About the Show

A fantastical journey into the legacy of New York's avant-garde and the cost of nostalgia.

In "Give Me Carmelita Tropicana!," a mentor-student conversation takes a dramatic turn when A, the mentor, calls B during a thunderstorm with a startling declaration: "I think I’m gonna kill her." When B asks who, A responds, "Carmelita Tropicana." What unfolds is a captivating blend of a love letter to the iconic performance artist, a generational debate on the legacy of New York’s “downtown” scene, and a theatrical exploration of nostalgia, representation, real estate, and the avant-garde. Through this fantastical journey, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins embarks on a quest to purchase Carmelita Tropicana from her creator—but the true cost remains unknown.

Critic Reviews (8)

"Give Me Carmelita Tropicana! is often zany but never mindless."
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"has a hallucinogenic plot that brings to mind the days when artistic risk was the norm "
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"...joyously imaginative tribute to weird theater and the people who make it."
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“Give Me Carmelita Tropicana is both a farce and a requiem…”
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"glimpses of this vivid imagination that doesn’t appear to have adhered to any boundaries"
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"at its most serious...Give Me Carmelita is about artistic lineage and artistic legacy"
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confusing, but comically so; amateurish but in a sophisticated way…mostly great fun.
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"...can grow tedious — taxing an audience’s good will (and patience)"
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Trailer

Creative team

Soho Rep.

Producer

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins