Christopher Rivas Talks Being Brown & Making it in America with Betty Cruz

At a time when disinformation, hate crimes, inequality, racial injustice, and white supremacy are on the rise, Christopher Rivas’ Brown Enough, part memoir and part social commentary, emerges. The debut work asks readers to proudly put their bodies and their identities into the conversations of race. Brown Enough is a roller coaster of finding one’s true self while simultaneously having a racial awakening amidst the struggle to be “perfectly” Latinx, woke, and as Brown as possible to make it in today’s America. City of Asylum welcomes author Christopher Rivas this December to share his story through the lens of Brown Enough, in conversation with moderator Betty Cruz, President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. 

The memoir explores love, sex, fake-it-till-you-make-it ambition, bad Spanish, color, code-switching, white-washing, scandal, Hollywood, and more, navigating these necessary and often revealing topics through fourteen chapters—each a distinct moment where Christopher explores his Brownness and how to own it. Brown Enough is the quest to find an answer to the questions he has been asking his whole life, in every conversation, during every date, at every job: “What are the consequences of not being in the conversation?” “What does it take to be in it?”

City Theatre will produce the DNAWORKS production of THE REAL JAMES BOND…WAS DOMINICAN. Written and Performed by Christopher Rivas, Developed with and Directed by Daniel Banks January 18 – February 16, 2025.

You can purchase your own copy of Chris’ book, Brown Enough, at City of Asylum Bookstore.

About the Author:

Christopher Rivas is quickly becoming one of the most sought after multi-hyphenates as an actor, author, podcaster, playwright, and storyteller. His critically acclaimed debut book, Brown Enough, explores what it means to be Brown in America. His second book, You’re a Good Swimmer is a children’s book that’s released in July of 2024. He’s also the host and executive producer of two podcasts with SiriusXM’s Stitcher: Brown Enough, which explores the parallel themes of this book through interview-style episodes; and Rubirosa, a 10-episode documentary-style investigation of Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican diplomat, race car driver, soldier, and polo player who’s believed to be the inspiration for the famous character ‘James Bond’. On screen, Chris is known for his work on the Fox series, Call Me Kat, opposite Mayim Bialik.

About the Moderator:

Betty Cruz assumed the role of President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh in January of 2020. Prior to joining the Council, Betty served as the leader of Change Agency, a social enterprise which she founded in 2016, and Project Director for All for All, an immigrant inclusion initiative. Betty has extensive experience in community outreach, communications, partnership-building, and program management – spanning more than 20 years. She developed citywide initiatives for Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto, managed major accounts for a national nonprofit dedicated to building playgrounds across the U.S., and supported public relations for global brands representing a wide range of industries. Originally from Miami, Florida, Betty is the daughter of Cuban immigrants and a first-generation college graduate. She holds a BA in History from PennWest Edinboro and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) where she was selected for the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership Portfolio Program and U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship in Portuguese. Betty is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. 

About City Theatre:

Founded in 1975, City Theatre is in its 50th season as Pittsburgh’s home for bold new plays. Located in the historic South Side on its four-building cultural campus, the company produces a season of regional and world premieres; its renowned Young Playwrights Festival, now in its 25th year; a season-long reading series of new works in progress; and the annual Momentum Festival. City Theatre’s mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays that engage and challenge a diverse audience. Its vision is to be the best mid-sized theater in America. Organizational core values are: Community; Collaboration; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility; and Creativity. With an annual average operating budget of over $3.5M, City Theatre is the largest performing arts organization not located in Pittsburgh’s downtown Cultural District and is a constituent and core member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT), Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the National New Play Network (NNPN). Clare Drobot and Monteze Freeland serve as Co-Artistic Directors alongside Managing Director James McNeel. The current full-time staff numbers 26 with over 100 additional part-time, artist, and contractor staff employed each season. City Theatre is governed by a board of 17 community volunteers (David Betts, board president). Learn more at CityTheatreCompany.org.

About DNAWORKS:

DNAWORKS is an arts and service organization dedicated to dialogue and healing through the arts. Founded in New York City in 2006 by Daniel Banks and Adam W. McKinney, DNAWORKS centers Global Majority and LGBTQQ2SPIAA+ voices and experiences to create more complex representations of identity, culture, class, and heritage through theatre, dance, film, writing, and art installation.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant Cucina Alfabeto is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but a cash wine bar will be available.