We recently connected with Rachel Rios and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I am fortunate enough to be remounting my play, LIZ ESTRADA: A Comedy for Reproductive Rights, for the third time at Long Beach Shakespeare Company on July 29th as part of their New Works Festival. LIZ was written between the Supreme Court draft leak threatening Roe v. Wade and the eventual Dobbs decision. This play has been transformative for me as a writer and performer, as well as a pissed-off human being. I learned what to do with my anger, and I saw how powerful humor can be, particularly in times of grief.
I wish this play was irrelevant. I wish there was never an occasion to write it. But I am so moved by the feeling of community I get when performing it with my team in front of a live audience. Distress does not need to silence us– it can amplify us.
Synopsis: May 6th, 2022. Liz Estrada, a proud feminist and slut, must rally her gang of social media influencers to take on the Supreme Court as they attempt to overturn Roe V Wade. The #BlueBallers have one platform: We won’t f*ck until the Supreme Court stops f*cking with Roe v. Wade. But can the allure of sex save democracy from alt-right judges, irate Karens, and President Elon Musk? Liz Estrada, inspired by Lysistrata by Aristophanes, is a biting comedy about social justice, late stage capitalism, and the timeless potency of dick jokes.
Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a writer/performer/producer specializing in the comedic and weird. After getting my MFA in Playwriting, I jumped to the extra small screen, producing, writing, and acting in three web series. When five minutes wasn’t enough, I began writing pilots. In 2022, I won Best Pilot at LA Femme International with APOCALYPSE: THE MUSICAL and Best Half-Hour TV Pilot at Film Crash with CHAOS BECOMES US. In 2023, her historical rom-com, LADYLIKE, won Best TV Pilot at LA Under the Stars. I am also a co-producer on Queenfest, an International Women’s Day variety show that just came back live and in person with the help of a sold out house.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Your community is a wonderful resource! Entertainment professionals are so much more willing to help you than you realize. I had this idea that Hollywood writers were part of this exclusive club that closely guarded their secrets…not the case. I’ve had professional writers and producers help me prepare from meetings, look over my materials, and give me advice with incredible generosity. Some people won’t have time to help you, but those that do often want to share their knowledge with you.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I always felt that my differences held me back from achieving success. I had these tapes playing in my head: my stories are too weird, my energy is too intense, my teeth are too crooked. We all want to fit in– I think it is an evolutionary survival thing– so differences, no matter how small, can feel like a liability. Then I watched the tape back for my webshow Parker & Olive and the Pressing F*cking Issues and I thought, “You can really see how crooked my teeth are here– they look so interesting.” Something as minute as my lack of orthodontic care was able to change my whole outlook about my contributions to art. Your little weirds are what make you interesting. I continue to find that the more my art honors the qualities that are unique to me, the more successful they are. 
Contact Info:
- Website: rachelrios.com
- Other: https://www.lbshakespeare.org/pages/new-works
Image Credits
Josh La Cour, Chloe Looper Bosely, Emma Mautz