MISSION
To create and produce theatre in the San Diego area that tells stories
from and by diverse Latinx perspectives.
TuYo is committed to professional artistic rigor, forging authentic connections, developing community artists, and furthering the discourses that affect our community.
WE VALUE...
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A leadership core that is horizontal and democratic.
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An inclusive and conscientious representation of all Latinx peoples.
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Economic equity and fiscal soundness.
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Professionalism based on artistic rigor and respect for the craft.
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Theatre as a gathering place for community and other art-forms.
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Engagement of local audiences, artists, collaborators and contributors.
WE ENVISION...
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An artist-driven organization representing our community and continuously evolving.
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A place recognizable by name for its impact and rigor in the field -not only in San Diego but in the national landscape.
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A home for professional and developing Latinx artists, a safe place and a brave space for adventurous creativity.
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A network connected to artists and organizers locally, regionally, and internationally.
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A source for creative and cultural consultation and bridge building between the Latinx community and wider population.
Anti-bias/Anti-racist Statement
TuYo Theatre is committed to creating an artistic space which advances racial and social justice, anti-racism, and cultural diversity. As storytellers, we believe that we have a responsibility to reflect the ever evolving world we live in and promote narratives that provoke thought and action. We recognize the wide diversity within the Latinx community. Racial identity with all of its matrices is a complicated issue that our own community is both systematically impacted by and culturally contributes to. TuYo Theatre commits to fostering and supporting artistic work that dismantles bias that contribute to the marginalization of groups of people, including but not limited to gender, gender identity, skin tone, culture, religion, language, sexual orientation, age, neurodiversity and/or disability, and/or economic class.
Adopted 2019, last updated 2025
HISTORY
The drive to start a company had long been brewing.
By 2017 the continuing conversations about the lack of Latinx representation both on stage and in key artistic positions were taking place between several artists committed to making San Diego a vibrant professional hub for Latinx theatre. In October 2017, we held the first meeting of our Co-founders:
Daniel Jáquez, Patrice Amon, Crystal Mercado, Bernardo Mazón, Peter Cirino, and Evelyn Diaz Cruz.
One year later, in 2018, TuYo Theatre opened it's first productions Self-Conchas in partnership with Bocon and Fade, by Tanya Saracho, in partnership with Moxie Theatre. We began deeply in partnership with other organizations and communities and that impulse has stayed close to our mission of uplifting Latine artists and making it accessible for the community.
TuYo continued to grow and produce theatre in and around San Diego county Between 2022 and 2026, TuYo Theatre produced 6 shows around the community, including two commissions focused on the stories and communities of the San Diego South Bay, and one NNPN Rolling World Premiere. In addition, TuYo has created a long partnership history with institutions in San Diego by touring their productions all around the county. Some of these include SDSU, CSUSM, and UCSD, among other multiple community centers and libraries. One of the last partnerships was with the La Jolla Playhouse, co-producing the 2025 Latinx New Play Festival.
In 2024, TuYo was the recipient of a grant from the Prebys Foundation that allowed the company to hire staff for the first time and grow its effort to provide Latine theatre for and by Latine artists.
In 2025, we launched our first educational program, "Uniendo" in collaboration with Mosaic Theatricals. This is an intergenerational program that fosters relationships between youth and seniors through the arts.
