Fables, Folklore, and Farce- A Conversation With Mark-Eugene Garcia

In a special twist for this episode, David interviews Mark-Eugene Garcia during a Friday the 13th birthday book signing celebrating the publication of his three plays: With Bated Breath, Eight Tales of Pedro, and Goat Blood. They dive into Mark-Eugene’s two-decade journey as a Chicano playwright—from his first musical Up in the Air, which evolved into the wild, sex-fueled satire With Bated Breath, to his current work exploring Latine stories rooted in heritage, myth, and horror. Joining them are Sergio Caetano and Hraban Luyat, two original cast members from Goat Blood, who give a chilling live performance of the play’s opening scene. The featured works span a mythic border-crossing folktale (Eight Tales of Pedro), a monster thriller layered with grief and identity (Goat Blood), and a surreal small-town comedy about religious repression and pharmaceutical chaos (With Bated Breath). It’s a rich conversation about storytelling, culture, performance, and the monsters—real and metaphorical—that shape us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices