José Cruz González

Playwright Biography

Early Life

  • Born on March 19, 1957 to María de Jesús González and Fidel Ruben Gama González, migrant workers.
  • Raised in Watsonville, California on California’s central coast. Here, he was inspired by the nature that surrounded him, as can be seen in his plays.
  • He credits his grandparents with inspiring him to get into telling stories, as they would come back from the fields to tell him stories.
  • Earned a B.A. in US History/Chicano Studies from the University of California, San Diego with a minor in Theatre
  • Earned an M.A. in Theatre from Arizona State University in Tempe, then an MFA in directing from the University of California Irvine.
  • He is a very collaborative playwright and has devised several plays with communities of color, his most recent being Dialogue/Diálogos.

Awards and Recognitions

  • NEA Directing Fellowship (1985)
  • NEA/TCG Theatre Residency Program for Playwrights (1997)
  • Recipient of a 2004 TCG/Pew National Theatre Residency
  • Emmy nomination for PAZ
  • 2012 Ann Shaw Fellowship by Theatre for Young Audiences/USA
  • 2010 Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist Grant
  • 2009 American Alliance for Theatre & Education Distinguished Book Award
  • Outstanding Professor at California State University Los Angeles

Cal State LA's President's Distinguished Professors

Highlighted Play: The Highest Heaven

Synopsis

The Highest Heaven is a coming-of-age story that follows Huracán after he ends up in Mexico when he and other Mexicans are deported from the States during the Great Depression. He soon meets Dona Elena, a greedy widow, and El Negro, a Black-American with a dark past and a suspicious suitcase. El Negro, although quite apprehensive at first, begins to care for him, and shows him his sanctuary of monarch butterflies. They learn a lot from each other, face Dona Elena, and leave to the States together.

How this play can be used:

Magical realism is a great entry point for this play as well as other plays by González. Students can analyze how this element affects a work, and compare it to the use in some of his other works. In addition, there can be many conversations/activities about colorism and racial tensions in the United States and Mexico that can be done using parts of the book as a jumping off point. Lastly, this book can also be a way to further explore the Great Depression and how it affected minorities, as this is not always taught in regular high school curriculums.

González, J. C., & Morgan, D. L. (2002). The Highest Heaven: a full-length play. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Pub.

From The Highest Heaven. Photo by Charles Dee Rice

From The Highest Heaven. Photo by Todd Hulet

Sample Audience

As José Cruz González has an extensive list of works for young audiences, this play as well as many of his other plays can be used for a variety of ages with some adaptation and tailoring. The Highest Heaven would probably work best with an upper elementary/ middle school classroom due to its magical realism, length, and age of the protagonist (10 -12 years old).

Activity

This is an activity that can be adapted to suit other plays, subjects, and disciplines.

There will be poster paper around the room with definitive statements written on top, and "Agree" and "Disagree" written underneath on opposite sides, with a line running through the middle. The statements should revolve around the themes or main ideas of the story. Some examples include:

  • Human beings are innately selfish.
  • People should act solely based on principle, and not the consequences of their actions.
  • One should always take others' feelings and interests into consideration before acting.

The task for the students should be along the lines of:

Write on either or both agree/disagree sides for each statement, then reply to at least 2 other responses. Feel free to write in the middle if you really can't make up your mind.

Discussion questions

  1. What does The Highest Heaven say about each of these statements?*
  2. Which archetypes/stereotypes exist in the play? What function do they serve? Are they/Can they be problematic?
  3. What role does magical realism have in this play/ other plays? Does it help with the overall TYA message?
  4. Should TYA plays have an educational message/lesson/moral of the story? Does having one make it a better TYA play?
  5. Take a “teachable moment” or idea from the play and with a partner come up with a lesson/ activity that can be done in a classroom K-12.

*Question one is referencing the statements from the previous activity.

Additional Plays

Tomás and the Library Lady

Synopsis

Tomás and the Library Lady is based on the book by Pat Mora, which is based on Tomás Rivera’s life and struggles with learning English. Tomás is a migrant boy who moves with his family to Hampton, Iowa to find work picking in the fields. He faces a “nightmare teacher” that doesn’t allow him to speak in English, and makes him feel self conscious about his abilities. One day while out for an errand, he discovers the library and the library lady who encourages him to read and shows him the magic inside a book. He in turn, teaches her some Spanish and decides to share his newfound knowledge and love for books with his family, who then moves back to Texas.

