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Heroes and Saints and Other Plays WITH Giving Up the Ghost AND Shadow of a Man AND Heroes and Saints by Cherrie Moraga
"Heroes and Saints & Other Plays" is Chicana playwright Cherr e Moraga's premiere collection of theatre. Included are: "Shadow of a Man," winner of the 1990 Fund for New American Plays Award; "Heroes and Saints," winner of the Dramalogue, the PEN West, and the Critics Circle awards, as well as the Will Glickman Prize for Best Play of 1992; and "Giving Up the Ghost," first published by West End Press in 1986, and now presented here in its revised stage version.
Paperback
First published December 31, 1994
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About the author
Cherríe L. Moraga
32 books362 followersCherríe Lawrence Moraga is a Chicana writer, feminist activist, poet, essayist, and playwright. She is part of the faculty at Stanford University in the Department of Drama and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. Her works explore the ways in which gender, sexuality and race intersect in the lives of women of color.
Moraga was one of the few writers to write and introduce the theory on Chicana lesbianism. Her interests include the intersections of gender, sexuality, and race, particularly in cultural production by women of color. There are not many women of color writing about issues that queer women of color face today: therefore, her work is very notable and important to the new generations. In the 1980s her works started to be published. Since she is one of the first and few Chicana/Lesbian writers of our time, she set the stage for younger generations of other minority writers and activists.
Moraga has taught courses in dramatic arts and writing at various universities across the United States and is currently an artist in residence at Stanford University. Her play, Watsonville: Some Place Not Here, performed at the Brava Theatre Company of San Francisco in May, 1996, won the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Fund for New American Plays Award, from the Kennedy center for the Performing Arts. Barbara Smith, Audre Lorde and Moraga started Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press in 1983, a group which did not discriminate against homosexuality, class, or race. it is the first publisher dedicated to the writing of women of color in the United States.
Moraga is currently involved in a Theatre communications group and was the recipient of the NEA Theatre Playwriting Fellowship Award Her plays and publications have won and received national recognition including a TCG Theatre Residency Grant, a National Endowment for the art fellowship for play writing and two Fund for New American Plays Awards in 1993. She was awarded the United States artist Rockefeller Fellowship for literature in 2007.In 2008 she won a Creative Work Fund Award. The following year, in 2009 she received a Gerbode-Hewlett foundation grant for play writing.
(from Wikipedia)
Moraga was one of the few writers to write and introduce the theory on Chicana lesbianism. Her interests include the intersections of gender, sexuality, and race, particularly in cultural production by women of color. There are not many women of color writing about issues that queer women of color face today: therefore, her work is very notable and important to the new generations. In the 1980s her works started to be published. Since she is one of the first and few Chicana/Lesbian writers of our time, she set the stage for younger generations of other minority writers and activists.
Moraga has taught courses in dramatic arts and writing at various universities across the United States and is currently an artist in residence at Stanford University. Her play, Watsonville: Some Place Not Here, performed at the Brava Theatre Company of San Francisco in May, 1996, won the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Fund for New American Plays Award, from the Kennedy center for the Performing Arts. Barbara Smith, Audre Lorde and Moraga started Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press in 1983, a group which did not discriminate against homosexuality, class, or race. it is the first publisher dedicated to the writing of women of color in the United States.
Moraga is currently involved in a Theatre communications group and was the recipient of the NEA Theatre Playwriting Fellowship Award Her plays and publications have won and received national recognition including a TCG Theatre Residency Grant, a National Endowment for the art fellowship for play writing and two Fund for New American Plays Awards in 1993. She was awarded the United States artist Rockefeller Fellowship for literature in 2007.In 2008 she won a Creative Work Fund Award. The following year, in 2009 she received a Gerbode-Hewlett foundation grant for play writing.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 14, 2019
I believe I only read "Heroes and Saints" in my Chicano Studies class, but damnit did I love it so. It's stuck with me all these years and really opened my eyes to an entire community and their experiences - even if the author exaggerates somewhat for storytelling effect.
If you enjoy plays or short stories, especially about the Chicano/Mexican-American community or tales about the have-nots in general, you will adore this collection.
If you enjoy plays or short stories, especially about the Chicano/Mexican-American community or tales about the have-nots in general, you will adore this collection.
