PRODUCTION

frikiNATION by Krystal Ortiz

Produced in partnership with Musical Theater Factory

Directed by Rula A. Muñoz

Music and Lyrics by EsKoria

frikiNation is a historical, bilingual, Cuban punk rock jukebox musical that tells the true story of young punks in Cuba in the early 1990s who took extreme measures to rig the communist system in their favor. In an attempt to access a higher quality of life within the government sanctioned HIV sanitariums, punks across the island started injecting themselves with HIV-positive blood. Using a 2003 album by Cuban punk band EsKoria, frikiNation tells this powerful history by following a pregnant rebel, her new skeptical lover, and a band of misfit friends as they fight to survive and create music in a society that pushes them to the margins. With the help of Maria, a cultural programs director determined to educate and protect them, they navigate love, freedom, and a dangerous plan to secure a better life—no matter the cost.

Music Director, Orchestrator, Arranger: Alan Mendez
Stage Manager: Valeria Llaneza*
Dramaturg: Khristián Méndez Aguirre