David Trujillo in Residence September 2025
We are pleased to announce David Trujillo will be in residence with the Speculative Play and Just Futurities program September 2025.
While in Residence, David Trujillo will be developing and revising his original play Many Many Not Return towards production.
Set in the Vietnam War era, Many May Not Return reflects the complex relationship in the Mexican-American community with the concept of national military service as recalled in three wars—the current one, Korea, and World War II. A Chicano/Latino family in crisis as a consequence of two forces: the undeclared Vietnam War and their economic conditions as a working-class family.
When a Korean War father returns home to face racism and economic oppression, one young son turns to the military as an economic alternative while another son is drafted against his will. A young woman learns about the legacy of her family, asking the questions: will the next generation face the same issues? Will they feel the same pain of war? How do families face the issues of war while living in a nation that is continuously at war?
About David Trujillo
David Trujillo is a labor and community activist and working-class playwright. His company, Community Professionals, was founded in 2019 and provides an outlet for experimental community-based writing and theater presentations.
Raised in Fresno, California, where his parents were farmworkers, Trujillo worked in the fields himself. He left the fields to enter college at California State University, Los Angeles; attend the Harvard Trade Union program; a master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is currently retired from union work and continues to write in Los Angeles, California.
Trujillo orients himself through politically conscious plays that tackle racism, oppression, and exploitation presented to the audience through creative storytelling that both critiques and empowers them. However, he is not just telling a story; the plot always has a message for how to proceed. Trujillo challenges the idea of what theater should be while addressing working-class and social justice issues is paramount. Past stage plays include ‘Filthy Laundry’ (2024), ‘Many May Not Return’ (2022), ‘Legacy of A Garage Band,’ (2023), ‘Vincent’ (2024) and others. He continues to write and believes that in the years to come, class-conscious art and political theater will be more important than ever.
Speculative Play and Just Futurities is made possible through the generous support of the Mellon Foundation. SPJF is a collaboration between the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute, the Center for Africana Studies and Culture, and the Ray Bradbury Center. Learn more about the program here.