March 11, 2017
I picked up this collection by Chicana pioneer Cherríe Moraga because I wanted to read the title play, Heroes and Saints, which is set during the farm workers' riots of the 1970s and 1980s and features a character who is loosely based on Dolores Huerta (one of my personal heroes). The character at the center of the play, Cerezita ("Little Cherry"), is a young woman who was born without a body. A victim of the pesticides the farm owners recklessly sprayed over the fields where poor, Mexican American immigrants picked fruits and vegetables, Cerezita is literally a head on a platter. She moves from place to place with the aid of a motorized table and a joystick she can maneuver with her mouth.
Cerezita's disability, which was reported in newspapers when she was born, forms a backstory for the wave of deaths that has recently rocked the McLaughlin community. Since the (white) planters and government leaders have refused to acknowledge, let alone strive to resolve, the health crisis, the members of the community have begun drawing media attention and fomenting national outrage by placing the dead children's bodies on crucifixes in the fields--symbols of the sacrifices the farm workers are making to line the pockets of the wealthy, white landowners and put produce on the plates of US Americans who are blissfully unaware of McLaughlin's misery. Drawing smart connections to the AIDS epidemic, Moraga casts shame on the politicians who are willing to look away from health crises when they afflict communities outside the white, heterosexual mainstream. About a third of the play is written in Spanish, but it is worth the work of navigating the two languages at the same time. It is full of wry social commentary, provocative imagery, and emotional revelations.
Like other reviewers, I found the other two plays less engaging than Heroes and Saints. The first of these, Giving Up the Ghost, is the story of a romantic relationship between two Mexican American women of different generations--one a feminine, fairly traditional woman born in Mexico, the other a butch lesbian born in the United States. In between the scenes featuring these two characters' efforts to support one another through their sexual bond, we hear from Corky, the butch character's teenage alter-ego. Without passing same-sex attraction off as a psychological response to trauma, Corky's monologues explain how the crimes men commit against young women can drive them into each other's arms as adults, seeking others who understand what they have been through. Shadow of a Man, the other play included in this collection, similarly discusses the abuses women suffer from men with fragile egos. A strong indictment of patriarchy and machismo, the play features a husband who can't forgive his wife for sleeping with a man that he, it seems, would like to have slept with himself.
These other plays are deeply personal and perhaps a little harder to follow, but they shine useful light onto Moraga's experiences as a Mexican American woman coming of age during the Civil Rights Era and charting a new path as a "Third World Woman." As a relatively privileged white man, I did not see myself reflected in any of the characters developed here, except, perhaps, the white villains who drive wedges between the Mexican American families from off the stage. But that is the point: Moraga wrote these plays to voice her own experiences as a Mexican American, a woman, and a lesbian--three identity markers that cut against each other and make it difficult for her to fit comfortably into any preexisting social category. They were not written to appease or even to educate white audiences, and that fact is what makes them important readings for us all.
Cerezita's disability, which was reported in newspapers when she was born, forms a backstory for the wave of deaths that has recently rocked the McLaughlin community. Since the (white) planters and government leaders have refused to acknowledge, let alone strive to resolve, the health crisis, the members of the community have begun drawing media attention and fomenting national outrage by placing the dead children's bodies on crucifixes in the fields--symbols of the sacrifices the farm workers are making to line the pockets of the wealthy, white landowners and put produce on the plates of US Americans who are blissfully unaware of McLaughlin's misery. Drawing smart connections to the AIDS epidemic, Moraga casts shame on the politicians who are willing to look away from health crises when they afflict communities outside the white, heterosexual mainstream. About a third of the play is written in Spanish, but it is worth the work of navigating the two languages at the same time. It is full of wry social commentary, provocative imagery, and emotional revelations.
Like other reviewers, I found the other two plays less engaging than Heroes and Saints. The first of these, Giving Up the Ghost, is the story of a romantic relationship between two Mexican American women of different generations--one a feminine, fairly traditional woman born in Mexico, the other a butch lesbian born in the United States. In between the scenes featuring these two characters' efforts to support one another through their sexual bond, we hear from Corky, the butch character's teenage alter-ego. Without passing same-sex attraction off as a psychological response to trauma, Corky's monologues explain how the crimes men commit against young women can drive them into each other's arms as adults, seeking others who understand what they have been through. Shadow of a Man, the other play included in this collection, similarly discusses the abuses women suffer from men with fragile egos. A strong indictment of patriarchy and machismo, the play features a husband who can't forgive his wife for sleeping with a man that he, it seems, would like to have slept with himself.
