By Alejandra Enciso Guzmán

An artist in the complete sense, Eliza Jane Schneider, can do practically anything on stage-from singing, to playing an instrument, to doing a 180 from one character to the next. Showcasing her many talents, Schneider opened Freedom of Speech on July 11^th at the Diversionary Theatre. It is a Moxie Theatre presentation, directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg.

This one woman show is based on a true story. Eliza Jane decided to take a road trip across the United States…in a used ambulance. The goal? Talk to different people and hear their story in order to get information for her UCLA thesis project. “Everything in this play is actually something somebody said…it started in college…I thought it would take me about a month…I am still on the road” explained the actress during a UT-TV interview. What started in school escalated to a 34 character show that has received multiple awards. It has played all over the country, including Broadway.

Known as ‘the woman of a thousand voices’, Eliza Jane in Freedom of Speech masterfully blends all of the different dialects she picked up during her trip into the narrative. The performance shines with her artistic skills –hair styling included. Her acting even takes a seat in the second row when she starts singing –long, high, challenging ranged notes- or playing the violin and guitar. Audiences will have the opportunity to experience different impressions. They will meet Ida the diner waitress from East Side NY; Eduardo Salazar, a marine from San Angelo, Texas; be touched by “Little Miss” pageant runner up Celina and even experience a “miracle.”

This show is a piece worth seeing indeed. “I basically take the audience on this 103,000 mile journey through America. Play 34 of the people that I met and, save you the gas money” added Schneider who recently relocated to San Diego. “I got knocked up by a San Diegan” the actress jokingly said to UT-TV.

The Moxie designers include Jennifer Brawn Gittings (scenery and costumes), Sherrice Kelly (lights and projection) and Kevin Anthenill (sound), with Ryan Heath (stage manager) and Angelica Ynfante (technical director/properties).

Alejandra Enciso Guzmán is an arts consultant and reporter in both Tijuana and San Diego. @Riselah / @Riselaheng

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Alejandra Enciso Guzmán

Alejandra Enciso Guzmán hails from Tijuana, Baja California. She’s 100% a border being; since elementary school she has frequently gone back and forth across the Tijuana-San Diego border. She has a Bachelor’s in Communication from UABC Campus Tijuana; a Master’s Degree in Management of Cultural Resources from the University of Deusto, Campus San Sebastián, in Spain; as well as a Certificate of Business for the Arts from the University of San Diego in San Diego, California. She is a fierce consumer of culture, be it museums, theater, musical theatre or dance. Since 2012 she has headed her own binational consulting firm, “Enciso Consulting”specializing in theater and musical theater. She can be reached on Twitter: @Riselah or @Riselaheng.

Latest posts by Alejandra Enciso Guzmán (see all)

• Diversity and Parity in Theatre: Notes from the Dramatists Guild Conference in San Diego - July 24, 2015
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• Zurbarán and Sorolla: Welcomed Guests At the San Diego Museum of Art - March 25, 2015