Flamenco dancers will perform at the Outdoor Neighborhood Party taking place at the Two River Plaza in Red Bank on Aug. 14 before the opening of the Crossing Borders Festival. RED BANK — In the Latino community, there are diverse stories and voices waiting to be heard.
From Aug. 14-17, the Two River Theater will present the fourth annual Crossing Borders Festival, featuring four original plays by Latino writers, each with its own perspective on what it means to be a member of the Latino community.
Jerry Ruiz, curator of the Crossing Borders Festival, said this year’s event is particularly special in the way each play focuses on a strong female protagonist.
“We kind of gravitated toward those stories, and it wasn’t even really fully intentional,” Ruiz said. “But when I sort of stepped back and looked at the plays we had chosen, I saw, ‘Oh wow, these are all stories about really strong women who are kind of defying cultural archetypes and stereotypes in a really interesting way.’ ”
The festival kicks off with an Outdoor Neighborhood Party on the Two River Plaza 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 14 . The party is immediately followed by the festival’s first play at 7:30 p.m., “Between You, Me and the Lampshade.”
The play tells the story of Jesse, an acculturated Mexican-American woman who is shocked to find Amparo, an undocumented immigrant, stowed away in her trailer home. The two women must find a way to communicate, as Jesse doesn’t speak any Spanish and Amparo doesn’t speak any English.
“Lampshade” is directed by Felix Solis and written by Raúl Castillo. Castillo is best known for playing Richie Donado on HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Looking.”
“He’s a terrific actor and also a terrific playwright,” Ruiz said. “… Raúl’s voice as a writer is so unique. He’s got a great ear for dialogue.”
“Good Friends,” which is directed by Elena Araoz and written by Maria Alexandria Beech, has an English-language reading at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and a Spanish-language reading at 3 p.m. Aug. 17.
The play follows Gertrudis and Petra, a mother and daughter who live in an Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan, and whose evening takes a slightly awkward turn when their new neighbors stop by to introduce themselves.
“A mother-daughter relationship is at the center of it. And, again, [the play] just looks at two really strong female characters and their relationship, and the general differences between them and how they’ve adapted to their circumstances,” he said.
Ruiz also directs two of the plays, including “Mala Hierba,” which is written by Tanya Saracho and will be performed at 3 p.m. Aug. 16.
“Hierba” looks at the world of “very moneyed Mexicans” who are involved with big business and live incredibly affluent lifestyles. The play follows Liliana, a Texas trophy wife who’s married to a rich, powerful man. She seems to have it all, including a secret that could destroy her entire life.
“It’s a story that really just grabs you,” Ruiz said.
The other play Ruiz is directing is “The Ghosts of Lote Bravo,” written by Hilary Betis and being staged at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16.
“Bravo” is set in Juarez, Mexico, a notoriously dangerous city where hundreds of women have disappeared or been murdered in the past 20 years. The play follows a love story between two young people who are caught in the midst of this city.
“This is just a beautiful, haunting play,” Ruiz said.
All performances at the Crossing Borders Festival are free. Patrons are encouraged to make reservations by calling the Two River Theater box office at 732-345-1400 or visiting www.tworivertheater.org.

