Sabina Zúñiga Varela

Actor/Director/Educator

Sabina Zúñiga Varela to Star as Medea in The Public's Mojada

Zúñiga Varela previously played the role in Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles, a version of the play set in L.A. that was seen at OSF, in L.A., and in Boston.

For the play's Public Theater premiere, Alfaro has re-set Mojada in the neighborhood of Queens. Directed by Chay Yew (who previously directed Mojada in Chicago, as well as Alfaro's Oedipux Rex at The Public), performances will begin July 2 ahead of a July 17 opening.

Mojada tells the story of a young Mexican mother who gives up everything to bring her son to America, only to find America demands even more.

Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Aspillaga (Anna in the Tropics) as Josefina, Alex Hernandez (A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Jason, Ada Maris (Bang Bang Blues) as Armida, Benjamin Luis McCracken (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) as Acan, and Socorro Santiago as Tita (Unfinished Women).
For Tickets click HERE


SABINA joins the cast of FX's Snowfall Season 3 as "Nuvia" 

She will appear in 

episodes 3 & 9


Season Premier July 10, 2019!


Snowfall Season 3 is coming this summer to FX, ready to whisk us back to the bleaker side of the 1980s, in Los Angeles, during the time in which the pervasive force of crack cocaine first hit the streets.

The series, which debuted on FX back on July 5, 2017, is the creation of the writer triumvirate of Eric Amadio (Stuntmen), Dave Andron (Justified) and urban drama legend John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood). However, in the midst of production on Season 3, Snowfallhas been deprived of Singleton – who also served as director and executive producer – who just passed away 


Sabina reunites with Culture Clash in 

Bordertown Now at Pasadena Playhouse!


Twenty years after their searing hit Bordertown premiered, LA’s very own Culture Clash returns to the southern border to investigate the state of affairs once again. Re-imagined, remixed and fully reloaded, Bordertown Now is an irreverent look at the people at the center of one of America’s most hot-button controversial issues, and the walls that divide us all. Infused with their trademark comedic approach, the nation’s premier Chicano/Latino performance trio joins Obie Award-winning artist and director Diane Rodriguez to redefine the boundaries of theater and break down the divisions between cultures.

Bordertown Now
Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. in Pasadena
Wed-Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 2
May 30-June 24, 2018

Catch Sabina's FIRST 

Co-Star role on 

American Crime Season 3: Episode Three.


 Now available on Netflix!


Starring: 

Benito Martinez, Felicity Huffman, Regina King, Timothy Hutton, Connor Jessup and Richard Cabral

Sabina continues her journey as Medea at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2017!


Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles
February 19 - July 6, 2017

      Click HERE for Tickets and Info

      A new life—that comes at a price

      For Jason, things are finally looking up. The terrifying journey that he and his wife, Medea, endured to travel from southern Mexico to Los Angeles is now in the past, and he’s found steady work and a bright future—or at least that’s what his new boss promises. But Medea, still traumatized by their ordeal, fears their nightmare isn’t over. In this retelling of Medea, OSF’s resident playwright Luis Alfaro blends tragedy, wry humor, Mexican folklore and a bracingly modern setting to unleash the power of Euripides’ ancient tale, seen through the lens of immigrants in the United States.  

      #MojadaMedeaOSF

      Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles receives 4 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Nominations!

      Best Production of a Play (Large Theatre)

      Playwriting for an Original Play: Luis Alfaro

      Featured Actress in a Play: VIVIS as Tita

      Sound Design (Large Theatre): Bruno Louchouarn

      Sabina Cast as "Gloria" in You Never Can Tell @ CalSHakes!

      BY GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
      DIRECTED BY LISA PETERSON

      AUG 10–SEPT 4  

      At one riotous lunch, Mrs. Clandon, a famed feminist author and lecturer, is accidentally reunited with her estranged husband, while her high-minded eldest daughter tries to stave off a smooth-talking dentist’s advances. Originally set at a stuffy seaside resort, director Lisa Peterson moves Shaw’s off-beat comedy out of the drawing room and into the Bay Area! Identities are confused, ideals are challenged, and mischief is afoot in this turn-of-the-century romantic farce. What could possibly happen? As a wise waiter continuously, and hilariously, observes, "You never can tell!" 

