Petrona de la Cruz Cruz was the first indigenous person to win the coveted Rosario Castellanos Prize for literature in 1992. Since then, her plays have been performed in several countries, and she continues to write as she searches for new ways to encourage economic and cultural development. In1999, FOMMA received a national award given by IMIFAP (Mexican Institute of Research on the Family and Population) and sponsored by the Summit Foundation for its work in radio, theater, and education in Mexico.

Petrona de la Cruz sits in the courtyard of Fortaleza de la Mujer Maya (FOMMA), the women’s collective that she opened nearly a decade ago, speaking with calm resolve of her struggle to encourage the creative expression of the women and children who have found in FOMMA a shelter from the violence and poverty that has reeked havoc in indigenous communities throughout Chiapas in recent years. In 1994, she and fellow actress, Isabel Juárez Espinoza, founded FOMMA to support Mayan women and children. Using the tools of theater and puppetry, they opened a space where women empower themselves and their culture as they represent the often traumatic experiences they have lived, and imagine alternative realities. As she gestures to the several small rooms that house the FOMMA projects, Petrona explains that the collective has attempted to meet the needs of women who have left their highland villages in search of work by combining literacy workshops in Spanish and in the Mayan languages of Tzotzil and Tzeltal with skills training in such things as bread-making and sowing, while offering childcare so that the woman are free to attend these classes.

Petrona de la Cruz Cruz herself learned to read and write as a young immigrant to San Cristóbol de las Casas. Her background is unusual for an indigenous woman because she was able to secure a junior high school-level education. Rejected by her community because she had been a rape victim, de la Cruz Cruz raised the child born of that violation and supported herself as a domestic servant. She first practiced theater with the Sna Jtz'ibajom Mayan cultural cooperative in a social climate that discouraged women from speaking publicly of their experiences. There she began to explore community theater as a medium for addressing problems such as domestic violence, rape, alcohol abuse, migration, and poverty as they affect the lives of women. Her first play, Una mujer desesperada (included here), focuses on the seemingly endless violence visited on Mayan women, and the matter-of-fact impossibility of recourse. As Teresa Marrero notes in her essay on Mayan women, “Eso Sí Pasa Aquí,” “Una mujer desesperada (A Desperate Woman 1991) stands out for being the first play written by an indigenous Highland Mayan woman about the real life social drama of family violence.

Petrona de la Cruz nació en Zinacantán, un pueblo Tzotzil en Chiapas. Trabajó por varios años como trabajadora doméstica en San Cristóbal, y de bibliotecaria en Zinacantán. Terminó sus estudios primarios, secundarios, y segundo de bachillerato, y empezó su trabajo de dramaturga con el grupo de escritores de Sna Jzt’ibajom en 1989, donde fue entrenada en teatro y el manejo de marionetas por Amy Trompetter, Francisco Álvarez y Ralph Lee, y en educación bilingüe por el antropólogo Robert Laughlin. De 1992 a 1994 Petrona promovió la alfabetización en Tzotzil en las bibliotecas de las escuelas rurales e las comunidades para la secretaria de Educación Pública. En 1992 Petrona dejó Sna Jtz’ibajom, y en 1994 formó FOMMA con Isabel Juárez Espinosa. Petrona ha sido reconocida internacionalmente por su trabajo y por sus obras. En 1992 recibió el Premio Chiapas Rosario Castellanos en literatura. Su obra “Una mujer desesperada” fue producida en 1993 en San Cristóbal, como parte del Día Internacional de la Mujer, y ha sido publicada en Holy Terrors: Latin American Women Perform (Duke University Press, 2003). Sus obras han sido estrenadas en ciudades diversas de México, América Latina, Australia, los Estados Unidos y Canadá. También ha publicado un libro infantil, Soy tzotzil (México DF: Libros de Rincón de lectura, SEP). Petrona tiene tres hijos. Su hijo mayor, Rogelio, presentó su obra “El planeta de cabeza” en 2003 en el Palacio de Bellas Artes en la Ciudad de México

Petrona de la Cruz was born in Zinacantán, a Tzotzil village in Chiapas. She worked for years as a domestic worker in San Cristóbal, and as a librarian in Zinacantán. She completed her elementary school and high school studies, and the second year of her bachillerato, and began working as a dramaturge with a group of writers by the name of Sna Jzt’ibajom in 1989. Here, she was trained in theater and puppetry by Amy Trompetter, Francisco Álvarez and Ralph Lee, and in bilingual education by the anthropologist Robert Laughlin. From 1992 to 1994, Petrona promoted Tzotzil literacy in rural schools and communities for the Secretary of Public Education. In 1992, Petrona left Sna Jtz’ibajom, and, in 1994, formed FOMMA with Isabel Juárez Espinosa. Petrona has been internationally recognized both for her social, cultural, and political work and for her artistic works. In 1992, she received the Chiapas Rosario Castellanos Prize for Literature. In 1993, her theater piece “A Desperate Woman” was produced in San Cristóbal as part of International Womens Day, and was also published in Holy Terrors: Latin American Women Perform (Duke University Press, 2003). Her works have premiered in cities throughout Mexico, Latin America, Australia, the United States, and Canada. She has also published a childrens book, I am tzotzil (México DF: Libros de Rincón de lectura, SEP). Petrona has three sons. In 2003, her eldest son, Rogelio, presented his play, “El planeta de cabeza” at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.


