Richard Montoya, Nogales
RJM Sappo

  • Playwright/Filmmaker/Actor /Activist
    Co-Founder of Culture Clas

    Montoya has deep roots in The San Joaquin Valley. His parents Jose & Mary Ellen, both US born farmworkers met and wed in Fowler CA. Those fields produced generations of artists and writers that have taken their place among American Letters. A co-founder of the legendary performance trio Culture Clash, Montoya is deeply committed to the intersection of social justice and art. His body of collective and solo works relentlessly explore politics, underrepresented narratives and his Chicana/o roots, experiences, dreams, and struggles.

Culture Clash

Since 1984, Culture Clash (Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza) has been creating adventurous works for the national stage. Born in an art gallery in the heart of the Mission District of San Francisco that no longer exists, the performance trio knows about adversity and the need to evolve and find new ways to reach new audiences, especially in these pandemic times. Returning to explore their landmark works with Center Theatre Group has been a lifeline and caps a long creative relationship that has produced important plays for and about Los Angeles.

Other commissioned and produced works for Center Theatre Group include Water & Power, Bordertown Now, American Night, Carpa Clash and Palestine, New Mexico as well as a revival of Chavez Ravine at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. The troupe has also created new works for La Jolla Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, The Huntington, Arena Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Culture Clash adapted accordingly for these pandemic times by revisiting their works from their anthology of plays. This Chavez Ravine has been especially adapted as a teleplay for the screen and for this moment of reflection in America as an everchanging nation of immigrants and innovation.

Other films from Culture Clash as well as solo works include: Water & Power, Playing with Fire: The Art of Carlos Almaraz (Netflix) and The Other Barrio. Culture Clash members have appeared in and consulted on films such as Coco and Nacho Libre. New works include Suicide on Telegraph for Berkeley Rep.