Carlos-Zenen Trujillo

2021 New Voices Emerging Playwright

2023 Developmental Workshop – Our Utopia

Carlos-Zenen Trujillo (they/them) was born in Bejucal, Cuba, and has lived in Oregon since 2006. Carlos acknowledges that they live and work on the ancestral lands of the Kalapuya and Atfalati peoples. Their writing work includes: The Island in Winter or La Isla en Invierno (Inaugural Problem Play Project Commission); Abundancia (Reading; Matchbox Theatre); Christmas, Contigo (Oregon Cabaret); and Our Utopia (Bag&Baggage Productions; Fertile Ground).

Their acting work includes: Alfie Byrne in A Man of No Importance and Teacher in Small Mouth Sounds (Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University); Patrick Chibas in Spinning into Butter (Bag & Baggage Productions); Nurse/Prince/Sampson in Romeo y Julieta (Seattle Shakespeare Company); and OSF Acting Company Trainee 2020.

Their honors include: ANPF New Voices 2021 Retreat Participant; Certificate of Merit in Dramaturgy (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui); Irene Ryan Award nominations (A Man of No Importance; Elektra); Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) ASPIRE Leadership Fellow 2019, KCACTF John Cauble Award. They are also a KCACTF Directing Fellow 2020.

Carlos-Zenen has a BFA in Theatre Arts from Southern Oregon University. Currently they are a Pathways Fellow at Artist Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon. They are a Certified Home Care Worker and a Certified Executive Chef from Culinary School at Northwest Culinary Institute. Carlos will be going to France this year as part of the American Pavilion Culinary cohort at the Cannes Film Festival.

Carlos’ passions are folklore, poetry, floral arrangements, dominoes, cooking, and playing with their big dumb Husky son, Rocky.

 

Grew up in: A mix between Bejucal, Cuba; Ontario, California; and the Portland Metro

Currently residing: Hillsboro, Oregon

Creative beginnings: I vividly remember tertulias on my front porch growing up. The whole family and whoever happened to be passing by would sit on our rocking chairs, stool, the floor, etc., and just spend the night telling stories. My obsession with storytelling comes from my family. The way they would build off each other, subvert their narratives, and constantly compete to see who could be the funniest, the most engaging. It’s those memories I go back to when I need to get over writer’s block or come up with a new idea.

What nurtured or supported your playwriting the most: I’ve been very lucky to have a strong community of actors, directors, and artists as friends and colleagues. I can always count on the support of my friends, and I try to keep in contact as much as I can. (Even if that just means sending them TikToks at 5 am.)

Writing process: Pretty chaotic. When it’s time to write, it will pour out. The tricky part is finding those moments where it’s time to write.

The inspiration for your play: The State of Oregon. Our Town. The 2020 Election. The desire to escape it all and buy a farm in the woods.

Favorite moment or line: Aurora’s ending monologue.

Hope for audience takeaways: Empathy. Joy. Fear. Obsession.

What you are looking forward to with the play’s development at ANPF: I have no expectations other than change. I’m pretty certain the play the audience will see will be pretty different from the current draft (at the time of writing this).