Isabel Juárez Espinosa nació en Aguacatenango, un pueblo Tzeltal en Chiapas. Se mudó a San Cristóbal a los ocho años para trabajar como niñera para una familia mestiza. Terminó la secundaria en San Cristóbal y trabajó por un tiempo como recepcionista en un café. Durante los años ochenta entró a un curso de enfermería y asistió a refugiados guatemaltecos viviendo en la selva chiapaneca, promoviendo el uso de la soya y nutrición. Fue la primera mujer del grupo de escritores Sna Jtz’ibajom, donde fue entrenada en teatro y manejo de marionetas por Amy Trompetter, Francisco Álvarez y Ralph Lee, y en educación bilingüe por el antropólogo Robert Laughlin. De 1992 a 1994 Isabel promovió la alfabetización en Tzeltal en las bibliotecas de escuelas rurales para la Secretaria de Educatión Pública (SEP). En 1994 Isabel dejó Sna Jtz’ibajom y formó FOMMA con Petrona de la Cruz. Isabel ha recibido varios premios por su escritura, entre ellos el primer premio en el concurso de conservación a la naturaleza de Chiapas por su cuento “Nuestras penas y nuestras alegrías”; becas del National Fund for Culture and the Arts en la categoría de teatro y cuentos cortos, y publicación, por su libro Cuentos y teatro tzeltales/ A’yejetik sok Ta’jimal (México DF: Colección Letras Indígenas, Editorial Diana); y la publicación de su libro para niños Soy tzeltal (México DF: Libros de Rincón, SEP). Ha viajado con su trabajo y sus obras a través de México y América Latina, Canada, los Estados Unidos, Europa y Australia.

Isabel Juárez Espinosa was born in Aguacatenango, a Tzeltal village in Chiapas. When she was eight years old, she moved to San Cristóbal to work as a nanny for a mestizo family. She finished high school in San Cristóbal, and for a while she worked as a receptionist in a cafe. During the 80s, she enrolled in a nursing course and assisted Guatemalan refugees living in the Chiapaneca jungle, promoting nutrition and the use of soy. She was the first woman to join the writers’ group Sna Jzt’ibajom, where she was trained in theater and puppetry by Amy Trompetter, Francisco Álvarez and Ralph Lee, and in bilingual education by the anthropologist Robert Laughlin. From 1992 to 1994, Isabel promoted Tzotzil literacy in rural schools and communities for the Secretary of Public Education. In 1992, Isabel left Sna Jtz’ibajom, and, in 1994, formed FOMMA with Petrona de la Cruz. Isavel has received various prizes for her writing, including the first prize in the competition for the conservation of nature in Chiapas for her story “Our Sorrows and Our Happinesses”, grants from the National Fund for Culture and the Arts in the categories of theater and short stories, and publication, for her book Tzeltal Stories and Theater/A’yejetik sok Ta’jimal (México DF: Colección Letras Indígenas, Editorial Diana); and her children’s book Soy tzeltal (México DF: Libros de Rincón, SEP). She has traveled with her work and her plays through Mexico and Latin America, Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia.


María Francisca Oseguera Cruz nació en la Florecilla. A los 7 años se mudó a San Cristóbal para vivir con su madre y padrastro. Comenzó su carrera con FOMMA cuando la organización abrió en 1994, trabajando como cocinera para la guardería. Intrigada por el teatro, pronto empezó a actuar en las obras. Ha participado en todos los viajes de FOMMA, donde ha hecho papeles de hombres y mujeres. Ha contribuido a la creación de las obras cooperativas de FOMMA, y ha escrito sus propios cuentos y obras. Ha enseñado talleres de actividades productivas como tejer, cocina y ha hecho presentaciones sobre la salud de la mujer en el Instituto de la Mujer en la capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Ha estudiado teatro con Amy Trompetter de Barnard College, Pati Hernández de Bread and Puppet Theater, y Doris Difarnecio de INTAR en Nueva York. Desde 2006 ha sido directora de la mesa directiva de FOMMA.

