Today’s episode hits extra close to home for host Gina Marie Rodriguez. As a member of the Puerto Rican diaspora who often feels neither here nor there, she says she is honored to get the chance to speak with the director and cast of the Ritz Theatre Company’s production of “La Gringa.”
La Gringa, written by Carmen Rivera, is the story of a young woman’s search for her identity. Maria Elena Garcia goes to visit her family in Puerto Rico during the Christmas holidays and arrives with plans to connect with her homeland. Although this is her first trip to Puerto Rico, she has had an intense love for the island, and even majored in Puerto Rican Studies in college. Once Maria is in Puerto Rico, she realizes that Puerto Rico does not welcome her with open arms.
Recording this episode while in Puerto Rico herself, on location for a short film with a very similar theme, this interview is special to Rodriguez. Culture should not be gatekept. This is a story of reclamation.
Stay tuned to hear from the cast and creative behind “La Gringa.”
The production runs from September 4-20, 2026. Ritz Theatre Company is located at 915 White Horse Pike in Haddon Township, New Jersey. Tickets are available for purchase online.
