Two performs down, 5 extra to go.
Because the 5 p.m. exhibits concluded, a lingering crowd stuffed the L.A. Theater Heart’s foyer. With an hour and a half earlier than the beginning of 4 extra productions, some sparked conversations within the dimly lit lounging space, others stopped by the bar for a glass of wine and nearly everybody caught round for what can be a theatrical double characteristic.
Within the midst of the Latino Theater Firm’s three-weekend Encuentro pageant, ending Nov. 10, the downtown theater complicated has develop into residence base for the nation’s Latino theater scene — internet hosting between seven and 12 productions nightly from teams everywhere in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico.
“I first brought my kids just to come to get out of the house on the weekend,” Kelly Flores, librarian at Guide Arts Excessive College and longtime fan of the corporate. “But we ended up seeing really poignant shows about what’s happening in our communities. And we haven’t stopped coming back since.”
The L.A.-based arts nonprofit has introduced Latino tales to the stage for almost 40 years. And for the previous decade, the Encuentro pageant has remained a practice uniting Latino theater corporations from around the globe. The fest’s fourth iteration and tenth anniversary introduces the “We Are Here — Presente!” theme carried out by 19 teams.
The Los Angeles Theatre Heart foyer, filled with each contributors and supporters of the Encuentro Pageant.
(Jen Osborne / For De Los)
As extra attendees arrive for the 8 p.m. performs, managed chaos backstage takes maintain at every of the middle’s 5 theaters, which differ in measurement and perspective. A continuing stream of clothes racks and ladders passes by way of the venue’s two flooring. A last run-through ensures the forged and crew know their positions. Lighting technicians run by way of their settings for every scene. The theater custodian does one final vacuum between the aisles. And somebody on a hydraulic elevate double-checks every hanging fixture.
Standing by a cocktail desk, actor Giorgia Valenti and co-director Carlos Armesto of Pitchblack Immersive Experiences in New York say they’re excited to expertise a number of the different corporations’ productions. Taking part of their first Encuentro, they helped open the pageant with “Odd Man Out, ” a few blind Argentine musician touring residence to Buenos Aires to face his previous. Their present occurs in darkness — the group depends on what the gang can hear, odor, style and really feel to inform totally different tales.
“I want attending this festival to be my permanent job,” mentioned Armesto, who wore a thin scarf and spherical glasses. “This is an environment where you’re encouraged to connect with everybody and have a dialogue. You don’t see this anywhere else.”
The New York resident recollects feeling remoted when he received began in theater, greater than a decade in the past, attributable to his Latino background. However discovering programming like Encuentro modified his thoughts.
“The festival is made to build a network and community but also to really understand each other’s artistic mission,” Valenti mentioned. “It’s so exciting. I never expected to see this kind of cross-pollination.”
As contributors within the pageant, they get an assigned time to see every of the 19 productions. They expressed curiosity in seeing the Austin-based ProyectoTeatro’s “Cabarex 2: RevoLUZiones,” a comedic retelling of moments in Latino historical past, and fellow New York firm Repertorio Español’s “La Golondrina,” the story of the mentorship between a singing coach and a scholar.
“Ayotzinapa (Situación: Desparecido)” is carried out by Grupo de Teatro Sinergia. The play tells the true story of 43 rural scholar lecturers who disappeared in Mexico 10 years in the past.
(Jen Osborne / For De Los)
At a desk close by, a gaggle of three buddies had simply arrived. Upon coming into the glass-ceilinged ready space, they mentioned, they have been shocked to listen to a well-recognized corrido enjoying within the distance and see papel picado strung from the partitions. When seeing a play in downtown, Angelica Reyes, a trainer at Santee Excessive College, admitted she was anticipating a extra “white and bougie” trying area — as an alternative, she mentioned, “It looks like brown people actually created this.”
Reyes and her buddies, self-described social activists, have been drawn to Encuentro to see “Ayotzinapa (Situación Desaparecido),” concerning the 43 college students who went lacking in Mexico, from L.A.-based firm Grupo de Teatro Sinergia. With excessive hopes for the manufacturing, the highschool trainer mentioned she was intrigued to see how this sort of artwork type instructed the unresolved tragedy.
“The reason that I’m not necessarily a theater person is because I haven’t seen myself or my stories represented in theater,” mentioned Reyes. “It’s easier for white folks to be theater people because they see themselves in those stories.”
“Ayotzinapa (Situación Desaparecido),” she mentioned, would possibly carry her again to see one other manufacturing.
In keeping with avid theatergoers Juan Garcia and David Freire, the Latino Theater Firm is sort of a gateway into the artwork type. As soon as informal followers, they contemplate the downtown firm to be “home,” with plans to see a distinct play each evening of the Encuentro weekend.
“It’s more economical for people to come here,” mentioned Freire. “The tickets are not as expensive and you are still getting really wonderful, theatrical performances that capture all the diversity of the Latino community.”
Garcia added, “We can relate to some of the productions. These shows tell the stories of the working class and the immigrant experience, which are things that represent us both.”
The viewers watches “Ayotzinapa (Situación: Desaparecido),” carried out by Grupo de Teatro Sinergia.
(Jen Osborne / For De Los)
Because the clock ticks nearer to the 8 p.m. curtain time, the foyer extra clearly resembles a home celebration — a chatty, mingling crowd, flashing colourful lights and flowing pink wine. Guadalupe Ramirez, a industrial photographer, sits on one of many nook couches and takes all of it in. She is completely happy to see younger individuals.
“This place is really breaking the barrier that the Latinos don’t come to the theater,” mentioned Ramirez. “And if we don’t write our own stories, others are going to write them as they want. It’s important for us to tell it from our perspective.”
A voice comes over the loudspeaker, asserting that the 4 theater doorways are open for seating. With that, the foyer empties as patrons head off to expertise Encuentro.
The Encuentro pageant runs by way of Sunday, Nov. 10. Tickets could be bought right here.
