(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage will present Ramón Esquivel’s Luna, a bilingual play in Spanish and English, for two weekends (July 20-21 and July 27-28). The play is appropriate for family audiences and is a story of friendship inspired by stories of migrant kids and their families.
Luna tells the funny and hopeful story of Soledad, who sings and dances with the stars and moon every night. Her family is always on the move, so it's easier to talk to Luna, the moon, than to other kids. But Soledad has always wanted to have human friends, so one day she tries something new. This universal tale will speak to everyone who has ever struggled to make friends and keep them.
The production will include original music by Cooper Davis and features members of StudioLuna’s Performance Conservatory Teen Ensemble in conjunction with adult performers. It is directed by Luna Stage Artistic Associate Chris Kuiken. Running Time: 50 minutes, no intermission
Tickets are $15 and are available for purchase online. $10 with code LUNA10, purchase by July 15 (limit 4 per purchase) $30 for Family Pack of 4 tickets with code LUNAFAM, purchase by July 15.
Luna Stage is located at 555 Valley Road in West Orange, New Jersey.
About the Artists
Ramón Esquivel is a writer and educator based in Seattle. His plays have been produced in New York City; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle and elsewhere in North America. His play The Shahrazad Society won the 2014 Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award from the New England Theatre Conference. Three works, Nasty, Nocturnal and Luna, are published through Dramatic Publishing. Nocturnal is also part of New Visions/New Voices: 25 Years/25 Plays, an anthology commemorating the Kennedy Center festival, and Luna is featured in the upcoming Palabras del Cielo: An Exploration of Latin@ Theatre for Young Audiences. He has degrees in history from Yale University, educational theatre from New York University and creative writing from the University of British Columbia.
Chris Kuiken is the 2018-2019 Artistic Resident at Luna Stage. He was the assistant director to Ari Laura Kreith for Luna’s Mainstage productions of Heartland and Pirira. He directed readings of Bees and Honey and three girls never learnt the way home for Luna’s New Moon Series. He also directed a series of plays for New Jersey's One-Minute Play Fest at Mile Square Theatre. Other directorial credits include William Finn’s A New Brain at Boston University, and COMBAT, an original piece that was devised and performed in 24 hours at Boston University. Chris is a teaching artist for StudioLuna's Youth Creative Response Team and Valley Stories Project. As an actor, Chris has performed in the NY International Fringe Festival as Ari in Black and Blue, and as Tom Watson in Jason Robert Brown’s Parade at the Huntington Theatre in Boston.
StudioLuna’s Performance Conservatory Teen Ensemble is a four-week program which allows performers between the ages of 11 and 17 to build individual technique and learn about themselves as performers, explore their own abilities, and refine their skills. Admission is by audition only. Those accepted participate in a focused rehearsal process of Ramon Esquivel's bilingual Spanish-English play Luna, culminating in four public performances on Luna Theatre's MainStage as well as a week-long tour to summer programs and schools in surrounding communities.
About Luna Stage
Luna Stage is a professional regional theatre that develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences. Firmly rooted in New Jersey's Valley Arts District—a crossroads of cultures—Luna celebrates the diverse voices of its neighbors and brings its communities together for artistic events that inspire dialogue and build understanding.
Luna is committed to eliminating barriers to participation and nurturing the next generation of audiences and artists. In addition to its Equity MainStage and Studio productions, the company offers classes for children and adults, and developmental programs for early career artists.
Luna Stage has contributed to the development of over 80 new works for the stage, earning a reputation for artistic excellence. Luna’s unique approach to producing, as well as the work itself, fosters an environment of inclusivity, understanding, and infinite possibility.
