Austin Rainbow Theatre Presents
Chris Rivera's
Regional Premiere
Back to You
Press Night January 12th
January 12 - 20, 2024
Or you may pull from our EPK below
Austin Rainbow Theatre Presents
Chris Rivera's
Regional Premiere
Back to You
Press Night January 12th
January 12 - 20, 2024
Or you may pull from our EPK below
For media or interview requests please email cwilliams@austinrainbowtheatre.org or fill out our contact form linked below.
If you are interested in attending our Press Night on Friday January 12th @ 8 PM please let us know.
Press Release
Austin Rainbow Theatre Presents
REGIONAL PREMIERE
Chris Rivera's
BACK TO YOU
January 12 - 20, 2024
Featuring the Original Cast From New York City
Austin Rainbow Theatre, the home for LGBTQIA+ performing arts in Central Texas, presents the regional premiere of Chris Rivera’s riveting play Back to You, a story of navigating queer relationships in modern culture, told from a Latiné perspective, at Ground Floor Theatre January 12-20, 2024. ART is proud to bring the original production in its entirety direct from New York City.
Diego and Mateo, two Mexican-American teens, have been lifelong friends in their small Texas Valley town. As they grow into young men, their bond deepens into something more than just friendship. Forced to grapple with their fear, shame, homophobia, and pressures of machismo culture, the pair grow up, grow closer, grow apart, and come back together again over the course of fifteen years.
Praised by theatre blog A Work Unfinishing as one of the best new works of 2022, this Texas-based play is a timely response to the recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and actions in the American South. Moreover, it is an honest examination of the intersection of Latiné and queer identities for young Texans. Back to You was celebrated by writer and transgender advocate Jeffrey Jay as “a show that is simple in its delivery, but unique and complex in all the right places… Well written, beautifully performed.”
The play will be performed by the original cast from New York City – Chris Rivera* (the playwright himself) and Joe Montoya*.
The creative team includes Lucinda Culver (Lighting Designer), Katie Birks-Kilman (Set Designer), Michael Chappo (Stage Manager) and Devon Mitchell (Assistant Stage Manager).
This production is funded in part by the City of Austin Elevate grant program.
*Member Actor’s Equity Association
Additional Information
PERFORMANCE DATES
Friday, January 12,, 2024 @ 8 PM
Saturday, January 13, 2024 @ 2 PM (ASL Interpreter)
Saturday, January 13, 2024 @ 8 PM
Sunday, January 14, 2024 @ 2 PM
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 @ 8 PM
Thursday, January 18, 2024 @ 8 PM
Friday, January 19, 2024 @ 8 PM
Saturday, January 20, 2024 @ 2 PM (ASL Interpreter)
Saturday, January 20, 2024 @ 8 PM
TICKET & SHOW INFORMATION
Tickets are available for purchase at $25 through ART’s website at www.austinrainbowtheare.org/shows. All performances will be held at Ground Floor Theatre.
Our Saturday 2 PM matinee performances will feature ASL interpreters for the hearing impaired community
PERFORMANCE ADDRESS
Ground Floor Theatre
979 Springdale Rd
Austin, TX 78702
ABOUT AUSTIN RAINBOW THEATRE
Austin Rainbow Theatre’s mission is to provide affordable theatre that focuses on creating belonging, reducing stigma, honoring diverse LGBTQIA+ history and stories, and amplifying LGBTQIA+ artist and community voices. ART firmly believes that LGBTQIA+ art saves LGBTQIA+ lives.
ART began its mission in 2021 with an exploratory production of The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project. This production was meant to gauge the necessity of an LGBTQIA+ theatre company and the response from the Central Texas community. After the outpouring of support from patrons, as well as the gratitude from members of the queer community, it was clear ART would be around for a long time!
In October 2023, ART made its official debut as a non-profit theatre organization with Del Shores’ Sordid Lives with a completely sold-out run. Said James Scott of the Austin Chronicle: “This story of Texan fears, queers, and tears definitely hit home for an audience of Lone Star locals.”
ABOUT CHRIS RIVERA (PLAYWRIGHT/CO-STAR)
Chris Rivera is a NYC based actor, director, and playwright originally from a small Texas town, three hours from the Valley. Rivera spent many years working at Houston theatres, including Stages, The Alley (where he often served as a teaching artist), and with Unhinged Productions. At Unhinged, Rivera served as an Artistic Associate and collaborated on writing Uncivil Unions (an artists’ response to the gay marriage debates in 2010). As an actor at Unhinged, Rivera played a variety of roles, including the Succubus in Charles Busch’s Vampire Lesbians, Jokahan in Oscar Wilde’s Salome, and Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, for which he won the Houston Area Theater Award for Best Actor in a Musical
For the past several years in New York, Rivera has spent his career acting in theater and film, teaching summers at the New York Film Academy, and directing – including BAAD! Theater’s 20th Anniversary production of Los Nutcrackers last month.