      You Never Can Tell runs 2 hours, 30 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

      Sabina wins Lead Performance @ LADCC 47th Annual Awards! March 14th 2016

      MOJADA: 
      A Medea in Los Angeles
      by Luis Alfaro
      Directed by 
      Jessica Kubzansky 
      Best Production of 2015!

      Lead Performance: 

      Sabina Zuniga Varela


      Director: Jessica Kubzansky


      Adaptation: Luis Alfaro

                            

                             

                                                        L.A. Times Article 

        Broadway World Article

      Sabina stars in The World-Premire of
      Native Gardens @ Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

      Native Gardens By Karen Zacarías Marx Theatre | Jan. 23 - Feb. 21, 2016

      Discover a hilarious new comedy of good intentions and bad manners.
      Gardens and cultures clash, turning friendly neighbors into feuding enemies in this funny world premiere by the author of The Book Club Play. Pablo, a high-powered lawyer, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, are realizing the American dream when they purchase a house next door to community stalwarts Virginia and Frank. But a disagreement over a longstanding fence line soon spirals into an all-out war of taste, class, privilege and entitlement. The hilarious results guarantee no one comes out smelling like a rose.

      Advisory: Native Gardens is appropriate for adults and teenage audiences. Though the dispute at the heart of the show causes its characters to display constantly eroding manners, the play itself contains just minimal, mild adult language (unless you speak Spanish).

      CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!

      CHAVEZ RAVINE WINS 2015 LA OVATION AWARD for
      B      EST PRODUCTION!!!

      SABINA cast as MEDEA in Los Angeles
       co-production with Boston COURT & THE GETTY VILLA

      Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles
      A new adaptation by Luis Alfaro
      Based on Euripides's Medea
      Directed by Jessica Kubzansky
      Produced by The Theatre @ Boston Court



      Thursday–Saturday, September 3–5, 2015; 8:00 p.m. (Previews)
      Thursdays–Saturdays, September 10–October 3, 2015; 8:00 p.m.
      Getty Villa, the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater

      Running time is approximately 90 minutes, no intermission.

      Call (310) 440-7300

      Previews $25
      Thursdays $40 general, $36 senior/student
      Fridays $42 general
      Saturdays $45 general

      FOR TICKETS CLICK HERE



      From MacArthur Fellow and critically acclaimed author of Electricidad and Oedipus el Rey, Luis Alfaro's Mojada is a breathtaking reimagining of Euripides's Medea transported to East Los Angeles. In an epic journey of border crossings, Medea, a seamstress with extraordinary skill, runs from a past of betrayals. With husband Hason and their son in tow, our storied heroine's struggle to adapt takes a disastrous turn when old and new worlds meet in the City of Angels. Alfaro's gripping contemporary take on the ancient Greek myth tackles the complexities of family, tradition, culture, and the explosive moment when they all collide.

      Sabina Opens at CTG's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles joining Culture Clash in the cast of CHAVEZ RAVINE!


      “Imagine eminent domain claiming your home or favorite cafe…we’re a town that cements rivers and changes sound stages in minutes.”

      —Richard Montoya


      “Blends commedia dell’arte, the Marx Brothers and more serious and real events that touch us all.”

      —The Hollywood Reporter


      “A hell-raising home run from start to finish.”

      —Variety


      Sports stadiums, eminent domain, Cuban outfielders and the fight for what’s best for the City of Angels — it’s time for a return to The Ravine. Celebrating 30 years of theatremaking, Culture Clash — Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza — delivers new insights with their signature satirical eye as they perform their revised take on Chavez Ravine twelve years after its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. Energized with new material and music from The Rodarte Brothers, Culture Clash returns to one of their most beloved plays and reexamines the constantly changing landscape of Los Angeles in the still Wild West.


      BUY TICKETS HERE!


      Sabina plays the Ghost of Christmas Past in Dallas Theater's A CHRISTMAS CAROL

      11/25/2014 to 12/27/2014


      A CHRISTMAS CAROL HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

      Dallas Theater Center returns to the Wyly Theatre with last season's sold-out, family-favorite, holiday production of A Christmas Carol. Watch as the stage is set for Dallas' newest "must-see" holiday tradition.


      Dallas Arts and Culture Review

      " A magical highlight comes from Sabina Zuniga Varela as Ghost of Christmas Past. A woman usually plays the angelic spirit, but Dickens makes no mention of the Ghost’s relationship, if any, to Scrooge. In the DTC version, the Ghost is Scrooge’s long deceased mother, who’s heart is broken seeing how her son such a bitter man. Varela’s soft features and velvety voice bring a heavenly quality to the role."


