Conjunto Blues
by Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Oct. 06, 2017
Friday

Directed by Ruben Gonzalez

After a sold-out show during Tejano Conjunto Festival in 2016, we are bringing Conjunto Blues back to the Guadalupe Theater stage !

We are excited to announce that the play has been chosen to participate in the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s International Encuentro de las Americas this November 2017.

Conjunto Blues is an exploration of the social and historical conditions that led to the development of Conjunto music as an expression of cultural resistance and liberation. After the introduction of the diatonic button accordion to South Texas through the Germanic immigration of the mid-nineteenth century, Conjunto music quickly proliferated through the region creating a wholly new and original genre of music. Unique to the Mexican-American experience, Conjunto culture reflects the lifestyle and work ethic of a people who, despite all the odds stacked against them, always found reasons to celebrate. Working-class Mexican-Americans deliberately began creating spaces where they could reinforce their cultural values, speak their own language and practice important rites of passage in order to form practical bonds of community.

All proceeds go to support the travel and production expenses for the show’s performance in Los Angeles, CA in November 2017. For the first time in decades, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center will participate in an International Theatre Festival representing San Antonio and South Texas Chicano culture. Help us get to Los Angeles by attending this newly expanded production of Conjunto Blues. 

 

Feature by Deborah Martin in the San Antonio Express-News, October 3, 2017

 

Bios

WRITER, PERFORMER

Nicolás R Valdez is a San Antonio based interdisciplinary artist and a Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center alumnus. Performing since the age of 9, when he began as a student of Conjunto legend Valerio Longoria, Nicolas was a founding member of the Guadalupe Center’s youth theater program, Grupo Animo. He went on to study classical theater at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, however, he credits his Teatro mentors as his real training, working with other performance-based artists around the country and learning from their various methodologies. Nicolas’ work speaks to the bi-cultural experience of the communities along the US-Mexico border with the goal of challenging audiences to not only observe, but to actively participate in a critical dialogue of the forces that continue to marginalize and scapegoat the Mexican-American working-class. His latest production, Conjunto Blues, explores the historical and social conditions that led to the development of Conjunto music as an expression of cultural resistance and liberation. www.nicolasrvaldez.com

 

DIRECTOR

RUBEN C. GONZALEZ received his training at the London Academy for Performing Arts, Circle in the Square Theatre School (NYC), El Teatro Campesino and holds an MFA from University of California, DAVIS. His stage

directing credits include, ALISO in WORKER LAND, PILGRIMAGE, THE THROW DOWN!, ALIENATION, THE CHRONICLES OF ODISIA SANCHEZ, PERRA PUMPS’ LAST CALL, MI ABUELO FUE UN BRAZERO and IYA. As

an actor, he’s performed at THE MARK TAPER FORUM, SOUTH COAST REP., EL TEATRO CAMPESINO, TEATRO VISION, THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE and The LOS ANGELES THEATRE CENTER. On the east coast at INTAR, LINCOLN CENTER INSTITUTE, HB STUDIOS, PRIMARY STAGES, THE KENNEDY CENTER and THE PUERTO RICAN TRAVELING THEATRE among others.

 

Gonzalez has also performed his critically acclaimed solo show’s, DIARY OF A MAD MEXICAN and THE MESSIAH

COMPLEX all over the US and POLAND. His newest piece, LA ESQUINITA, USA was a creation under EL TEATRO CAMPESINO’s NEW WORK’s LAB and has gone on to receive critical and audience acclaim and has toured the

U.S. from California to New York and everywhere inbetween. LA ESQUINITA was part of ENCUENTRO 2014, the largest latino theatre arts festival in the US of its kind. This year, LA ESQUINITA was part of Arizona Theatre

Company’s 50th year anniversary season. His television credits include MEDIUM, VERONICA MARS, THE MINOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF JACKIE WOODMAN and AIR AMERICA. On the big screen, some of his credits

include SELENA, SUCKERS, IT’S PAT, PERFECT GAME, THE MASTER and LA MISSION. Ruben has taught Acting for Television and Film, Screenwriting and The History of El Teatro Campesino at Gavilan College.

 

MUSICIAN

LUIS GONZALEZ is a musician and educator from San Antonio TX. He started playing guitar when he was 15 years old later attending San Antonio College to pursue his music degree. Luis has been engaging local youth as an instructor at Alamo Music where he has taught for the last 3 years. He has performed in several theater productions in the South Texas area, most recently for Tanya Saracho’s ENFRASCADA at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. An accomplished musician and composer, his genres include CLASSICAL, JAZZ, R&B, CUMBIA and CONJUNTO. Luis plays regularly with the San Antonio based group Los Nahuatlatos.

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Conjunto Blues
by Nicolás Valdez
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Friday October 6, 2017 | 8 pm

Tickets: $10 – $15