Emilio Rodriguez

Emilio Rodriguez is playwright whose works enable underrepresented individuals to hear their own narratives and audiences to experience untold stories. He began his theatre career at the age of two, performing one-minute solo adaptations of “The Wizard of Oz” in his parents’ living room using a broom, a funnel, and a pair of his mama’s high heels. Emilio has since created a wide range of Latinx characters, from college students and coming-of-age teenagers to sea lions. He introduces poetry and rhythm in his work to emphasize the most valuable statements of each character.

Emilio’s plays have been developed and/or produced at Milagro Theatre (Portland), Teatro del Pueblo (St. Paul), Theatre Nova (Ann Arbor), San Diego Repertory Theatre, Tampa Repertory Theatre, Latinx Theatre Commons, Teatro Vivo’s Austin New Latino Play Festival, The Great Plains Theatre Conference, Queer Theatre Kalamazoo, The Landing Theatre’s Redemption Series (Houston), and the Ringwald Theatre’s Gay Play Series (Ferndale). His play “Swimming While Drowning,” was a 2017 finalist for the Portland Theatre Drammy Awards, and was honored with the Wurlitzer Foundation and Robert Chelsey/Victor Bumbalo Playwriting Award. Emilio’s career highlight to date is the moment when Panera Bread restaurant cashier gave him a free meal in appreciaion of his play “Mamacita.”