      Dallas Morning News Review
      "There are many more delicious surprises in casting, delivery and scenic spin. Through it all, this Christmas Carol beats with a heart as big as its aspirations. Fittingly, it gives audiences moved by the message a chance to do their part to help the needy. You’ll find actors in the lobby collecting canned goods and money for the North Texas Food Bank."


      Culture Map Dallas Review

      "However, it’s the use of Scrooge’s own mother (Sabina Zuniga Varela) as the Ghost of Christmas Past that is the most effective change from the book. Her guiding Scrooge through his not-so-pleasant history lends extra emotion to the scenes, as he is not only seeing the error of his ways, but also disappointing his mom."


      The Flashlist Review

      "The miserly Scrooge (Chamblee Ferguson) defiantly towers above them on a huge platform that rises to the height of the lower balcony level and then later descends to become the canopy bed from which the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sabina Zuniga Varela) surprisingly springs forth."






      SABINA JOINS THE CAST OF WATER BY THE SPOONFUL AT THEATRE WORKS!



      A Groundbreaking Drama Water by the Spoonful

      By Quiara Alegría Hudes

      Directed by Leslie Martinson

      Scenic Design by Erik Flatmo
      Costume Design by Anna R. Oliver
      Lighting Design by Steven B. Mannshardt
      Projections Design by Erik Scanlon

       

      Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

      August 20—September 14, 2014

      2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama—Bay Area Premiere

      In this healing, Pulitzer-winning drama, strangers share secrets in a chat room for troubled souls, a safe haven for lives in recovery. A sensitive webmaster moderates this community, but in real life her relationships crumble. As living and virtual worlds weave together, the true meaning of family becomes apparent, proving that no one is above reproach—or beyond redemption. From the Tony Award-winning playwright of In the Heights.
      Contains mature language

      “Moving and compelling with compassion at the heart.”
      Boston Globe   


      (PHOTO R TO L: Assistant director Jeffrey Lo, Actor Patrick Kelly Jones, Stage Manager Randall Lum, Actors Anna Ishida, Miles Villanueva, Sabina Zuniga Varela, George Psarras, Director Leslie Martinson, Actors Anthony J. Haney, and Zilah Mendoza)

      March 4th- April 1st 2014: Sabina is networking in New York City! Auditions, meetings and seeing shows!

      January 16th- March 2nd OEDIPUS EL REY @ The Dallas Theater Center 

       

      Sabina is proud to play the role of Jocasta in her third Luis Alfaro Greek Adaptation!

      (*For Reviews of this production, click the REVIEWS tab above) 

      Rhythms pound. Violence escalates. A Chicano delinquent fights his way to the pinnacle of gangland power. But not even he can win the ultimate battle against fate.    

      Sizzling, sexy, and startlingly contemporary, playwright Luis Alfaro’s adaptation tears Sophocles’ timeless Greek tragedy out of its mythic past and catapults it into the vivid,vicious reality of today’s L.A. barrios.

      For more information & to Buy Tickets  click HERE!

      For Articles and interviews click the links below:

      KERA Podcast THINK 98.1 featuring interview with Director Kevin Moriarty

      Dallas Morning News Article about DTC acting company member Daniel Duque-Estrada

      Theater Jones Q&A with Playwright Luis Alfaro and Director Kevin Moriarty by Teresa Marrero

      Dallas Morning News Article about Latino Theater Scene in Dallas 

       

      THE TENTH MUSE By Tanya Saracho has Photo Featured in American Theatre Magazine

      October 2013 Featured Content

      http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/issue/index.cfm?indexID=36 

      Cast Members not mentions in caption are (From Right to Left)

      K.T. Vogt, Sabina Zuñiga Varela, Vivia Font & Vilma Silva 

      July 2013: Sabina appears in the World Premier of Tanya Saracho's THE TENTH MUSE @ The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

      Now playing through November 2nd! Sabina plays "Tomasita" a young Nahua girl brought to a Mexican convent in 1715.

      In a lively 18th-century convent in colonial Mexico, young nuns and servants unearth a hidden play written by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a nun and famous intellectual who died 20 years earlier after falling out of favor with the church. At night, behind the back of the Mother Superior, they act out Sor Juana’s ribald farce, revealing her blazing, blasphemous talent...and discovering their own complex bonds of sisterhood. OSF is delighted to present this commission by a rising Mexican playwright. For Tickets click HERE!

