Meet our Make a Difference (M.A.D.) Fellows

Make a Difference > Meet our M.A.D. Fellows - Ada Chang, Dani Chaparro, Evan Favela, Linda Girón, Erolina Kamburova, Stephanie Lapides, Ann Liu

Linda Girón

What made you want to be a M.A.D. fellow?

This is going to sound like such a cheesy love letter maybe it’s my playwright tendencies, still, I can’t help but get sentimental. Shotgun Players’ Hamlet was one of the first plays I saw after moving to the Bay Area. I knew from the very first play that there was something really special happening inside that zany little red church on Ashby. By the time I saw Caught, I was hooked. Throughout my artistic path, Shotgun Players has been a continuing source of inspiration in the way they push the boundaries of theatre—with courage and respect, and with an emphasis on inclusivity, engagement, and innovation. It’s truly been a dream come true joining the Shotgun family—to have an opportunity to share my skills, to engage critically with the work, and to learn among theatre-makers and artists I have admired for so long.

What is your favorite Shotgun play and why?

So hard to choose! It feels right to share that my top three are brownsville song (b-side for tray), Caught, and The Black Rider. I love theatre that is unafraid of confronting its audience members—be it with the truths of human pain, the ugliness of social manipulation, or freakily composed portraits of humanity. brownsville song in particular was a special experience because it was the first Shotgun play I took my mom to see. It was just the two of us sitting at the very back, and I will never forget how the air felt between us, both taking in our fear of loss and gratitude for being together. brownsville song tore down my disillusionment for theatre; which at the time felt like a medium of disconnect between my mom and I, between representation and minority experience, between art and access. It’s a reminder to me of the responsibility theatre-makers have in challenging the notion of a “minority” narrative and uplifting our experiences.

What is one thing people wouldn’t know just by looking at you?

A lot of folks know me as a performer or musician, but not too many people know that I am also an aspiring illustrator! Drawing was my very, very first art; it almost feels like I’ve known how to draw since I like came out of the womb. Actually, my dream job as a kid was to be a manga artist! But I stopped for a really long time, thinking art wasn’t going to be a practical career choice (ha!). Then just this year, after encouragement from friends, I decided to pick up the pen and reconnect with my love for comic book art.