I learned to speak basic English in about six months, watching Sesame Street, Electric Company, and re-runs of Laverne and Shirley. (I say Banana like a mid-westerner even though I grew up in Cali.) I was eight when I became aware that I was thinking in English.
Growing up as a 1.5-generation Salvadoran-American, outside of my home life,
I learned to speak basic English in about six months, watching Sesame Street, Electric Company, and re-runs of Laverne and Shirley. (I say Banana like a mid-westerner even though I grew up in Cali.) I was eight when I became aware that I was thinking in English.
Growing up as a 1.5-generation Salvadoran-American, outside of my home life, I didn’t know much about my culture. Still I often felt in between cultures and languages. I became a great observer, a chameleon.
By college, I realized that as a Latina, I hardly saw myself reflected in literature, history, or media and that growing up, I’d longed to see myself reflected. That longing drives me as a writer and theater maker.
Milta Ortiz is a Salvadoran American playwright in Tucson. She’s originally from the Bay Area by way of El Salvador. A concert sharing of Anita, a musical in collaboration with composer Quetzal Guerrero was part of the One Nation One project on July 27, 2024. She’s excited to premiere Anita at Borderlands in the 2025/26 season. Anita was
Milta Ortiz is a Salvadoran American playwright in Tucson. She’s originally from the Bay Area by way of El Salvador. A concert sharing of Anita, a musical in collaboration with composer Quetzal Guerrero was part of the One Nation One project on July 27, 2024. She’s excited to premiere Anita at Borderlands in the 2025/26 season. Anita was developed at Borderlands Theater. Prior development partners include the University of Arizona Theater Department, and Childsplay at Phoenix College. She devised Antigona 3.0 with Borderlands Theater ensemble, which premiered in Spring 2024 and will tour in Fall 2024. She directed The Candy Craze: A Sticky Situation at Pima Community College in October 2023, a play she facilitated Pima students in writing, the second installment of a TYA ongoing project. In Fall 2022, she directed Ballet & Bagels, a TYA play she facilitated her students in writing at Pima Community College in Spring 2021. Milta was a 2020-21 Projecting All Voices Mellon fellow at Arizona State University HIDA. Her play, Pilar and Paloma was at Launchpad’s 2021 Bipoc Reading Series Festival. Judge Torres, commissioned and produced by Milagro Theatre Group, toured nationally to universities (2019-2020). Milta is Associate Artistic Director at Borderlands Theater, where a few of her plays, including Sanctuary (2018) and Más (2015) have world premiered. Borderlands’ production of Más toured Arizona universities. Más was produced at Su Teatro, Ubuntu Theatre Project/Laney College, and San Diego State University. She earned an MFA from Northwestern University. She is proud to serve on the National New Play Network board of directors.
Milta Ortiz
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