How this play can be used:

This play can offer valuable material when used in the classroom. It uses both the English and Spanish so it has the entry points to learn Spanish, and has been used in this sense. Along these lines, it can also be used to explore first-generation Americans and migrant workers and what lives were like for people who immigrated to the country for work. In addition, it is an adaptation of a book, so a unit or lesson(s) on adaptations can be done as well. Finally, as it is based on Tomás Rivera, it can go into a lesson about him, his achievements (since he was the first Latinx to be a University of California University Chancellor) and can then be used as a segue for other influential Latinx and/or influential beings from non-white backgrounds.

González, J. C., & Mora, P. (2005). Tomás and the library lady. Cerritos, CA: José Cruz González.


Invierno

Synopsis

This is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, where Don Leon accuses his wife, Hermonia of cheating on him with his closest friend, Don Patricio. Hermonia gives birth to a baby girl in jail, Perdita, afterwhich, Hermione dies. Perdita is able to escape with the help of Alejandro, and is raised by a sheep rancher. When Don Patricio’s son falls in love with Perdita, Don Leon may be able to redeem himself.

How this play can be used:

As this play is an adaptation of The Winter’s Tale then this play can serve to compare and contrast to the original, enabling a discussion on adaptations. In addition, it can open up a door to Shakespeare and other adaptations of Shakespearean plays. As with any Shakespeare play, there is room for character exploration and comparisons can be done for these as well.

González, J. C. (2009). Invierno. Cerritos, CA: José Cruz González.

Comprehensive List of Works

Marisol’s Christmas (1990)

Tomas and the Library Lady (1990)

Harvest Moon (1994)

Calabasas Street (1998)

Earth Songs (1998)

The Magic Rainforest (2001)

Salt & Pepper (2002)

The Highest Heaven (2002)

The Cloud Gatherer (year unknown)

Lily Plants A Garden (2004)

Old Jake’s Skirts (2006)

Watermelon Kisses (2006)

September Shoes (2006)

Two Donuts (2007)

The Sun Serpent (2007)

The Blue House (2008)

Invierno (2009)

Sunsets and Margaritas (2009)

The Heart's Desire (2009)

Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle (2014)

Los Valientes (2014)

Dialogues/ Dialogos (2014)

American Mariachi (2016)

From Dialogues/Diálogos. Photo by: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

From The Heart's Desire. Photo by: PCPA/ Luis Escobar Reflections

From Seattle Children's Theatre's production of Tomas and the Library Lady. Photo by Chris Bennio.

The Sun Serpent

Video Preview by Northwest Children's Theater

Bibliography

González, J. C., & Jennings, C. A. (2008) Nine plays by José Cruz González: magical realism and mature themes in theatre for young audiences. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Heffley, L. (2000, February 11). In 'Highest Heaven,' a Boy Spreads His Wings. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://articles.latimes.com/2000/feb/11/entertainment/ca-63182

Linn, S. (2010, August 26). Descent and redemption. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article39131661.html

Linn, S. (2016, July 08). The San Patricios: Jose Cruz González Unearths America's Past. Retrieved March 20, 2017, https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/the-san-patricios-jose-cruz-gonzalez-unearths-americas-past

Luppi, K. (2014, September 4). A 'Long Road' to completion. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.latimes.com/tn-dpt-et-jose-cruz-gonzalez-20140904-story.html

Villalpando, N. (2016, January 15). Zach Theatre brings Pat Mora's 'Tomás and the Library Lady' to... Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.mystatesman.com/lifestyles/parenting/zach-theatre-brings-pat-mora-tomas-and-the-library-lady-stage/GNmhgQtOQxfbfPDM9qhhZO/

Moore , J. (2016, May 07). “Sunsets & Margaritas” **1/2. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.denverpost.com/2009/04/11/sunsets-margaritas-12/

Myatt, J. (2014, n.d.). Resident Playwrights in Conversation: José Cruz González and Julie Marie Myatt. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://howlround.com/resident-playwrights-in-conversation-jos-cruz-gonz-lez-and-julie-marie-myatt

Propst, A. (2009, July 30). PCPA Slates José Cruz González's World Premiere Invierno and Musicals Curtains and West Side Story for 2009-10. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.theatermania.com/los-angeles-theater/news/07-2009/pcpa-slates-jose-cruz-gonzalezs-world-premiere-inv_20366.html

Villalpando, N. (2016, January 15). Zach Theatre brings Pat Mora's 'Tomás and the Library Lady' to... Retrieved March 20, 2017, from http://www.mystatesman.com/lifestyles/parenting/zach-theatre-brings-pat-mora-tomas-and-the-library-lady-stage/GNmhgQtOQxfbfPDM9qhhZO/


Web page compiled by Elizabeth Lozada (2017)