María Francisca Oseguera Cruz was born in la Florecilla. At age seven, she moved to San Cristóbal to live with her mother and stepfather. She began her career with FOMMA when the organization opened in 1994, working as a cook for the nursery. Intrigued by the theater, she began to act in the plays. She has participated in all of the travels of FOMMA, and has played both male and female roles. She has contributed to the creation of collaborative works at FOMMA, and has written her own stories and plays. She has taught workshops on knitting and cooking, and given presentations on women’s health in the nstituto de la Mujer in the capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez. She has studied theater with Amy Trompetter of Barnard College, Pati Hernández of Bread and Puppet Theater, and Doris Difarnecio of INTAR in New York. She has been the director of FOMMA’s board since 2006.


Victoria Patishtan Gómez nació en K’at’ixtik, municipio de San Juan Chamula, donde vivió y trabajó por años como pastorera. Se mudó a San Cristóbal de Las Casas cuando tenía 24 años con sus dos hijas. En el año 2000, Victoria participó en un curso de pastelería en la Albarrada. Después de terminar el curso, trabajó en una casa como lavandera hasta que escuchó un anuncio en la radio para un taller de alfabetización en Tzotzil en FOMMA, para aprender a leer y escribir. En el año 2001, Victoria se integró a FOMMA, escribiendo cuentos, su propia historia, e historias de comunidades Tzotziles que fueron usadas en las obras de teatro. Victoria ha aprendido Español a través de su trabajo y sus obras. Ha actuado en las obras desde su comienzo con FOMMA, haciendo papeles de hombres, mujeres y ancianas. A demás de la actuar, Victoria se encarga de la ropa de teatro, crea mascaras para diferentes personajes y animales, organiza el archivo de fotos y es secretaria de la mesa directiva. Ha sido entrenada por Doris Difarnecio.

Victoria Patishtan Gómez was born in K’at’ixtik, a municipality of San Juan Chamula, where she lived and worked as a pastorera. She moved to San Cristóbal when she was 24 with her two daughters. In 2000, she participated in a pastry course in la Albarrada. After completing the course, she worked in a house as a washer woman until she heard an announcement on the radio for a Tzotzil literacy workshop at FOMMA. In 2001, she joined FOMMA, writing stories, her own history, and the histories of Tzotzil communities, which have been used in the theater plays. She learned Spanish through her work and through the plays. She has acted in plays with FOMMA since she joined, playing the role of men, women, and the elderly. In addition to acting, she is in charge of wardrobe, making masks for different characters and animals, organizing the photo archive, and she is the secretary of the board. She was trained by Doris Difarnecio.


María Pérez Santiz nació en el Paraje Chicumtantic, Municipio de San Juan Chamula. Habla la lengua tzotzil. En San Cristóbal de las Casas estudio la primaria y secundaria. En 1990 realizó sus estudios comerciales en el CECATI, y en 1993 participó en el Instituto Nacional para la Educación de los Adultos. En 1995 se integró a FOMMA como actriz, y participó en la presentación de obras y talleres en varias partes del estado, y luego en viajes internacionales. En 1999 colaboró en la escritura del guión de una radio-novela sobre la muerte materna, y a colaborado en la escritura colectiva de varias obras de FOMMA. Ha estudiado con Amy Trompetter de Barnard College, Patricia Hernández de Bread and Puppet Theater y Doris Difarnecio de INTAR en Nueva York. A demás de ser actriz, es la tesorera de la mesa directiva de FOMMA.

María Pérez Santiz was born in el Paraje Chicumtantic, municipality of San Juan Chamula. She speaks tzotzil. She studied elementary and high school in San Cristóbal. In 1990, she completed her commercial studies in CECATI, and participated in the National Institute for Adult Education in 2003. In 1995, she joined FOMMA as an actriz, and participated in the presentation of workshops and plays in various parts of the state, as well internationally. In 1999, she collaborated on the writing of the script of a radio-novela on maternal death, and has also collaborated on the writing of various plays of FOMMA. She has studied with Amy Trompetter of Barnard College, Pati Hernández of Bread and Puppet Theater, and Doris Difarnecio of INTAR in New York. In addition to being an actress, she is the treasurer of FOMMA’s board.


Doris Difarnecio es actriz y directora teatral neoyorquina de raíces colombianas cuyas obras se han presentado en New York. Ella viene creando y dirigiendo obras con el grupo FOMMA (Fortaleza de la Mujer Maya) desde 1999, incluyendo la adaptación de García Lorca, “La casa de Bernarda Alba”. Desde hace dos años, Difarnecio reside en España, realizando su maestría en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Ella es la Directora primera del Centro Hemisférico/FOMMA en San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México.

Doris Difranecio is a New York actress and theater director with Colombian roots who has presented works in New York. She has been creating and directing plays with FOMMA since 1999, including the adaptation of Garcia Lorca, “The House of Bernarda Alba”. She completed her masters in Spain at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. She is the first director of the Centro Hemisférico/FOMMA en San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México.

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