican Theater an event sponsored by the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture in San Juan Rivera helped found the Los Angeles based theater company The Wilton Project 3 4 Television Edit Rivera contributed as a writer to the following shows a k a Pablo 1984 TV series The House of Ramon Iglesias 1986 TV Family Matters 1989 TV series Goosebumps 1995 TV series The Jungle Book Mowgli s Story 1998 Night Visions 2001 TV series and the Harmony segment of Shadow Realm 2002 He also co created and co produced the NBC TV series Eerie Indiana with Karl Schaefer 3 4 TV appearances Edit Rivera was featured in The Dialogue interview series In this 90 minute interview with producer Mike DeLuca Rivera describes his transition from playwright to Oscar nominated screenwriter 3 4 The Motorcycle Diaries Edit In 2002 Rivera was hired to write the screenplay for the film Diarios de Motocicleta The Motorcycle Diaries by director Walter Salles The movie which was released in 2004 is based on Che Guevara s diary about a motorcycle trip which he and Alberto Granado had and how it changed their lives In January 2005 Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to be nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film His screenplay won awards from the Cinema Writers Circle Spain and from the Argentine Film Critics Association it was also nominated for awards by the American Screenwriters Association the Online Film Critics Society and the Writers Guild of America 5 6 This work with the subject of Che Guevara later led Rivera to write and perform a play entitled School of the Americas which focuses on Che s last few hours alive The play starring John Ortiz as Che imagines Che s final conversations mainly with a young and fairly naive female schoolteacher in the one room village schoolhouse where he is imprisoned before his execution The play was featured in New York City 2006 2007 and later San Francisco 2008 4 7 Influences EditIn high school and later in college he read everything that had to do with Shakespeare Ibsen and Moliere His education was directed towards the Anglo Euro Cultures without receiving any exposure to the literature and writers of Latin America However he was profoundly influenced later by a Latin American novel One Hundred Years of Solitude by 1982 Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez Marquez later became his mentor at the Sundance Institute 3 4 Rivera incorporates many of his life experiences into his plays In The Promise and Each Day Dies With Sleep Rivera discusses his experiences as a Puerto Rican in a small American town with an emphasis on family sexuality spirituality and the occult Marisol was inspired by the situation of his homeless uncle 3 Awards and honors EditRivera has won two Obie Awards for playwriting a Kennedy Center Fund for New American plays Grant a Fulbright Arts Fellowship in playwriting a Whiting Award a McKnight Fellowship the 2005 Norman Lear Writing Award a 2005 Impact Award and a Berilla Kerr Playwriting Award 3 Currently EditHis play Brainpeople premiered in San Francisco January 30 2008 and was co produced by the American Conservatory Theater Rivera will also direct and write the screenplay for Celestina a film loosely adapted from his play Cloud Tectonics which will be produced by Walter Salles Among his recent projects is the movie adaptation of On the Road based on the novel by Jack Kerouac 3 4 Plays EditThe House of Ramon Iglesia 1983 The Promise 1988 Each Day Dies With Sleep 1990 Marisol 1992 Tape 1993 Flowers 1994 Giants Have Us In Their Books 1997 Cloud Tectonics 1995 Maricela De La Luz Lights The World Godstuff Adoration of the Old Woman The Street of the Sun 1996 Sueno 1998 Lovers of Long Red Hair 2000 References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot 2000 Sonnets for an Old Century 2000 School of the Americas 2006 Massacre Sing To Your Children 2007 Brainpeople 2008 Boleros for the Disinchanted 2008 world premiere Yale Repertory Theatre Human Emotional Process 2008 commissioned by McCarter Theatre Pablo and Andrew at the Altar of Words 2010 Golden 2010 The Kiss of the Spider Woman translation 2010 The Hours are Feminine 2011 Lessons for an Unaccustomed Bride 2011 The Book of Fishes 2011 Another Word for Beauty 2012 musical music and lyrics by Hector Buitrago book by Rivera production of The Civilians 8 Written on my Face 2012 Another Word for Beauty 2013 The Last Book of Homer 2013 The Garden of Tears and Kisses 2014 Sermon for the Senses 2014 Charlotte 2014 The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona 9 Many of these plays are published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc Bibliography of Scholarly Criticism EditToward a Rhetoric of Sociospatial Theatre Jose Rivera s Marisol By J Chris Westgate Theatre Journal 2007 March 59 1 21 37 Split Personality Random Thoughts on Writing for Theater and Film By Jose Rivera Cinema Journal 2006 Winter 45 2 89 92 The Motorcycle Diaries By Yon Motskin Creative Screenwriting 2005 January Feb 12 1 89 An Urgent Voice for Our Times An Interview with Jose Rivera By Caridad Svich Contemporary Theatre Review An International Journal 2004 November 14 4 83 89 Die Imaginierung ethnischer Weltsicht im neueren amerikanischen Drama By Herbert Grabes IN Schlote and Zenzinger New Beginnings in Twentieth Century Theatre and Drama Essays in Honour of Armin Geraths Trier Germany Wissenschaftlicher 2003 pp 327 44 Jose Rivera By Miriam Chirico IN Wheatley Twentieth Century American Dramatists Third Series Detroit MI Thomson Gale 2002 pp 281 301 Marisol Angels and Apocalyptic Migrations By Jon D Rossini American Drama 2001 Summer 10 2 1 20 An Interview with Jose Rivera By Norma Jenckes American Drama 2001 Summer 10 2 21 47 Dream Editor By Stephanie Coen American Theatre 1996 December 13 10 26 Exile and Otherness Examples from Three Continents By Phyllis Zatlin Hispanofila 1993 January 107 33 41 Poverty and Magic in Each Day Dies with Sleep By Jose Rivera Studies in American Drama 1945 present 1992 7 1 163 232 An Interview with Jose Rivera By Lynn Jacobson Studies in American Drama 1945 present 1991 6 1 49 58 See also EditList of Puerto Ricans On the Road 2012 film List of Puerto Ricans in the Academy Awards List of Puerto Rican writers Puerto Rican literature Pacific Playwrights FestivalReferences Edit a b Jose Rivera Turner Classic Movies Accessed August 8 2022 McElroy Steven 26 February 2006 Jose Rivera The New York Times a b c d e f g h Diction and Contradiction by Michael Feingold Village Voice July 4 2006 a b c d e f g Book Rags Jose Rivera s Che Guevara Play School of the Americas by Delfin Vigil January 20 2008 Jose Rivera awards and nominations at IMDB com accessed 1 August 2009 Diction and Contradiction by Michael Feingold Village Voice July 4 2006 Playwright Jose Rivera Finds Another Word for Beauty 28 January 2016 The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona External links EditJose Rivera at IMDb Profile at The Whiting Foundation The Dialogue Learn from the Masters Interview Diction and Contradiction by Michael Feingold Village Voice July 4 2006 Jose Rivera s Che Guevara Play School of the Americas by Delfin Vigil January 20 2008 Book Rags http articles latimes com 1995 03 02 entertainment ca 37615 1 ramon iglesiaPortals Puerto Rico Literature Biography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jose Rivera playwright amp oldid 1116997172, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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