SARA GUERRERO (she/hers), a Southern California Chicana native of Mexican and Mestizo ancestry, is a professional, versatile theatre artist whose mission is to model, share, and create theatre-making opportunities for and with their community. A CalArts alum, she’s been recognized as a 2021 and ’20 Woman of Distinction (Senate District 34), 2020 Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence Honoree,Community Engagement "COVID-19 ArtistGrant" Awardee, “People to Watch” by American Theatre Magazine, and “Best [Artistic] Director'' and “Person of Interest” by OC Weekly. As the founding artistic director of Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble, she and the ensemble are artists-in-residence of California State University of Fullerton’s Grand Central Arts Center in downtown Santa Ana. Under Guerrero’s leadership, the organization serves as an incubator for excluded voices in theater by providing programming (online) and guidance in the art of storytelling. This past summer, through a partnership with Breath of Fire and University of Massachusetts Amherst, Guerrero, along with the ensemble, and Professor Elisa Gonzales (writer/performer) devised on the project “Olvidados: A Mexican American Corrido” a musically driven, theatrical re-imagining of untold stories of the Mexican Repatriation of the Great Depression, where over one million Mexicans and Mexican Americans were illegally and unconstitutionally deported, or repatriated to Mexico. A workshop production is to be presented as part of the University's 2022 season and directed by Guerrero. Guerrero is also scheduled, this season to guest to director a main stage production for California State University of Fullerton, "The Wolves" by Sarah DeLappe and Chapman University, "Native Gardens" by Karen Zacarias.
During the pandemic, Guerrero directed many works, including “Policarpa” by Diana Burbano for the University of California, Fullerton’s 2021 season. And, Burbano’s “Essentials” for Center Theater Group. Additionally, she directed Augusto Federico Amador’s “Atacama” for Queens Theater and Abingdon Theater, both based in New York. And, Amador’s “Fresno” at The Road Theater Company (L.A.) where she also directed Jennifer Maisel’s “Bubble”, for their Under Construction Series.
Guerrero is the writer and director of "Festival of the Dead”, commissioned by Pacific Symphony, a work celebrating the Day of The Dead, a traditional Mexican Holiday and presented with a 120+ piece symphony produced by the Symphony and presented at The Segerstrom Music Concert Hall of Costa Mesa and Meng Music Hall of Cal State Fullerton.
Guerrero is the writer and director, in collaboration with journalist - Gustavo Arellano, and conductor - Greg Flores, the play, “Canto De Anaheim” and commissioned byPacific Symphony. A project combining story, the symphony, and new and traditional music; to highlight the Latinx histories and experiences of Anaheim, Ca.
Additionally, Guerrero is a longtime teaching artist for South Coast Repertory (SCR), and has worked, directed, taught, lectured, and or collaborated with Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Center Theatre Group, Creede Repertory of Colorado, Pacific Symphony, University of Oklahoma, California State University of Los Angeles, California State University of Long Beach, Musco Center, Brown Bag Theatre of UC Irvine, Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD), Orange County School of the Arts, Educational Outreach Program of Los Angeles, Fringe Benefits Upward Bound, and many more. Previously, she served as the director for SCR's Dialogue/Diálogos Project (a two -year bilingual, community theatre-making project) and was producing artistic associate to the project’s production, “El Largo Camino de Hoy / The Long Road Today”by José Cruz González. Additional directing credits: “Blood Wedding”,A. Max Weitzenhoffer Theatre; “Atacama”, Breath of Fire Live Stream Reading; “Fresno”, Latino Theater Company Summer on the Spring Reading Festival; “The Festival for the Dead”, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall; “Canto de Anaheim”, Pearson Amphitheatre; “Policarpa”, TalkBack Theatre; “She Kills Monsters”, The Playhouse of Cal State University of Los Angeles; “Guadalupe in the Guest Room”, Creede Repertory Theatre, Co.; “The Madres”, (A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere), Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles; “Rosado”,John Lion New Plays Festival, Cal State University Los Angeles; “Fabulous Monsters”, Latinx New Plays Festival of San Diego Repertory; “Real Women Have Curves”, Costa Mesa Playhouse; “Angel of the Desert”, South Coast Repertory; and holds an extensive list of additional credits and works with other major institutes, organizations, universities, schools, and communities.
During the pandemic Guerrero continued to direct, create & produce through her ensemble and other theaters online, while practicing safe distancing. Wear your mask! She's excited to return to the work, in person, and safely. Guerrero supports herself as a teaching & theatre artist: www.teatroguerrero.com .