Sol 2: Martín Zimmerman

Martín Zimmerman
the playwright

Martín Zimmerman is a multiethnic, bilingual playwright and screenwriter whose plays include "Seven Spots on the Sun," "White Tie Ball," "The Making of a Modern Folk Hero," "The Solid Sand Below" and "Let Me Count the Ways" and have been produced or developed at The Kennedy Center, Goodman Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Roundabout Underground, LCT3, New York Theatre Workshop, Victory Gardens Theater, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, The Playwrights' Center, Alliance Theatre, A.C.T. (Seattle), PlayPenn, Icicle Creek Theatre Festival, American Theater Company, The Theatre @ Boston Court, Chicago Dramatists, Primary Stages, Teatro Vista, Playwrights Foundation, Cara Mía Theatre Co, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, The City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Theatre Row, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Borderlands Theater, Source Festival, The Gift, Collaboraction, Red Tape, The University of Texas at Austin and Duke University.

A recipient of the Terrence McNally New Play Award, Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Citation, Humanitas Prize New Voices Award, Sky Cooper New American Play Prize, McKnight Advancement Grant, Jerome Fellowship, Carl Djerassi Playwriting Fellowship and the National New Play Network's Smith Prize, Martín was a Staff Writer on Netflix’s "Narcos," has been the Alliance for Latino Theater Artists (ALTA) Artist of the Month,  was a member of the 2011-2012 Playwrights' Unit at Goodman Theatre, is a Playwright in Residence at Teatro Vista, a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, and has been a finalist for the Kendeda Competition and Heideman Award. MFA in Playwriting: The University of Texas at Austin. B.A. in Theater Studies, B.S. in Economics: Duke University.

Seven spots on the sun
​the play

The village of San Isidro has been without its doctor for 18 months. Moisés has remained a recluse, refusing to even look at a patient, since the day the army took his wife away during the country’s civil war. But when a mysterious plague begins to ravage the countryside around San Isidro, the local parish priest convinces Moisés to take action. And when Moisés examines his first patient, he discovers he has the miraculous power to heal this plague with the touch of his hand. But among the thousands of pilgrims who flock to San Isidro, Moisés is forced to confront his past, and the violence that tore San Isidro apart. A meditation on mourning, redemption and revenge, Seven Spots on the Sun follows each character’s attempt to come to terms with the extraordinary loss they have suffered and the miracles they have witnessed.

"This endeavor represents a fulfillment of the American Theater’s promise to be a space for all American stories."—Jacob Padrón

“Working with Sol allows us to produce with a scope and a vision that supports the expanse of Martín's script and the direction of Weyni, a stunning Ethiopian-Canadian director." —Daniella Topol, Artistic Director, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

rattlestick PLAYWRIGHTS THEATER
the partner theater

Started in 1994, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has created, developed and produced many of the nation’s best emerging playwrights and their works. Our mission is to present diverse, challenging and provocative plays that might not otherwise be produced and to foster the future voices of the American theater. Unique in its dedication, Rattlestick guarantees a second production to any playwright we take on, regardless of the reception of the first. Now in its 22nd Season, Rattlestick has produced over 90 new plays, about 90 percent of which have been world premieres. We have produced the first plays and early works of some of today’s leading voices, including Lucy Thurber (The Hilltown Plays), Sheila Callaghan (Everything You Touch), Adam Rapp (The Hallway Trilogy), Craig Lucas (Saved or Destroyed), Jesse Eisenberg (The Revisionist), Samuel D. Hunter (The Few), and Annie Baker (The Aliens).

WEYNI MENGESHA
the director

Weyni Mengesha built her award-winning storytelling career in theaters across Canada. She recently made her U.S. directorial debut with "Bars and Measures" at the Boston Court in Los Angeles where she currently resides. She is thrilled to make her NYC debut with Rattlestick.  Recent directing work includes the Canadian premiere of "Father Comes Home from the Wars" by Suzan-Lori Parks and "Breath Of Kings," an original adaptation of the Herniad Cycle at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

Toronto Critics award-winning productions include "Lungs" and "The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs" with Tarragon Theatre. Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts awards and nominations include "Butcher" (Why Not Theatre/The Theatre Centre), "Kim’s Convenience" and "A Raisin in the Sun" (Soulpepper Theatre), "blood.claat" (Theatre Passe Muraille) and the acclaimed "'da Kink in My Hair" (Mirvish Productions). Upcoming productions include "Soulpepper On 42nd St" at The Pershing Square Signature Center. Weyni received her BFA in Directing at York University. Find her online at weynimengesha.com.

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with Flora Diaz, Peter Jay Fernandez, Flor De Liz Perez, Claudia Acosta, Sean Carvajal, Rey Lucas, Cesar J. Rosado and Socorro Santiago.

sets: Arnulfo Maldonado costumes: Fabian Aguilar
lights: Amith Chandrashaker sound: Tei Blow
production stage manager: Nicole Marconi
production manager: Rebecca Key
assistant stage manager: Genevieve Ortiz
casting: Jack Doulin and Taylor "Sharky" William

#SevenSpots
@SolProjectNYC @RattleStickNY

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highlights

Raising a Collective Voice: Martín Zimmerman and Seven Spots on the Sun
The Brooklyn Rail | May 1st, 2017