Herbert Siguenza of Culture Clash presents one-man show “Diego Rivera: His Story” at Whittier Central Library. Opening poems by Whittier Poet Laureate Alejandra Roggero and Macondo fellow Margaret Elysia Garcia.
“Diego Rivera: His Story” is an evocative one-person theatrical play cowritten by and starring Herbert Siguenza of the Chicano group Culture Clash. Set in the aftermath of Frida Kahlo’s funeral, the performance follows the influential Mexican muralist in his studio as he grapples with grief and mortality. During the play, Rivera is visited by Cantinflas, a charismatic comic figure who serves as his Mexican consciousness. Through a compelling blend of visuals, music, and monologue, Rivera recounts his turbulent life, politics, and complex relationships. The piece was directed by Sam Woodhouse and cowritten with Carlos Morton.
Herbert Siguenza was recently the playwright in residence for the San Diego Repertory Theatre, thanks to a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Siguenza is also a founding member of the performance group Culture Clash. Along with Richard Montoya and Ric Salinas, Culture Clash is the most produced Chicano theater troupe in the United States. Founded in San Francisco in 1984, Culture Clash has performed on the stages of America’s top regional theaters including the Mark Taper Forum, The Kennedy Center, The Arena Stage, The Alley Theater, The Berkeley Repertory, Yale Repertory, South Coast Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, and Syracuse Stage, The Huntington Stage and countless universities and colleges. Siguenza has cowritten and/or performed in the following Culture Clash plays: “Bordertown Now, American Night” (commissioned by Oregon Shakespeare Festival); “Palestine New Mexico,” “Water and Power,” “Chavez Ravine” (all three commissioned by the Mark Taper Forum); “Peace” (commissioned by The Getty Villa); “Zorro in Hell!” (commissioned by the Berkeley Rep); “The Birds” (commissioned by the Berkeley Rep and South Coast Rep); and “Bordertown” (commissioned by the San Diego Rep). As a solo writer and performer, Siguenza has written and produced “Cantinflas!,” “A Weekend with Pablo Picasso,” “Steal Heaven,” “El Henry” (recipient of the 2014 San Diego Critics Circle Award for Best New Play), “Manifest Destinitis,” “Beachtown,” and others. Siguenza is also an accomplished visual artist and has exhibited both nationally and internationally.
TV and Film credits: Ben Ten Alien Swarm for the Cartoon Network and “Larry Crowne,” a feature film directed by Tom Hanks. Siguenza’s voice was prominently featured in Pixar’s 2017 Oscar-winning animation feature “Coco.”
Macondo Fellow Margaret Elysia Garcia is the author of poetry collections “Iconistas!” (Lit Kit Collective, 2025); “the daughterland” (El Martillo Press, 2023); “Burn Scars” (Lit Kit Collective, 2022); and the forthcoming short story collection “Chicana Noir” (El Martillo Press, 2026). Garcia grew up in Whittier, California, with many of her short stories taking place there.
Alejandra Roggero is a Whittier College graduate and the author of four collections of prose and poetry, including “The Town” and “La Matriarca.” She is the owner of Guerita Vintage and works as a television producer for Fuse Media. She is also one of the founders of Poetry for the Masses, a monthly workshop and collective in South Pasadena open to writers of all levels. Her forthcoming book “soft serve” is set to be published in 2027.
Founded by Matt Sedillo and David A. Romero, El Martillo Press publishes writers whose pens strike the page with clear intent; words with purpose to pry apart assumed norms and to hammer away at injustice. El Martillo Press proactively publishes writers looking to pound the pavement to promote their work and the work of their fellow pressmates. El Martillo is the builder of bridges and the destroyer of walls.