ABOUT US
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our missionThe Sol Project is a national theater initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of Latiné playwrights in NYC and beyond.
Guided by the values of advocacy, collaboration, and joy, The Sol Project works in partnership with leading theaters to produce the work of Latiné playwrights and nurture a growing community of Latiné theater artists. our visionWith the writers we champion, The Sol Project aspires to build a bold, timeless, and kaleidoscopic body of work for the new American theater canon.
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our model
The Sol Project, an Obie Award-winning initiative, works to fortify a national theater movement that brings Latiné playwrights and their stories to the forefront of American theater. We call upon the theater field to include the work of Latiné playwrights on our country's most visible stages.
The Sol Project pairs 12 Latiné playwrights, at various career stages, with 12 leading theaters to support meaningful productions of each playwright’s work (one playwright, to one company). In tandem, The Sol Project cultivates national partnerships with theaters and organizations across the country to provide additional platforms of support for these and other Latiné playwrights through readings, workshops, and/or productions. As of 2023, The Sol Project has championed eight writers—Hilary Bettis, Martín Zimmerman, Luis Alfaro, Charise Castro Smith, Noah Diaz, Mara Vélez Meléndez, Christin Eve Cato and Guadalís Del Carmen—with six New York productions and two national productions.
To expand our work, The Sol Project launched a new theater festival, SolFest, in partnership with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. The annual festival features new work by Latiné playwrights that reflects the diaspora of Latinidad.
Once all 12 writers have been produced, the work of The Sol Project will formally conclude. We hope the 12 productions, in tandem with SolFest and the work done by our national partners, will catalyze systemic change, instigate lasting creative collaborations, and inspire collective impact across the artistic landscape.
The Sol Project pairs 12 Latiné playwrights, at various career stages, with 12 leading theaters to support meaningful productions of each playwright’s work (one playwright, to one company). In tandem, The Sol Project cultivates national partnerships with theaters and organizations across the country to provide additional platforms of support for these and other Latiné playwrights through readings, workshops, and/or productions. As of 2023, The Sol Project has championed eight writers—Hilary Bettis, Martín Zimmerman, Luis Alfaro, Charise Castro Smith, Noah Diaz, Mara Vélez Meléndez, Christin Eve Cato and Guadalís Del Carmen—with six New York productions and two national productions.
To expand our work, The Sol Project launched a new theater festival, SolFest, in partnership with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. The annual festival features new work by Latiné playwrights that reflects the diaspora of Latinidad.
Once all 12 writers have been produced, the work of The Sol Project will formally conclude. We hope the 12 productions, in tandem with SolFest and the work done by our national partners, will catalyze systemic change, instigate lasting creative collaborations, and inspire collective impact across the artistic landscape.
our pillars
To fortify a national theater movement that brings Latiné playwrights and their stories to the forefront of American theater, The Sol Project’s four operating pillars are central to all our collaborations. Our hope is that they become part of the DNA of each of our theater company partners:
Equity and Racial Justice
Critical to The Sol Project's success is the selection of partners who share our passionate belief that the American theater should be a space that holds all our stories; Our partners understand that, to realize this long-term goal, we must dismantle the systems that perpetuate racism and white supremacy and stand ready do this urgent work. The Sol Project is motivated and sustained by the unique strengths that emerge from our powerful, carefully constructed alliances.
Inclusion
The Sol Project aims to create opportunities that launch and maintain influential boundary-breaking careers in the American theater. In addition to Latiné playwrights, The Sol Project advocates for other artists of color in assembling creative teams for each production in which we are involved. We also call for casts to be primarily Latiné and/or people of color, and we nurture a growing network of directors, designers, stage managers, producers, dramaturgs, technicians and other creative talent.
Artistic Engagement
The Sol Project works nimbly and respectfully with each of our writers and partners throughout all aspects of our productions to achieve a shared vision. As cultural translators, representatives from The Sol Project ensure that the initiative’s guiding principles (“Our Pillars”) are consistently and comprehensively integrated into each stage of the creative process – from pre-production to marketing; we add value and expertise that deliver authentic and meaningful experiences for both artists and audiences.
Cultural Legacy
We aspire to make a lasting impact by radically shifting the frequency with which Latiné playwrights are produced on the country’s most visible stages. We will work with scholars, journalists and others to document the work of this historic initiative and the contributions of our collaborators, our artists, our organizations, and our communities. We will not rest until the American theater reflects the changing face of our country.
our history
Padrón conceived The Sol Project after attending the 2013 Latinx Theater Commons (LTC) National Convening in Boston, a movement that aims to transform the narrative of the American theater by increasing presence of Latiné works. He realized that if true representation of Latiné Stories on America’s stages was to be possible and true, something needed to change locally first. Considering the credence many regional theaters give to the vibrant ecology of the New York theater scene, Padrón was driven to build this initiative in order to activate and unite the historically bifurcated Latiné theater community in New York with the ultimate goal of inciting change nationwide. Inspired by the playwrights’ collective 13P, Padrón devised a model for a highly visible platform for Latiné playwrights in New York City and beyond.
In August 2014, the LTC hosted a day-long meeting for leading New York City Latiné theater artists and scholars. The insight gained from this gathering nurtured the development of The Sol Project and the goal to work towards gathering the collective wisdom of the community to answer the question: What does the Latiné theater community in New York City need in order to continue growing and expanding?
After its jumpstart, the conversation and planning for The Sol Project continued. By December 2014, a New York City-based artistic collective assembled to begin building and bringing the initiative to fruition.
In August 2014, the LTC hosted a day-long meeting for leading New York City Latiné theater artists and scholars. The insight gained from this gathering nurtured the development of The Sol Project and the goal to work towards gathering the collective wisdom of the community to answer the question: What does the Latiné theater community in New York City need in order to continue growing and expanding?
After its jumpstart, the conversation and planning for The Sol Project continued. By December 2014, a New York City-based artistic collective assembled to begin building and bringing the initiative to fruition.
A group of Latiné theater artists and scholars gather for a day-long meeting to discuss The Sol Project in August 2014 in New York. (LTC)
our legacy
The Sol Project launched in 2016 with the world premiere of Alligator by Hilary Bettis in collaboration with New Georges, followed by the New York premieres of Seven Spots on the Sun by Martín Zimmerman (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater) and Oedipus El Rey by Luis Alfaro (The Public Theater). In the fall of 2018, The Sol Project collaborated with Yale Repertory Theatre to produce the world premiere of El Huracán by Charise Castro Smith and in early 2020 partnered with Baltimore Center Stage and The Playwrights Realm to produce the world premiere of Richard & Jane & Dick & Sally by Noah Diaz. In 2022, The Sol Project partnered with Soho Rep for the world premiere of Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members by Mara Vélez Meléndez. In spring of 2023, The Sol Project partnered with MCC Theater for the world premiere of Bees and Honey by Guadalís Del Carmen, as well as WP Theater and Latinx Playwrights Circle for the Off-Broadway premiere of Sancocho by Christin Eve Cato. In addition to productions, The Sol Project advances its mission by producing a yearly new play festival, SolFest, in partnership with Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, while also supporting writers through readings, workshops, a podcast (SolTalk), and ongoing symposia. In 2023, The Sol Project was awarded an Obie Grant, Off-Broadway's highest honor, for their unprecedented championing and support of Latiné voices in the theater and in recognition of outstanding achievement in Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theater during the 2020-2022 season.