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PLAYWRITING

LOS FRIKIS
los frikis
Krystal Ortiz Los Frikis movie chicago playwright

In Cuba, a ‘friki’ is simply someone who is a fan of punk music and it’s counter-culture. That was, until the early 90s when a wave of frikis made the most punk rock decision imaginable by knowingly injecting themselves with HIV positive blood. From this began a movement of frikis who answered to the phrase “patria o muerte” by auto-injecting and choosing to live with AIDS in the quarantined sanatoriums built to contain the epidemic. Anything over submitting to Fidel’s communist regime. LOS FRIKIS tells this bizarre, under-publicized history by following fictional characters Nene, Yalieski, and Rocío as they navigate life as punks in Cuba fighting for a higher quality of life. Featuring live music written by Cuban punk band, Eskoria, and a book by Krystal Ortiz, LOS FRIKIS includes an indulgent dose of I don’t give a fuck.

Follow @losfrikisplay on instagram.

los frikis cuba punks HIV AIDS
los frikis cuba punks HIV AIDS
los frikis cuba punks HIV AIDS

Development history:

A staged reading/live concert performance of LOS FRIKIS will play at The Den Theater on March 16th and 22nd, 2020. This reading is a part of the Guest House Project by Haven Chicago. (Cancelled due to Covid-19)

krystal ortiz los frikis play movie

LOS FRIKIS received a staged reading in July 2018 at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, IL.

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