Chilean playwright and director Constanza Hola-Chamy wears many hats, producing her own work and even understudying in some productions. Her works include 'Mad Women' and 'The Colour Violet', both performed at the Embassy of Chile, and 'Self-Criticism' and 'Weak Edward,' which she co-directed. Her production of George Bernard Shaw’s 'Saint Joan' was performed at the Rose Theatre for the 600th anniversary of Joan of Arc’s birthday. Her work is heralded as ambitious and unapologetic, whilst simultaneously witty and playful.“I wanted to be a theatre-maker, ideally a writer,” declares Constanza. At the age of 25, she decided to leave Chile for London to “reinvent herself” and study a Masters at RADA. "Being Latina has shaped my whole work," she says, even knowing that this was something unlikely to be successful in the UK. “You can do two things in this country with your art: you can try to be British, or you can go against the tide and be yourself. And in my case, I was surprised that it worked to be me.”
"Whilst my aim is that my characters can be played by anyone”, she says. "I am also committed to broadening the range of Latinx representation."
The uncertainty intrinsic to her field hasn’t stopped Constanza taking risks, despite the “hectic journey between doing something great, and having great results, and then having nothing. That kind of instability really affects you as a person.”
Mental health crucial aspect of Constanza’s work. In 'Mad Women', she explores the stories of Frida Kahlo, Judith Marquéz and Violeta Parra - three figures of Latina creativity, whose mental health challenges had a significant impact on their lives and work. Constanza sought to delve deep into the realities of their experiences, encouraging audiences to engage with the intense feelings through the lens of tragedy and comedy, urging them to ask: “I’m sitting here and I’m laughing, but how can I be laughing about such an awful thing?”
Constanza is passionate about elevating underrepresented people and issues to bigger stages and is conscious of the need to keep pushing - as both an individual and as a cog in the industry - for better, more authentic representation: "My role is to make people think,” she says, and plans to go on doing just that.