These other plays are deeply personal and perhaps a little harder to follow, but they shine useful light onto Moraga's experiences as a Mexican American woman coming of age during the Civil Rights Era and charting a new path as a "Third World Woman." As a relatively privileged white man, I did not see myself reflected in any of the characters developed here, except, perhaps, the white villains who drive wedges between the Mexican American families from off the stage. But that is the point: Moraga wrote these plays to voice her own experiences as a Mexican American, a woman, and a lesbian--three identity markers that cut against each other and make it difficult for her to fit comfortably into any preexisting social category. They were not written to appease or even to educate white audiences, and that fact is what makes them important readings for us all.
February 21, 2021
Interesting enough. Some of it went over my head. I wouldn't have read it if it hadn't been a part of my uni syllabus.
February 20, 2025
This review is specifically for Heroes and Saints:
Wow. Just wow. Sobbed during the second half of the second act. So beautiful and so sad. Loved this.
4/5 stars
Wow. Just wow. Sobbed during the second half of the second act. So beautiful and so sad. Loved this.
4/5 stars
October 26, 2015
I've never read anything like this before.
August 21, 2022
I only read "Heroes and Saints," my god, the way plays continue to surprise me. Cherrie Moraga was inspired by Luis Valdez's (prominent Chicano playwright in the 60s) play "The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa" which included a character who was a floating head. The power lies in her reimagining of his play. In this play, Moraga takes that element — a girl who's a floating head as a result of pesticide poisoning in rural California. The women, unlike in Valdez' play who are merely caretakers, are central in Moraga's play. Complex, they quarrel with environmental racism, the government who engenders such, they reflect upon their bodies (or lack thereof) and sexuality.
I define a great work of literature as the ability to leave a stain on me, usually in a question of ethics, disgust, awe, or happiness. Sometimes works include shocking images or scenes to a superfluous degree or without merit. But here, everything felt fresh especially the hanging of the children on crosses. Truly brutal.
I define a great work of literature as the ability to leave a stain on me, usually in a question of ethics, disgust, awe, or happiness. Sometimes works include shocking images or scenes to a superfluous degree or without merit. But here, everything felt fresh especially the hanging of the children on crosses. Truly brutal.
April 12, 2025
Only read Héroes and saints but Jesus Christ this play is a revolution in its second coming. Such beautiful character development and conflict. Allows the audience to critically follow along with the commentary while experiencing the tragic actions of the characters with extreme emotional importance. I Love Mario, Cerezita, and Dolores as characters. Their family interactions hit me so hard because of how different and uniquely valid they are. Freedom and power to the resistance
October 11, 2017
This is a very powerful read. I'm at loss of words to talk about this book in details, but i'd like to mention how important talking about environmental racism is, and how thankful i am towards Cherrie Moraga for doing it.
February 26, 2018
Though the way Moraga writes portrays this play in a surreal setting, the play is real in its portrayal. It's gruesome, but this is a reality that is happening in our country. I would love to see a production of "Heroes and Saints" and explore more of Moraga's work.
August 31, 2018
The uncomfortable feelings you get while reading this, and understanding the subtext, will have you sitting staring at a wall wondering why on earth there are lives like this, but knowing very well that there are, they exist, and they need to be put on display.
November 6, 2022
read for my disability studies seminar. actually just read heroes and saints but i’m logging it anyways because i’m starting to worry about not reaching my reading goal for this year. wrote an essay on it and i will update with my grade when i get it back
January 24, 2019
I read Heroes and Saints for my Race and Climate Justice class and wow. The power of her words and storytelling is truly moving, while also bringing to light issues that many overlook.
February 11, 2021
[only Heroes and Saints]
May 10, 2023
no sé com algú que no sap espanyol pot arribar a entendre l’obra. surrealista en alguns elements i crítica guay, però no m’ha agradat ;(
January 30, 2024
Read Heroes and Saints for eco-drama and oh my GOD. This is the kind of playwright I aspire to be.
Read
July 4, 2024read for uni
November 10, 2024
I can tell this went over soooo many heads lmfaoo
April 15, 2024
what's going on man
August 21, 2020
Powerful messages from the Latina playwright community. Engaging, driven with heart; a thorough rake into the the elements that quake a community.
October 6, 2024
heroes and saints is just crazy. literal chills.
