Argentinian Playwright Florencia Iriondo Takes Center Stage in Off-Broadway Musical ‘South’

The critically acclaimed, one-act musical South by Florencia Iriondo continues its Off-Broadway run at the SoHo Playhouse through November 15.

South is the winner of the 2023 Pipeline Arts Foundation Award for New Musical Theatre. It was written and stars Iriondo as a woman named Chica, who tells the story of how she fled her home in the southernmost city in Argentina at the age of 10 with her mother to live in New York City.

Set to South American folk-pop music, South follows Chica as she maneuvers her way through big-city life in the U.S. not knowing the language, and discovers a new identity. Some of the things Chica embraces in NYC to make her feel like she is still at home in Argentina are the music, fútbol, and chipas, a small, baked cheese-flavored roll popular in her home country.

“With South, it’s like I welcome you to my living room to reminisce stories from our childhood, wherever and whatever home is to you,” Iriondo said in a past interview. “It’s fun, intimate, uplifting, and minimalist, to maximize connection. My hope is to transport you to a South American hang with friends and family.”

In their review of the play Theater Mania writes that “what is remarkable about South is just how familiar the story feels, even to those of us who have never gone through the immigration process.” They also describe Iriondo as “an engaging performer with a flavorful story to tell.”

Iriondo is joined on stage by Federico Diaz on guitar and Latin Grammy Award winner Agustin Uriburu on cello and guitar. Theater Mania writes that Diaz and Uriburu “create the soundscape of … continent-hopping chamber musical, further contributing to the homemade vibe.”

To purchase tickets to South, visit sohoplayhouse.com.