Teatro Vivo’s mission is to produce culturally relevant Latino theatre that addresses critical social issues. Teatro Vivo serves the community by telling the Latino story, positively reflecting the Latino community and uniquely celebrating the vibrancy of the Latino culture and the power of the human experience. We recently connected with this inimitable Austin group to learn more about them and their evolution in Austin's theatre scene.
Teatro Vivo was established in 2000 as one of the only bilingual Latino theater companies in Texas. What catalyzed your commitment to producing shows in both English and Spanish and how has that affected your engagement with the community?
For nearly 18 years, Teatro Vivo has produced high quality bilingual Latino theatre for the greater Austin community. We produce and promote work that provides a window into the Latino experience by showcasing characters that we all can relate to. The bilingual nature of our works is a result of our dedication to producing theatre that is an authentic representation of our community. Almost every Latino household in central Texas is bilingual, with varying levels of English and Spanish. Some households speak almost all English with a little Spanish, while others speak little or no English. Similarly, the bilingual work that Teatro Vivo does varies in that some plays have more English, and others have more Spanish. Even so, we try to incorporate enough of both languages into our work in a way that allows anyone to follow the story, regardless of how much English or Spanish they may know. By doing so, the bilingual theatre that Teatro Vivo produces becomes more inclusive of a broader audience. We are able to share stories that affirm the lives of Austin’s Latino community, while inviting everyone to share our experiences with us. Through our work, Teatro Vivo helps bridge the intercultural and inter-generational gaps between Austin’s Latino audiences.
La Pastorela, your contemporary story of pastores (shepherds) traveling to Bethlehem, opens this week. How do you keep this Teatro Vivo holiday tradition fresh each year?
La Pastorela has been produced in the Americas for centuries, with the earliest presentations taking place in the early 16thcentury in what is now called Mexico. Every community has developed their own version of the shepherd’s tale. The rendition we use today was first presented in Austin over 20 years ago, and has been produced by different theatre companies over the years. Because La Pastorela is traditionally a community-based play, it naturally takes a different shape every year based on the community artists that are involved. In some years, it was more traditional and done completely in Spanish, while other years it’s taken a very contemporary form. But the basic story remains the same: a group of shepherds takes a journey to Bethlehem, where the angel San Miguel has told them that the redeemer will be born. Along the way they encounter devils that try to stop them. Teatro Vivo has a strong commitment to addressing critical issues that are important to our community, and this year, the shepherds are portrayed by a group of DREAMers who are working toward a better future.
In April, you will be hosting The 2018 Austin Latino New Play Festival. How did this event get started and what do we have to look forward to this year?
Teatro Vivo is committed to producing and promoting new works of Latino theatre, and also to helping playwrights develop their work. We believe that for Latino theatre to continue evolving and advancing, we must also encourage and nurture young and emerging theatre artists. The Austin Latino New Play Festival is a result of these values. We recognize that there are many talented playwrights whose work is not being produced, but who have very promising plays that just need a little development. The ALNPF has also proven to be an effective way for Teatro Vivo to find new talent, and many plays that were featured in the festival have gone on to receive full productions, both with Teatro Vivo and throughout the US. We are currently accepting submissions for the 2018 Austin Latino New Play Festival, with a deadline of December 15.
Describe the Latino theatre community in Austin. How has it changed over the years and where do you see it going?
The Latino theatre community in Austin is very diverse, and is reflective of Austin’s changing Latino population. Many theatre companies have come and gone over the years, but Austin is fortunate to still have several Latino theatre companies that all have their own artistic objectives. Teatro Vivo is committed to producing bilingual theatre, but there are some companies that only produce theatre in Spanish. Some companies are also more specified and dedicated to dance, comedy, youth theatre, and even improvisational theatre. The Austin Latino theatre scene is also gaining more national attention. Teatro Vivo, for example, is an active participant of the Latinx Theatre Commons. Our recent production for youth, “jj’s arcade,” a collaborative project with ZACH Theatre written by José Casas, was featured at the Kennedy Center’s New Voices New Visions Festival in Washington D.C.
Overall, the amount of Latino theatre in Austin is growing and represents a variety of perspectives from the many segments of Austin’s Latino communities. In recent years we have also seen an increasing number of collaborations between Austin’s Latino performance groups, resulting in a deeper connection with the community. In addition to the theatre companies that are producing Latino theatre, Austin is also home to an increasing number of independent Latino theatre artists who are also working consistently with non-Latino theatre groups. We hope that support for Latino theatre in Austin continues to increase, and the number of collaborations with non-Latino theatre companies in Austin also grows.