As a playwright, Rivera is so grateful to have had the opportunity to have been mentored by the late Lanford Wilson, and to have had his Queer Latiné work supported by The Hispanic Federation, who helped produce the original run of Back to You in NYC. It was while creating his second queer Latiné play, Our Own Odyssey, at FuerzaFest NYC that he met and subsequently cast Joe Montoya as Des, a queer homeless youth in NYC whose journey to find a new home parallel’s Homer’s epic. Montoya would go on to become Rivera’s closest collaborator for the next six years. The two are currently working in a new capacity, creating a musical based on Our Own Odyssey, with a libretto based on Rivera’s play, musical composition by Montoya, and lyrics in collaboration together. www.theactingchrisrivera.com @theactingchrisrivera
ABOUT JOE MONTOYA (PLAYWRIGHT/CO-STAR)
Joe Montoya [they/he] is a NYC-based Mexican actor, writer, and graduate of Pace University’s BFA Musical Theatre program. Select Film: Group (North Film Festival 2023), The Hosts (Newfest 2022), Via Dolorosa. Select Theater: Tobias in Sweeney Todd (Hangar Theater), Crutchie in Newsies! (Arena Stage), Our Own Odyssey (Fuerza Fest NYC). On the horizon for Montoya: they are currently developing their next play The Da Vinci Boys – a gay frolic based on the life of the Italian genius; as well as an upcoming funk/rock musical fantasy – promising fun and heart for all ages. Much love to Mom & Dad, Chris. Besos y brazos. For more info: JoeMontoyaOfficial.com / @joemontoyany.
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS
WHAT: Austin Rainbow Theatre’s production of Chris Rivera’s BACK TO YOU
WHEN: January 12-20, 2024
WHERE: Ground Floor Theatre (979 Springdale Rd Austin, TX 78702)
RUNNING TIME: 2 hours
TICKETS: $25 at www.austinrainbowtheatre.org/shows/back-to-you/
PERFORMANCE DATES:
Friday, January 12,, 2024 @ 8 PM
Saturday, January 13, 2024 @ 2 PM (ASL Interpreter)
Saturday, January 13, 2024 @ 8 PM
Sunday, January 14, 2024 @ 2 PM
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 @ 8 PM
Thursday, January 18, 2024 @ 8 PM
Friday, January 19, 2024 @ 8 PM
Saturday, January 20, 2024 @ 2 PM (ASL Interpreter)
Saturday, January 20, 2024 @ 8 PM
Images
The images contained within this website are available to members of the media for the sole purpose of promoting Austin Rainbow Theatre, its productions and related activities. Unauthorized alteration, sale, reproduction, commercial or personal use of these images is strictly prohibited.
All images Copyright © Austin Rainbow Theatre. All rights reserved.
Production Photos
Please credit photos according to the photo credit document included in the above download or by copying the following:
Chris Rivera* as “Diego” and Joe Montoya* as “Mateo” in Chris Rivera’s BACK TO YOU
*Member Actor’s Equity Association
Graphics
Please credit graphics according to the photo credit document included in the download or by copying the following:
Austin Rainbow Theatre presents the Regional Premiere of Chris Rivera’s BACK TO YOU January 12 – 20, 2024
If you have a need for specific sizes please let us know by contacting cwilliams@austinrainbowtheatre.org or filling out our contact form linked below.
Cast Headshots
Please credit headshots according to the attached document or by copying below.
Chris Rivera
Chris Rivera* playwright and “Diego” in Austin Rainbow Theatre’s production of BACK TO YOU *Member Actor’s Equity Association
Joe Montoya
Joe Montoya* “Mateo” in Austin Rainbow Theatre’s production of BACK TO YOU *Member Actor’s Equity Association
Press Inquiries
Should you have interview or media requests regarding our production or Austin Rainbow Theatre please reach out to us by filling out the form below. Or you may also email cwilliams@austinrainbowtheatre.org
Press Night Friday January 12th @ 8PM
As a member of the media, we would love to have you join us for our press night! However, if you are unable to attend January 12th please let us know an alternate show date so we may set aside tickets for you and a guest.