Mamacita y el Negrito
by Teatro Vivo
Feb. 27, 2016
Saturday
When the street-savvy, intellectual Lorena runs into the irresistibly charming, barrio boy Ricky, romance and passion ignite almost instantly leading to one life-changing gift and a seemingly split-second decision. Nearly 20 years later that baby boy is on a mission to find closure in the "woman with red lips and a Spanish name" who never said goodbye loud enough for him to hear it. Issues of colorism, culture, and identity overlap in this poetic piece about love and the ability to live fully “like if tomorrow were right now.”
Directed by Estevan “Chuy” Zarate
Playwright Emilio Rodriguez is a theatre artist nomad currently residing in Detroit. He is a graduate of UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts which makes him a proud “Anteater.” His most recent play, “Swimming While Drowning” was part of the Latino Theatre Commons’ Carnaval of New Work in Chicago and the Activate Midwest Festival at WMU (under the previous title “Spin”). That play led to a residency with UMS (2014-2015), a residency with Djerassi, an upcoming Mitten Lab Residency and an upcoming commission with Milagro Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Emilio currently teaches theatre with such companies as Matrix, Living Arts, and the Wharton.
Mamacita y el Negrito
by Emilio Rodríguez
Teatro Vivo
February 27, 2016
Saturday at 8 p.m., Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center, 600 River Street, Austin
Teatro Vivo presents the sixth annual Austin Latino New Play Festival (ALNPF) in collaboration with ScriptWorks February 25-27 at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. The festival includes three evenings and one afternoon of staged readings of new Latino plays. General admission tickets for the festival are a donation-based or “pay what you wish.” A $40 reserved seat festival pass is available for those attending all three days or reserved seats may be purchased for $15 for each play. Furthermore, Teatro Vivo is offering a limited number of complimentary “social media” seats at the back of the theatre for those interested in live tweeting and posting to social media during the festival. Visit teatrovivo.org for information.
ALNPF is a theatre event that brings playwrights and audience members together in conversation surrounding new workshop productions that bring insight into the Latino experience. After each reading, the playwright participates in a talkback sessions with the audience. New this year is the addition of two theatre for youth pieces to be shown the evening of Thursday Feb 25 and the afternoon of Saturday February 27, 2016. The productions have Latino roots and explore cross-cultural themes and modern dilemmas that surprise, challenge, engage, and push the dramatic envelope for audience members accustomed to one-way conversations at the theater.
