Tory Vazquez

New York, NY

Tory Vazquez is a writer, director, and actor. She has created her own and collaborative theater work since 1994 in New York City. Vazquez has presented two original full-length dance theater works both commissioned by Performance Space 122 in New York: Wrestling Ladies and The Florida Project, both of which received Jerome Foundation Fellowships. Among numerous productions she has acted in or performed internationally, Vazquez is a member of Elevator Repair Service Theater Company cited as, “Best Experimental Theater Troupe” by New York Magazine, which has toured at PS 122, The Whitney@Philip Morris, On the Boards, Diverse Works, Walker Art Center, The Wexner Center for the Arts, Sommer Szene in Salzburg, and the Holland Festival & Berliner Festwochen. Vazquez has taught many public school and university classes and workshops including at Ohio State University Theater Department, The Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, The Holland Festival, and the High School of Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, TX.Vazquez has a BA in Comparative Literature from Duke University and an AA in Theater from New World School of the Arts, Miami. Vazquez is an artist leader in Creative Capital’s professional development workshops.

Wrestling Ladies


Tory Vazquez

Artist Bio

Wrestling Ladies transforms a theatrical venue into a wrestling ring. In a visual style inspired by contemporary underground comics, the work depicts characters as combatants, superheroes, and saints who all struggle to transcend their given and created identities. The audience is witness to both their public battles and private histories. The primary character is an eleven year old girl, Chasity a.k.a Devilish Angel, who is obsessed with wrestling. The other characters include: her mother, Maria Elena Vazquez, a ruthless champion; her soon to be stepfather, Louis, manager/coach of the ring; and her friend Lizard, a wrestler who keeps her company and protects her from evil. The action moves fluidly from fight scenes to surreal dances to moments of unexpected tenderness.


Award Year
2002
Status

Completed