( 1959- )
Comic writer and performer Monica Palacios was born and raised in San Jose, California, where she started by writing funny short stories. She attended an all- girls' Catholic high school ("great preparation for lesbianism and the theatre" [ Smith]) before sampling a smorgasbord of colleges, including New York University. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 1984 with a BA in film studies and screenwriting.
In 1982 Palacios began performing comedy routines in San Francisco's mainstream as well as alternative venues. As her lesbian identity emerged more clearly in her comedy, Palacios chose not to be involved in "that very negative, racist, sexist, homophobic environment" ( Leader, 18) of the straight clubs. She teamed up with Marga Gomez, and the women billed themselves as "the only Latin female comedy duo in the universe" ( Arrizon, 25). She was also instrumental in developing an all-Latino comedy troupe, Culture Clash.
In 1987 Monica Palacios located in Los Angeles where she currently maintains her writing, performing, and producing career. Palacios continues to tour her bold autobiographical piece Latin Lezbo Comic, which was recently seen off-Broadway and was featured on the Public Broadcasting Service. She tours colleges with her lecture/performance show Greetings from a Queer Senorita. Palacios has also collaborated with performance artists Luis Alfaro and Beto Araiza to create solo and collective works called Deep in the Crotch of My Latino Psyche. The most recent manifestation of her act, which she calls "part stand-up, part performance, part Chihuahua," is a spoken word/slide show titled Confessions . . . A Sexplosion of Tantalizing Tales.
In addition to performing her own work, Palacios is active as a producer. She recently produced "Fierce Tongues/Women of Fire," a three-day festival of
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Women Playwrights of Diversity:A Bio-Bibliographical Sourcebook.
Contributors: Jane T. Peterson - Author, Suzanne Bennett - Author.
Publisher: Greenwood Press.
Place of publication: Westport, CT.
Publication year: 1997.
Page number: 267.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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