Lisa Ramirez’s To the Bone

To the Bone is about Latina poultry workers inside the U.S. It is a gritty production, exposing the harsh world behind food production. Ramirez, who is the author of the successful Off-Broadway production Exit Cuckoo, takes on immigration and hardship in To the Bone. In some ways, the writing is Americana at its best, revealing the heart-warming and heart-breaking realities of farm country. Ramirez interviewed real people over six months in Sullivan County in New York State to create To the Bone. The workers in the play gut chickens in a chicken factory. After carving them with a knife, they place them on an assembly line. Tensions arise from unhealthy working conditions. As the drama unfolds, we find that the women are more than factory workers. They are mothers and sisters and valued members of their community. In searching for new opportunities, they find a difficult world where struggle is combined with honor. Ramirez plays Olga. She is able to give a stunning sense of the place, the people, and the moment. It is a politically charged production. Ramirez is unafraid in her portrayal as a factory worker who takes a stand against injustice.