Sara Gutierrez (Cindy)
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Sara is so excited to relive this amazing story with such an incredible team. As a graduate with her BFA in Acting from Ithaca College '19, Sara is proud to represent her community and Chicana roots through Quince. Her past credits include "Law & Order SVU",  "Dexter" on Showtime, "Equity" (fressia) at Theatre Row, and the original production of "Quince" in 2020. 

Brenda Flores (Maria)
Brenda Flores is a dancer, actor, performer, and teaching artist. She started dancing professionally at 16 years old. She danced with the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico from 2015 through 2019, where she had a residency in the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. She toured nationally through Mexico, and internationally in South America, Central America, and the U.S. Her love for acting started at Van Mar Academy in Los Angeles CA and upon her return to New York City, she completed the acting program at Maggie Flanigan Studio. She is currently working with a comedy sketch ensemble called “A Sketch of New York” and working with her community providing cultural knowledge through dance as a teaching artist.

José Pérez (Salomon)
J.A. Pérez (He/him/his), 36. Actor/Poet. José Angel Pérez serves as actor/alumni and consultant for Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). He also works as a Youth Worker professional in East Harlem. José has dedicated his life and transformation to the arts. He had previously appeared in Cyrano and 1776 with RTA’s theatre ensemble. Jose has also performed in over 12 productions with the Art Tree Theatre group that includes serving as stage manager in 12 Angry Men and as Delbert in Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s The Exonerated. Other plays José has been in include Moby Dick: Rehearsed, Griller, Aesop Fables, Channels of Life (writer/actor), Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, and the tragedy of Julius Caesar. José would like to thank One Whale’s Tale for giving voice to love and inclusion in their stories and their constant support.

Talisa Velázquez (Jaguar/Carmen)
Talisa is a graduate from CUNY BA with a BA in Latin American Art & Performance.  A multidisciplinary artist, Talisa holds a deep devotion to community and social engagement. Talisa recently performed in Quince Workshop (Jaguar) at The Shed, Persou at Cell Theatre, 14 at Tribeca PAC, and Dance Nation (Maeve) at Frederick Loewe Theatre. Talisa would like to thank her Mamá and her familia for their unconditional support. 

Quetziquetl Angulo (Quetzi)
Quetziquetl Angulo is an indigenous Mexican woman. She was born and raised in Mexico, and has been living in New York for the past nineteen years. Practicing traditional Mexica/Aztec dance and other native ceremonies has been a central part of her life since 2003. She is also a traditional birth and postpartum doula, an artesian, and traditional jewelry designer. She has extensive experience in Mexica/Aztec dance and also the ability to link dance to community and leadership development with young people in a holistic approach to health and healing through traditional native practice.

Saige Larmer (Katie)
Saige Larmer recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, where she received her BFA in Acting. Since moving to Brooklyn, she has most recently worked on the short film Cursor (dir. Jonathan Christian), taking on the role on of Ellis, and Equity: A Modern Comedy in Elizabethan Verse with Isle of Shoals Productions, playing the lead role of Luna.

Anabel Lugones De León (Coyote)
Anabel Lugones De León was born and raised in the Bronx, they’re Dominican and Cuban, and they are about to graduate from Hunter College with degrees in dance and theatre. Past theatre at Hunter include: Cows of War, Proof, The Time of Your Life, and Antigone. Anabel is an activist, fighting for equality and combating climate change. BLACK LIVES MATTER LAS VIDAS NEGRAS IMPORTAN TRANS LIVES MATTER LAS VIDAS TRANS IMPORTAN MY BODY MY CHOICE MI CUERPO MI DECISIÓN PROTECT KIDS NOT GUNS PROTEJA A LOS NIÑOS NO LAS ARMAS. They would like to give a huge thanks to their mom. “Gracias por tu apoyo y amor incondicional. Te amo mami.” @Happyfeministhippie

Marilyn Castillo (Singer)
Described as “a soulful Latin diva with an experimental edge” by Ilana Martin, director of the Vocal Workout Singing School, Marilyn Castillo is among the many rising stars in New York’s Latin alternative music scene, drawing audiences with her touching singing style and interpretation. 
Committed to enhancing the meaning of being a Mexican-American female singer songwriter Marilyn is an advocate of the arts, human rights, and the richness of her bicultural heritage. Her upcoming first album “Chicana en Nueva York” is a compilation of her own personal and musical experiences in New York City.

