Esperanza Rising
Adaptation by Alvaro Saar Rios
Original Music by Dinorah Marquez
From the book by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Originally Commissioned by First Stage, Jeff Frank, Artistic Director
Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios
Two young storytellers, with the help of an ensemble of actors, take the stage and begin to weave the tale of Esperanza — a wealthy Mexican girl whose privileged existence is shattered when tragedy strikes, and she and her mother must flee to California. Forced to work in a migrant labor camp, Esperanza must learn to rise above her difficult circumstances and discover what she’s truly made of. Set in the turbulent 1930s, and based on the popular book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising is a poetic tale of a young girl’s triumph over adversity.
About First Stage
Since 1987, First Stage has grown to become one of the nation’s most acclaimed children’s theaters and the second-largest theater company in Milwaukee.
