“I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” can be Heard FREE

Erika L. Sánchez’s bestselling novel

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

to Chicagoland teachers and students for FREE

April 25–May 22, 2022

Remixed for audio by Isaac Gómez

Co-directed by ensemble members Sandra Marquez and

Artistic Director Audrey Francis

CHICAGO (March 28, 2022)— Steppenwolf for Young Adults rereleases its popular audio adaptation of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, free to all Chicagoland teachers and students for FREE , starting April 25–May 22, 2022. Based on the bestselling novel by Erika L. Sánchez and adapted for audio from the stage play by acclaimed playwright Isaac Gómez, the production is co-directed by ensemble members Sandra Marquez and Artistic Director Audrey Francis and features a cast including ensemble member Karen Rodriguez.

Originally released in April 2021 to students and audiences worldwide as part of the Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage, Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) revives its audio adaptation of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter to provide a high-quality theatrical experience for its classroom partners and Chicagoland students this spring. This follows Steppenwolf’s difficult decision to postpone the world premiere SYA adaptation of Eve L. Ewing’s 1919 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases earlier this year and due to incredible demand from teachers who frequently inquire about introducing their students to “Julia” from the story.

The restreaming of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is available April 25–May 22, 2022, for FREE to all Chicagoland teachers and students through Steppenwolf for Young Adults, along with a companion Study Guide. Student and teacher registration is now open HERE.

In addition to streaming this rerelease, Chicagoland teens ages 14-19 can come to Steppenwolf for weekly free programs that take place on Steppenwolf’s dedicated education floor, The Loft. Skill-based workshops, events around the plays on Steppenwolf’s stages, open hours to practice a monologue, do homework or just hang, and more. Visit steppenwolf.org/education for more information.

A Chicago story about family, community and coming together even when that feels impossible, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is a New York Times bestselling novel by Erika L. Sánchez written in the first person, which translates beautifully into a deeply personal, journal-like audio experience. In March 2020, the sold-out Steppenwolf for Young Adults world premiere stage production of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was cut short due to the pandemic. Isaac Gómez embraced the opportunity to revisit this beloved work in a new audio format for Steppenwolf NOW’s global audience in 2021.

“Not only was the audio adaptation of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter an incredible artistic success—it also reached 23,000 students,” shares Steppenwolf’s Director of Education Megan Shuchman. “Since the audio play’s streaming window closed last summer, we have received weekly inquiries as to how new teachers and teens can access it. The demand for this incredible story remains high! Given its continued relevance, the exceptional quality of this work, and how proud we are to have been able to share it previously, providing Chicagoland educators with a ‘readymade’ piece of audio theater to share with their students during this continued difficult time is our privilege and our honor.”

Starring ensemble member Karen Rodriguez

AN AUDIO ADAPTATION

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Based on the novel by Erika L. Sánchez

Audio & Original Stage Adaptation by Isaac Gómez

Co-Directed by ensemble members Sandra Marquez and Artistic Director Audrey Francis

Featuring ensemble member Karen Rodriguez with Charin Alvarez, Eddie Martinez, Peter Moore, Leslie Sophia Perez, Bianca Phipps, Robert Quintanilla and Harrison Weger

Rereleased by Steppenwolf for Young Adults

Restreaming from April 25–May 22, 2022

FREE for Chicagoland teachers and students

Registration open HERE.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is a Chicago story about family, community and coming together even when that feels impossible. Julia, a Chicago high school student, navigates the trials and tribulations of following her dreams of becoming a writer alongside the death of her sister, Olga—who might not have been quite as perfect as she seemed. Author of the novel Erika L. Sánchez has created an indelible protagonist in student Julia Reyes, who searches for her truest self while navigating the struggles of adolescence—depression, grief, self-doubt—in addition to the anxieties unique to a child of immigrants with a foot in two very different worlds. Julia is torn between a future limited by the same socioeconomic forces that curtail the opportunities open to her parents and her fervent ambitions to seek a more expansive life for herself as a writer.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter creative team features Matthew Chapman (Sound Design), Kenya Hall (Artistic Producer), Claire Haupt (Production Manager), JC Clementz (Casting Director, CSA), Brenna Barborka (Dramaturg), Michelle Medvin (Production Stage Manager) and Jacqueline Saldana (Assistant Production Stage Manager).