Andrés Fonseca (Percussion)
Andrés Fonseca “Drukas” is a drummer, composer, producer and educator based in Brooklyn, born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. He moved to The US with a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. His talent and outstanding adaptability to play the diverse range of music he’s surrounded by, has gotten him to perform at major music venues across the US including the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Apollo Theater, and Carnegie Hall amongst others.You can find him playing with several music and artistic projects in NYC from traditional afro-Colombian music, to modern contemporary jazz, as an accompanist for dance ensembles, and playing Disco Psychedelic Cumbia. 

Juan Ospina (Bass)
Juan Ospina son of Etna and Sigi, also known as akajuan, El Pulpo de Oro, and Prodigio Arribetiao • was born and raised in Colombia living and is in Brooklyn. He has been playing music since he was 9; he is a singer, songwriter, bassist, guitarist, percussionist and producer. Nationally and internationally, Juan is known for giving it all on stage every time; he is an experience to be had whether Live or on recordings. Co-creator of two musical power houses: MAKU SoundSystem and Bulla en el Barrió; and currently founder and singer of KuYE. To date he has recorded/produced over 50 tracks and continues releasing new music.

Sebastian Angel (Guitar)
Sebastian (he/his) is a multi-instrumentalist born and raised in Colombia. As an active member of NYC's Latinx music scene, he is a full-time member of Maraca Bruja, Los Mochuelos and Bulla en el Barrio. He has also performed with MAKU Soundsystem, Sonia de los Santos, Aires Cantaos and La Cumbiamba eNeYe. Besides performing, he teaches guitar and has been a teaching artist for Flushing Town Hall since 2018.  

Ellpetha Tsivicos (Director, Co-Creator)
Ellpetha Tsivicos is a first-generation Cypriot-American multidisciplinary artist. This dual identity has inspired and shaped much of her artistic work and life. Ellpetha graduated from NYU with a BFA in Drama, and a minor in Art + Public Policy that focused on Dialogical Art, a practice which engages the community by making them co-creators instead of spectators. Ellpetha is the co-founder of production company, One Whale's Tale, where she has worked to create short films, Fruit Detective, and Dolores, as well as the comedic web-series, This Is Me Trying and Beds. A few of Ellpetha’s theatrical credits include Leonora’s World (Designer/Performer) at Double Edge Theatre, Primer for a Failed Superpower (Associate Producer) at The TEAM, and Night Descends on Svalbard (Co-Creator/Director/Performer) as part of the Exponential Festival. In addition, Ellpetha is a two time Petri Project artist, originally conceiving the 2020 workshop of QUINCE at the People’s Garden which became the first live theatre in New York during the pandemic. In 2021 she directed and co-produced Persou, a participatory experience that transported audiences to the Temple of Aphrodite in Paphos, Cyprus inspired by the power, spirituality and mysticism of Hellenism and in the indigenous traditions of her village in Cyprus. These traditions were further examined in her book, A Life Into Lands, published in English and Greek, which tells the stories of her family’s rural lifestyle. Ellpetha is an old soul who tries to bring a sense of purpose and functionality to her work while remedying our existence between dreams and reality. She believes every problem has a solution, that all souls deserve a helping hand and that art can change the world; bold colors, perfect sounds, wild ideas, and the passing of time make her cry. She loves her grandmother and all the spirits and souls that seem to show her the way. 

Camilo Quiroz-Vázquez (Playwright, Co-Creator)
Camilo Quiroz-Vazquez is a Chicano theater artist, filmmaker, and visual artist from the land of Aztlan, located somewhere off the 101 freeway. He began his artistic journey at the community arts center, Plaza de La Raza in Lincoln Heights, CA. This education inspired and empowered him to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Through his production company, One Whale’s Tale, Camilo has written, produced, shot and edited, short films, music videos, and webseries, most notably working on award-winning short films Dolores, Fruit Detective, and Beds. In 2018, Camilo began his collaboration with The TEAM filming and editing a short documentary around the creation of Primer for a Failed Superpower. He has since been a two-time Petri Project artist, where he initially conceived QUINCE and is currently developing Rumors of War. In 2021, he co-created the immersive experience Persou, at the cell theatre. Camilo has done extensive training at Double Edge Theatre where he developed his love for spectacle and physical ensemble work culminating in the outdoor performance, Leonora’s World. Camilo loves cumbia and thinks of Mary Overlie often. His work is driven by the stories, songs and dances of his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, friends, neighbors, and spirits who intimately shared the spaces of his childhood.

