Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares

“Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares” is an award-winning stage play written by Christine Stoddard. It centers on Maya, a young Salvadoran-American woman, navigating trauma and family mythology through magic and folklore as she comes of age in Phoenix, Arizona. Her story explores mother-daughter relationships, mixed race identity, being the child of an immigrant, growing up without a father, and using fantasy as a coping mechanism, while featuring movement and dance. Owls, jaguars, and cacti also make dream-like and delightful appearances. *Trigger warning: This play references sexual assault and suicide.

Produced by Quail Bell Productions, the workshop premiere of “Mi Abuela, Queen of Nightmares” took place at Gene Frankel Theater in New York City and was directed by the playwright. A filmed, cinematically edited version of the play is available on YouTube @stoddardsays. The play had its official world premiere at The Tank under the theater’s core production program. A reading and excerpts of “Mi Abuela” have also been performed at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, PA and Arts On Site in NYC and Chashama North in Upstate New York. The script has been published by Table Work Press and AlienBuddha Press.