How I Became a Mermaid is a multimedia performance exploring suicide, death and rebirth, mental health issues, nationalism and belonging. It tells the story of a young author struggling with depression who spontaneously starts to become a mermaid when she is attacked for her beliefs.
“Chula” is an imaginative bilingual collection of intimate poems, short stories, memories and vignettes about the life of a Dominicana before and after moving to the United States. Dealing with childhood curiosities, struggles faced by women, identity, pleasures, heartache, and joy, this work is an exploration of self. "Alcantara's Chula sings with ferocity and wit." - Elizabeth Acevedo, National Book Award-Winning author of "The Poet X."
