About the Play:

Fade has long been a favourite of acting teachers for female/male scenes.

Fade is a full-length dramatic comedy by Tanya Saracho. In the witty behind-the-scenes comedy Fade, Mexican-born Lucia is hired to write for a ruthless Hollywood TV series. She soon discovers that the Mexican-American custodian, Abel, has a windfall of plot ideas. As their friendship grows, his stories start to blur with hers with unexpected consequences.

Fade is a story about friendship, opportunity, assumptions, ambition, culture and betrayal. A few years after the publication of her hit debut novel, Mexican-born Lucia lands her first TV writing job at a cutthroat network studio, where she struggles to find her place on the white male-dominated set. Lucia is understandably nervous. She may actually be the "diversity hire" she's heard whispers about. Uncertain whether she can make a place for herself in Hollywood, at least she feels less alone when she meets Abel, an American-born janitor of Mexican heritage who works the night shift. They quickly become close, even as they wrangle over differing points of view. But as Abel shares his stories with Lucia, similar plots begin to find their way into the TV scripts that Lucia writes. Infused with humour and sharp insight, Fade explores class and race within the Mexican and Mexican-American communities, and asks whether status can change who you are at your core.

Fade premiered in 2016 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in Denver, Colorado. The play has become a favourite scene study vehicle in acting classes and workshops and is regularly performed in regional and college theatre productions.

Cast: 1 female, 1 male

What people say:

"Saracho’s writing is so sharp, full lives take shape with an economy of words [...] a powerful piece with a fresh voice and a bright future." — Denver Post

"The play is about heritage and status and identity, and particularly about how important those things are in cultures that feel oppressed and misunderstood." — Hartford Courant

About the Playwright:

Tanya Saracho is an American playwright and television writer who was born in Sinaloa, México. She is a playwright and television writer who’s worked on How To Get Away With Murder and HBO’s Looking, among other shows. Currently, she serves as the creator and show-runner of the series Vida on Starz.