francisca is a Cape Verdean-American playwright and Boston native who holds a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MSc in Playwriting from the University of Edinburgh. She has been featured in ArtsBoston, The LA Times, The Boston Globe and American Theatre Magazine. Her plays have been developed with Theatre503 (London), The Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh), Company One Theatre (Boston); La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego) and The Playwrights’ Center (Minneapolis). New York development: The Fire This Time Festival, The Playwrights Realm, The Public Theater, The New Group, and Colt Coeur. Fran’s play’s include: NOT-FOR-PROFIT (OR THE EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PLAY), featured in The Playwrights’ Realm’s INK’D Festival in April 2021 and in La Jolla Playhouse’s DNA New Works Series in July 2021; CAN I TOUCH IT?, featured in the National New Play Network’s 2020 National Showcase of New Plays and currently receiving a 2022-2023 Rolling World Premiere at Company One Theatre (Boston), Rogue Machine Theatre (Los Angeles) and Cleveland Public Theatre (Cleveland); PAY NO WORSHIP, a finalist for the 2023 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and receiving a World Premiere production at InterAct Theatre Company (Philadelphia) in Spring 2023; MINOR·ITY, commissioned and developed by Colt Coeur; and THE MERRY WIVES OF GRENOBLE, featuring in The Public Theater’s upcoming 2023 Spotlight Series. Fran was a 2020-2021 Playwrights Realm Writing Fellow and is currently a member of The Public Theater’s 2020-2023 Emerging Writers Group, a 2022-2023 Jerome Fellow with the Playwrights’ Center, and member of The Apollo Theater’s New Works initiative 2023 Cohort.
Free
Playwrights’ Center, 710 Raymond Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55114
May 12 at 7:00 p.m.
About the play
On an island in Cape Verde, a French Count has found himself a wife for every day of the week, thanks to the arrival of his newest prize, Jesuína. But her rebellious personality causes dissent among the other wives, shaking up their routine and causing some to finally see the inequity of this unorthodox polygamous marriage. When Jesuína makes a bold proposal that would radically alter all their destinies, the women are forced to reevaluate their relationships to one another, to themselves, and to their home.
I’ve dedicated this play to my grandmothers—all seven of them, since I’m not actually sure which one I’m directly descended from (nor do I want to know). But really it’s for all women: those who made something from nothing, who show up day in and out despite not being treated with the love and care they deserve. I’m excited to go into this workshop with vulnerability and to explore how sisterhood always endures in the face of adversity.
Making your reservation
The sign up link below is for the in-person reading on Tuesday, May 12. If you need to reserve your spot for Monday, May 11 instead, you can do so here.»
Walkups are welcome, but we cannot guarantee there will be available seating without a reservation.
This reading will be recorded and made available to view online June 1–7. You can sign up to view that recording here.
If you have any questions about making your reservation, please email us at rsvp@pwcenter.org.
Planning your visit
All seating is general admission. We recommend arriving 10-15 minutes prior to the reading to check in and find your seat.
Visit our About page to learn more about parking and accessibility.
Large groups
If you are making a reservation for more than six people, please email rsvp@pwcenter.org to arrange. If you make a reservation for more than six, a member of our Advancement team may be in touch closer to the reading date to confirm final numbers for your group.
francisca da silveira
