The Sol Project: A national Theater Initiative
Amplifying the Voices of Latinx Playwrights in the American Theater.
Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Diane Rodriguez:
Actress, Director, Playwright, Producer, and Sol Project Honorary Board Member
June 22, 1951 - April 10, 2020
Originally from San Jose, CA, Diane Rodriguez was seven years old when she started acting in church plays where her father, Jake, would build the sets and her mother, Helen, would play the piano. She dreamed of becoming an actress, which would eventually take her to study at UC Santa Barbara and then join the legendary El Teatro Campesino upon graduating at 21 years old. She credited her time with the company as “the place where I learned to be a global citizen” and that “acting is activism.”
By the time she was 30, Diane had been on the road touring Europe, Mexico and throughout the U.S. She said one of her most memorable experiences working with El Teatro Campesino was being directed by the notable 20th century director, Peter Brook in Conference of the Birds. It was during this period that Diane would marry fellow ensemble member José “JD” Delgado.
In the mid-1980s, Diane and JD moved to Los Angeles to begin doing the early research for what would become the seminal play, Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez at the Mark Taper Forum. During this time, she also found her way in Hollywood, guest starring and appearing in a number of TV shows and films, including Terminator 2 and La Bamba while still doing a lot of theatre. Eventually, Diane said she grew tired of playing stereotypical roles and co-founded the comedy troupe Latins Anonymous with Luisa Leschin, Armando Molina, and Rick Nájera. Together, they wrote and performed sketches all over the country and helped redefine the roles Latinx artists could play. As much as she loved acting, Diane eventually “started to get restless because I missed the politics.”
In 1995, Diane joined the staff of Los Angeles’s Center Theatre Group (CTG) along with playwright Luis Alfaro, where they carried on the success of the Latino Theater Initiative (LTI). In 2005, the LTI came to an end, but Diane’s time at CTG did not. She remained on staff as Associate Producer and Director of New Play Production and eventually became Associate Artistic Director. For the next 14 years she would oversee the development of over 75 trailblazing projects.
During her tenure at CTG, Diane also served as President of the Theatre Communications Group board for three years and was appointed to the National Council for the Arts by President Barack Obama in 2015.
We are heartbroken by the loss of Diane, who was a steadfast champion of our work and a member of our honorary board. She was a mentor, teacher, and friend to so many throughout the country and around the world. Her inspiration and legacy will live on for generations. But for now, we can't imagine the world without her.
By the time she was 30, Diane had been on the road touring Europe, Mexico and throughout the U.S. She said one of her most memorable experiences working with El Teatro Campesino was being directed by the notable 20th century director, Peter Brook in Conference of the Birds. It was during this period that Diane would marry fellow ensemble member José “JD” Delgado.
In the mid-1980s, Diane and JD moved to Los Angeles to begin doing the early research for what would become the seminal play, Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez at the Mark Taper Forum. During this time, she also found her way in Hollywood, guest starring and appearing in a number of TV shows and films, including Terminator 2 and La Bamba while still doing a lot of theatre. Eventually, Diane said she grew tired of playing stereotypical roles and co-founded the comedy troupe Latins Anonymous with Luisa Leschin, Armando Molina, and Rick Nájera. Together, they wrote and performed sketches all over the country and helped redefine the roles Latinx artists could play. As much as she loved acting, Diane eventually “started to get restless because I missed the politics.”
In 1995, Diane joined the staff of Los Angeles’s Center Theatre Group (CTG) along with playwright Luis Alfaro, where they carried on the success of the Latino Theater Initiative (LTI). In 2005, the LTI came to an end, but Diane’s time at CTG did not. She remained on staff as Associate Producer and Director of New Play Production and eventually became Associate Artistic Director. For the next 14 years she would oversee the development of over 75 trailblazing projects.
During her tenure at CTG, Diane also served as President of the Theatre Communications Group board for three years and was appointed to the National Council for the Arts by President Barack Obama in 2015.
We are heartbroken by the loss of Diane, who was a steadfast champion of our work and a member of our honorary board. She was a mentor, teacher, and friend to so many throughout the country and around the world. Her inspiration and legacy will live on for generations. But for now, we can't imagine the world without her.
