Irma Herrera’s solo performance piece “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own
Name?” weaves history and comedic insights into stories about names and sheds light
and throws shade on our prejudices and assumptions. Irma asks us: how open are we to seeing
people who aren’t white as equals? How welcoming are we of others who are different
from us?
Herrera’s five-month run of the show at The Marsh in San Francisco, a major home for
developing theater works, played to sold-out houses and garnered glowing reviews from critics
and everyday folks. Her post-show talkbacks tackle a range of topics including the school to
prison pipeline, the rights of transgender people, immigration policy and more.