presents
The Third Annual Austin Latino New Play Festival
May 16-18, 8 p.m.
at the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts
Playwrights Ariana Mendez, Caroline Dobson Chavez and Rupert Reyesembrace the full spectrum of humanity through the Latino cultural lens.
Teatro Vivo presents the third annual Austin Latino New Play Festival (ALNPF) in collaboration with the Long Center for the Performing Arts and ScriptWorks. Everyone is invited to enjoy these three evenings of staged readings of new Latino plays. Performances take place at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, Rollins Theatre, May 16-18, 8 p.m. Reserved seats are $10 and $8 for students and seniors for each evening. An ALNPF Festival Pass is available for all three evenings for $30 and $20 for students and seniors. A limited number of free general admission tickets will be made to the public for each performance.
ALNPF is a theater event, which unites regional playwrights and audience members in conversation about three new workshop productions that bring insight into the Latino experience. The staged readings are workshop-style presentations with readings using props and movement on stage. After each workshop, the playwright, director and actors partake in talkback sessions with the audience. Though the productions have Latino roots, they explore cross-cultural age-old themes and modern dilemmas that will surprise, challenge, engage and push the dramatic envelope for audience members accustomed to one-way conversations at the theater.
El Jardín Viviente (The Living Garden)
by Ariana Mendez
Thursday, May 16 (8 p.m.)
Synopsis: Susana, a woman in her mid thirties, is suffering from breast cancer and has accepted her fate despite her family’s attempts to keep her alive. Her brother, Marcos, and sister, Gloria, each turn to their spiritual beliefs in hope that Susana will recover and overcome cancer. Ultimately, Marcos and Gloria realize that despite their efforts to keep their sister alive, they have to no power when it comes to God’s will and nature.
Playwright: Ariana Mendez is a California native born to Mexican immigrant parents. Her passion for writing stemmed from watching dramatic soap operas as a child. She dreamed of bringing her own writing to life in novelas or film. Ariana is currently studying Radio-Television-Film and Theater at the University of Texas at Austin, where she developed an interest for playwriting because she wanted to contribute to the Latino representation in theater. She looks forward to graduating in May, and hopes to pursue a career in playwriting and documentary filmmaking.
Quincea-WHAT?
by Caroline Dobson Chavez
Friday, May 17 (8 p.m.)
Synopsis: Two almost-fifteen-year-old girls study Spanish together, and, along the way to a quinceañera, discover the real meaning of friendship, family, love, loss and forgiveness in the quest to define themselves.
Playwright: Caroline D. Chavez, originally a native of North Carolina, has lived in San Antonio since 2001. Caroline obtained a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was featured in several television commercials for companies such as McDonald’s, Quincy's Steakhouse and Roses. Caroline’s poetry has been published and received Honorable Mention in the San Antonio Poetry Fair Anthology, Voices Along the River 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2011 editions. Quincea-WHAT? is Caroline's first script endeavor.
Petra's Pastorela
by Rupert Reyes
Saturday, March 18 (8 p.m.)
Synopsis: Maria, a young woman, stumbles into a rehearsal of La Pastorela, directed by Petra Dominguez. Already in labor, Maria brings not only a future resident of Las Flores, TX but reveals the past that will unravel Tina Tamayo's world. Petra's Pastorela is a bilingual comedy that explores the joy of birth, the sadness of the loss of life, and love of family that opens the heart to forgiveness, understanding and strength. It is a new twist on the Pastorela plays first performed in the New World by the Spaniards and a play that is still performed though the Latino communities all over the world. Petra’s Pastorela is the fourth play in a series often referred to as the Petra Plays.
Playwright: Rupert Reyes is the co-founder and artistic director of Teatro Vivo. He has appeared in local-made films which include Tadpoles, Arco du Santi and the feature films, Miss Congeniality, Office Space, The Alamo and Rough Riders. He has done TV commercial work for Whataburger, Texas Lottery and HEB. In 2008 his play Vecinos was nominated for a B. Iden Payne Award. Rupert’s Petra plays have been produced nationally. The Petra plays include Petra's Pecado, Petra's Sueño, and Petra's Cuento. Petra's Sueño will be produced in El Paso, Texas in April. Petra's Pastorela is the fourth in the series. Rupert earned a BFA in Theater from The University of Texas at Austin, as well as a marriage license when he wed JoAnn Carreon. Both are still in effect today.
This performance is brought to you in part by the Redd Carpet Fund, providing artists and arts organizations access to the world class facilities at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.
This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future.
About Teatro Vivo
Teatro Vivo has produced more than 25 bilingual plays since JoAnn Reyes and Rupert Reyes founded the company in 2000. Contact JoAnn Reyes at Teatro Vivo for more information, images and playwright interviews: 512-413-6791 or joannreyes@yahoo.com
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