November 14, 2011
Heroes and Saints is in the realm of Chicano Feminist literature. Because of this and the subjects dealt within, a lot of people would be turned off to Moraga's wonderful plays. The last play in the book is by far my favorite and deals with pesticides and farming, matters that are close to my heart, but in no way is Moraga's work a standard protest play. One of the things I like a lot about her work is that it's not heavy handed and she specifically leaves the ethics and morals of these plays in an ambiguous shade. The story deals with a girl born only as a head. (It's a surreal play, think Dali and if you don't like that then don't read it because you'll spend too much time trying to "figure" out what's happening and not enjoy it.) There's also a non-pure priest who has sex with Cerezita's head, a mother who blames God's punishment as the reason for her appendage-less daughter and a representation of La Maza in person form. Moraga captures the language and the syntax of the Chicano people in this play. The dialogue would be a useful guide in determining how to write dialectal English without making yourself as the author sound like a fool or prejudice. When trying to shape dialogue to mimic a class or ethnicity of people, it's important not to overhaul the language. A few good word choices and mostly change in syntax will better reflect the speech accurately than a page full of misspelled words that you think will read like how people speak.
November 10, 2011
Cherrie Moraga’s "Heroes and Saints" is a play that details immigration, the Chicano culture, and the epidemic of disease from pesticides in California. The play also deals with themes of repressed sexuality.
Moraga is a very abstract writer that uses a lot of symbolism. For example, the protagonist in the story is literally a talking head.
Moraga’s dialogue is both literary and realistic; it can be analyzed in many ways.
The plot is very dark and sordid. The play as a whole revolves around children dying from pesticide poisoning. There is also strong sexual content that may make some uncomfortable.
I personally did not like this play. Its symbolism and imagery were so intense that it kept me from seeing the bigger picture.
This piece has exposed me to the literary style of a playwright. I have learned that it is possible to fit abstractions and figurative language into a play. It will improve my writing.
I would recommend this play to anyone who enjoys abstract ideas and symbols.
April 13, 2011
The plays in this book were interesting, comedic, and at times a little disturbing in my opinion. They touched on political activism, gender roles, and religious contradictions. The most important thing I think about these plays is the culture behind them. The author Cherrie Moraga does a great job at creating realistic Chicano culture within the plays. She purposefully weaves in spanish dialogue and broken english that makes the character's believable. For non spanish speaking readers the plays give a greater sense of how it feels to have the barriers of language, which Chicanos themselves experience in daily life in America.
December 17, 2012
I read the first two plays of this collection because I went to a conference where Cherrie Moraga was the keynote speaker (she was incredible, by the way). I didn't have much time before hand, so I tried to read the plays in the hotel room during the conference.
I didn't really care for the plays that much. They are the kind of plays that I can respect for their political, social, and cultural engagement, but at least as written texts they didn't really appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities.
I didn't really care for the plays that much. They are the kind of plays that I can respect for their political, social, and cultural engagement, but at least as written texts they didn't really appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities.
March 1, 2016
Heroes and Saints: 3 stars
Giving Up Ghost: 2 stars
I had to read both of these for class. I enjoyed reading Heroes and Saints but Giving Up the Ghost was just too strange for me. I would never have gotten through it on my own, despite it being only 35 pages. I don't even know what to say about it. I can definitely appreciate its merit, as I am reading and analyzing it for a class, but I think its just way, way too far outside of my comfort zone for me to enjoy it.
Giving Up Ghost: 2 stars
I had to read both of these for class. I enjoyed reading Heroes and Saints but Giving Up the Ghost was just too strange for me. I would never have gotten through it on my own, despite it being only 35 pages. I don't even know what to say about it. I can definitely appreciate its merit, as I am reading and analyzing it for a class, but I think its just way, way too far outside of my comfort zone for me to enjoy it.
March 5, 2016
I only read Heroes and Saints in this book, but I actually enjoyed the storyline more than I thought I would. The only thing that was challenging was how the play is partially in Spanish and coming from someone who doesn't know any Spanish, this was not easy. However, I could follow along pretty well with what the other characters were saying.
July 23, 2007
moraga is my favorite writer, an author that blurs the line between dream and reality, calling to ancientness and rituals that pervade our modern/postmodern/postpostwhatever bodies.
this is a particularly great collection of her plays.
this is a particularly great collection of her plays.
March 9, 2007
amazing. all of these plays are amazing.
April 9, 2007
Great queer author, awesome plays. Moraga unearths our deepest insecurities and examines them with artful blatancy.
October 18, 2007
Read this in English 52: 20th Century Drama with Professor Donald Pease.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews