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Year of Graduation
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
MFA: Playwriting
Directing Professor
Neil David Seibel
Abstract
Carlota is a tormenta.
Carlota is a fantasma.
Carlota is a grandmother, a revolutionary, a healer, and a bad ass. She stabbed a Spanish colonel (maybe), survived a flood, crisscrossed Cuba, abandoned her son (no she didn't), played the lotto, saved lives, survived enslavement and laughed when she wanted.
Carlota is a musical created by Goat in the Road Productions (New Orleans) that tells the story of the extraordinary life and legacy of Carlota Ruíz de González, a fictional character rooted in Cuban and New Orleans history. The play follows three generations of the family: matriarch Carlota Ruíz de Gonzalez during her 19th-century journeys from Cuba to New Orleans, and back; Puri and Mateíto, a Cuban couple immigrating to America during and after the Cuban revolution; and Carlota James, present day, traveling back to Cuba to deposit her grandfather’s ashes.
Recommended Citation
Kaminstein, Christopher E., "Carlota" (2026). Playwriting (MFA) Theses, Hollins University. 23.
https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/playwritingtheses/23
Contact Information
ckaminstein@gmail.com
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the MFA in Playwriting thesis is to provide a definitive record of student progress upon completion of the degree. This text will not reflect any revisions to the play made after degree completion. For the most current version of the play, or for licensing information, please contact the author and/or the Hollins Playwriting Department.