       

      June 2013: Sabina appears in the U.S. premier of David Farr's THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD @ The Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

      Now playing through october! Catch Sabina as the mysterious and dangerous FANG, as well as the stuffy LADY LEBRUN, the disoriented LADY FALCONBURY, a cute GARDENER, a dancing TOWNSPERSON and a sword yielding SOLDIER. This is an evening of swashbuckling adventure, sure to make you laugh and bring you back to your inner child. For more information and to purchase tickets click HERE.content

      February 2013: Sabina performs @ The Denver Theatre Center's New Play Summit Festival in JUST LIKE US by Karen Zacarias.

      Click HERE for a video about JUST LIKE US reading at the New Play Summit Festival. This play will be produced by DTC in September of 2013. Sabina will not be able to be a part of the full production because her contract at OSF does not end until November. However, she was honored to be a part of the development of this very important play and had an incredible time with the cast and crew!

       

      November 2013: As part of BY THE SOULS OF OUR FEET company Sabina will perform in SERPENTINE PINK by Megan Breen @ Son of Semele Theatre

      www.serpentinepink.com

      October 2012: Sabina Cast in Celebration Theatre's CT Tuesdays Workshop Production of THE ESCAPE ARTIST'S CHILDREN by STEVE HARPER.

      http://www.celebrationtheatre.com/http://www.celebrationtheatre.com/

      September 2012: Sabina participates in Staged Reading of KAREN ZACARIAS' new play JUST LIKE US for the DENVER CENTER @ The Kirk Douglas Theatre

      August 2012: Sabina offered contract for 2013 season @ Oregon Shakespeare Festival!

      http://www.osfashland.org/en/productions/2013-plays/the-tenth-muse.aspx

      I recently accepted the role of Tomasita in Tanya Saracho's World Premier of The Tenth Muse! 

            The play is set in 1715, in a convent in New Spain (Mexico), where the nun and writer Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz had lived—and died only 20 years before. This engaging comic drama focuses on the arrival of three young women at the convent and their discovery of the works of Sor Juana in a locked and off-limits wardrobe. Intrigued by Sor Juana’s play, The House of Desires, the girls begin secretive evening rehearsals, hoping to perform it at an impending feast for visiting dignitaries, little knowing the upheaval their activities will cause.

       * OSF TEXTSHOP @ Kirkdouglas Theatre Sept. 2012

       I will also be playing:

      Rebecca Summers, Lady Falconbury, Peasant, Soldier, Townsperson and ensemble in the U.S. premier of The Heart of Robin Hood by David Farr as well as understudying the role of Maid Marion/Martin.
          The second production is David Farr’s THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD, a witty revisionist version that premiered last year at the Royal Shakespeare Company to rave reviews. Putting Marian at the center of the action, this piece of family-friendly swashbuckling entertainment includes some nasty villains who commit truly foul deeds, as well as heroic, lovable and comic characters trying to survive in a world of economic injustice. This U.S. premiere will be directed by Joel Sass, an innovative Twin Cities director and winner of Theatre Communication Group’s 2007 Alan Schneider Award honoring an outstanding freelance director.

      U/S Philostrate and Ensemble in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

          A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, also directed by Christopher Liam Moore (Dead Man’s Cell Phone, August: Osage County), who will bring his ingenious, theatrical imaginings to this production. MIDSUMMER was last produced outside in 2003 (indoors in 2008), and its tales of lovers, fairies and working class actors ignite artists’ and audience’s imaginations with each new production. According to Artistic Director Rauch, “a new rendition of what is arguably Shakespeare’s most perfectly balanced and exquisite pieces of writing, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM is the ideal final piece of the puzzle in this 2013 season that celebrates the Festival’s core classical commitment, including a few new classics of tomorrow.”   

      I will be living and working in Ashland, Oregon April-November. 

       

      APRIL 2012  Sabina Zuniga Varela cast as MEDEA in Bruja by Luis Alfaro @ The Magic Theatre!

      Click Photo to see BRUJA trailer!

      For More Information Please Visit http://magictheatre.org/season/bruja-3

      January 2012: Sabina play's the role of "Dunia" in EL NOGALAR by Tanya Saracho @ The Fountain Theatre.