Tanya Orellana (Scenic Designer)
Tanya Orellana (she/her) designs performance spaces for theatre, opera and immersive experiences. Collaborations include Long Beach Opera's Voices from a Killing Jar by Kate Soper, directed by Zoe Aja Moore, The Industry’s Sweet Land, an immersive opera directed by Yuval Sharon and Cannupa Hanska Luger , Fefu and her Friends directed by Pam Mackinnon at ACT’s Strand Theatre, The Winter’s Tale directed by Eric Ting (Calshakes), The Kind Ones by Miranda Rose Hall directed by Lisa Peterson( Magic Theatre)  and the Mexico premiere of Angels in America directed by Martín Acosta (Mexico City). Originally from San Francisco’s Mission District, she has been a core member of the award winning ensemble Campo Santo since 2008, participating in their intimate new work process, conceptualizing and designing sets alongside the writing process. She is a member of Wingspace Theatrical Design and an organizing member of La Gente: The Latine Theatre Design Network.  Tanya received her MFA in Scenic Design from CalArts and is the 2016 recipient of the Princess Grace Fabergé Theatre Award. 

Mextly Couzin (Lighting Designer)
Mextly Couzin (she/ella) is a bicoastal Lighting Designer. Credits include Broadway: Associate LD Birthday Candles (Roundabout). Off-Broadway: 53% OF (Second Stage), Which Way To the Stage (MCC), Tambo and Bones (Playwrights Horizons & CTG), Kimberly Akimbo, Sunday (Atlantic Theatre Company, ALD), Temporary Occupant, The Woman’s Party (Clubbed Thumb), Indecent (Juilliard School), Regional: The Old Globe, Repertory Theatre St. Louis, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Symphony, Malashock Dance Company. MFA from University of California, San Diego 2020.  Mextlycouzin.com

Scarlet Moreno (Costume Designer)
Scarlet Moreno is a bilingual, Los Angeles based actor, artist, and designer. Born and raised on the border of Mexico in a South Texas town called Laredo, she attended NYU to receive her double major in Acting & Journalism. She is a stylist & costume designer, and has her own line called Scarletinni Originals, which uses vintage textiles to create one of a kind pieces. She has directed shorts premiering in festivals across the country and the world, as well as her first feature film, “Phaedra” which she made under the guidance of director Robert Rodriguez. Moreno’s Tex-Mex roots permeate all that she does, and her work strives to be as colorful as the bi-cultural town she was born in.

SPECIAL THANKS:

Cynthia Vázquez, The TEAM, The People’s Garden, Kofi + Hernan, Jose Solís + the BIPOC Critics Lab, Franki De La Vega, Sammy Lopez, Ximena Violante, Livvie Goble, Val Avina, Graceson Abreu, Kelsey Larsen, Zoë Batson, Carolyn Rivera, Sana Rodriguez-Majchrzyk, Jess Almasy, Atiana’s Boutique, Yara Ayala, ioby NYC Neighborhood Relief Match Program, Ria Nez, Erick Ivan, Jasmine Espinal, Madani Younis, Annabel Thompson, The Gowanus Dredgers, Herminio Torres, Aaron Weigum, Danielle Bennett, Pia Siaotong, Theresa Buchheister, Rosa Collado De León, Miguel Cevallos, Diagonal Media

QUINCE is generously supported by Sammy Lopez, Franki De La Vega, Greg Frankenfield, Gabrielle Palitz, Dale Mott, Carmen Rita Wong, Peter Stern, Tony Rubin, Linda Rubin and Claudia Barrios

QUINCE is made possible with funds from NYSCA, A.R.T./NY, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Brooklyn Arts Council, and The Howard Gilman Foundation, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.

“Whether or not you find your own way, you're bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago.”- Justin Nestor, The Phantom Tollbooth

SONGS:

Piensa en mi
Composed by Agustin Lara & Maria Teresa Lara

Cancion Mixteca
Composed by José López Alavez  

Cucurrucuru Paloma
Composed by Tomás Méndez

La Verdolaga
Traditional Colombian 

Paloma Negra
Composed by Tomás Méndez 

Todo Cambia
Written by Julio Numhauser 

Bidi Bidi Bom bom
By Selena Quintanilla + Abraham Quintanilla

Oye
Composed by Roberto Tapia