Miracle Insider
Volume 11 Issue 2, January 26, 2012

A time for magic
With a little over two weeks before the grand opening of Boleros for the Disenchanted, our cast, crew and staff are immersed in all things “Boleros”. Our offices, workshop, rehearsal rooms and stage are buzzing with activity and excitement you can almost touch. It’s in the air, taking over every corner of the building, palpable and electric. Yes it’s that time again at the Miracle: it’s time for magic!

In the past few weeks we have had the pleasure of hearing from both the director of the play, Antonio Sonera, and the assistant director, Verónika Nuñez, who have graciously given us a play by play into their personal production process. Mounting this show in particular is no small feat as it includes a rare element in Miracle productions, a revolving set by award-winning scenic designer Mark Haack that will transport the audience from the warm and sunny breezes of the island of Puerto Rico in the 1950s to contemporary times in the U.S.

Miracle is honored to present this beautiful and poetic story written by one of the most prolific Latino playwrights, the academy award nominated screenplay writer of “The Motorcycle Diaries,” José Rivera. Rivera opens the door into his own family history by telling the story of his mother’s complicated past. The play follows the young Puerto Rican couple, Eusebio and Flora, and their dreams to migrate to the States.  Forty years later, Eusebio is visited by an angel with a mysterious message that stirs up old secrets and causes Flora to question the life she has tirelessly built in a foreign land. In reviewing the play, The Boston Globe has said, “Deeply affecting! Beautiful! A play that celebrates love,” while the New York Times has said “Rivera’s writing is breathtakingly poetic.”  It’s not surprising that despite the personal nature of the play, Rivera skillfully connects readers and audiences to the universality of the couple’s struggles, love, dreams, marriage and fears of mortality.

“José Rivera is one of my favorite playwrights,” says Tony, “and this play offers so much in the way of inspiration about the stories of our lives and the love that guides us. I called upon the man himself, José Rivera, to offer me and the cast some words of wisdom, and he writes me back … Be honest, remember the humor is how these people share their love, they live passionately, their anger is full of storytelling, their treasure is their words. Listen to the Coquis.”

Want to experience the magic for yourself? Check out the sidebar for performance dates and times as well as background information on the play and our production. And watch the next Insider for interviews with Tony, José and other Miracle artists.

Tell us YOUR love story!
Boleros for the Disenchanted is a love story about endless devotion, and we want to fill our lobby with even more tales of romance! Tell us your love story: How did you and your significant other meet? What's "your song"? How did he or she wow you with their woo-ing? What are some milestones that you've passed, and what's the key to your happiness together?

Send us your story -- or the story of your parents or grandparents -- and we'll share them all in a beautiful display in our lobby during the run of Boleros for the Disenchanted.  A few sentences, a few paragraphs, whatever feels right, and be sure to include a photo, too! Plus, if you send us your story and photo by Feb. 1, we'll also enter you into a drawing for a pair of complimentary tickets to see the play! Stories can be submitted by e-mail to tim@milagro.org or by snail mail to Tim Krause, Miracle Theatre Group, 425 SE Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97214. Digital photos welcome; printed photos can be scanned and returned.

Get ready to danzón!
Miracle Theatre Group is offering a FREE danzón class this winter. What is danzón? Marketing Assistant Susy Chávez prepared this brief background with a couple video examples too...

Although originally from Cuba, danzón reached its peak in Mexico City’s roaring twenties when clubs like the famous Salón México were in full swing. A long way from its roots in 16th century English and later French contredanse, where parallel lines of boy-girl were popular amongst the aristocracy, the dance format was dramatically transformed in 19th century Cuba. It was in Cuba where the separate boy-girl lines of dancers were broken up into individual pairs and where the dance hall musicians, who were primarily of African descent, introduced the timbales (Afro-Cuban drums) and the güiro. Described as “grotesque” by newspapers of the time, the changes initially caused uproar within Cuban upper-class society of the 1830s! Yet, despite initial reactions, danzón caught on amongst all of Cuban society. It eventually entered Mexico via trading ships to the Yucatán, where it surpassed its popularity in Cuba. The dance-form took root in the port city of Veracruz where it is still practiced every weekend in the Plaza de Armas.

While Cuban danzón bands, dansoneras, are characterized by a variety of wind instruments accompanied by the piano, flute, violins and Cuban percussion, in Mexico dansonera bands sped up the rhythm a bit and have also included saxophones. Something that has not changed is danzón's particular choreography, those lulls, rest periods, interspersed by precise footwork. Specifically introduced early on, these rest periods were an opportunity for the couples in the dance floor to get to know each other, which explains the initial controversy it cause in Cuban dance floors and why it might have become such a popular dance form.

Today, although no longer at its height in popularity, one can still find danzón in public plazas in southern Mexico. The bewitching rhythm of the dansoneras is hard to resist and one can often find serious danzoneros immaculately dressed in coordinated pachuco-like styles, local aficionados, as well as tourists all swaying to the sounds of nereida or rigoletito ...

Ready to take on this beautiful enchanting dance? Miracle will be holding a FREE, limited-space, 8-week danzón class that will take you through this wonderful art-form! Come meet the instructor Kenya Hyde-Marquez, and other dansoneros Tuesday, Feb. 14 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Don’t have a partner? No worries! Sign up! And if you do have a partner, what better way to spend Valentine’s Day than dancing! For more information or to sign up for the class please contact Susy at 503-236-7253 ext. 122 or send your full name and phone number to susy@milagro.org.

With rave review in hand, B’aktun 13 is ready to hit the road!
Teatro Milagro, the touring and educational arm of Miracle Theatre Group, wrapped up the Portland launch of its new bilingual touring production, B’aktun 13. The production not only played to full houses, but received this nod from Emilee Booher of Willamette Week:

B’aktun 13, a bilingual Miracle Theatre production written by Portland playwright Dañel Malán, explores the prediction that a drastic world shift will take place when the Mayan long count calendar comes to an end on Dec. 21, 2012. While the spiritual side of the ancient prophecy fills plenty of space along the plotline, Malán also ties in contemporary issues of immigration, assimilation and identity that hit even more powerfully and poignantly than the thought of a world that may be no more. Themes of acceptance and unification unfold to remedy the impending doomsday through a narrative of three main characters after they are deported from the U.S. to Mexico. In this case, the passing of the 13th B’aktun doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Instead, it marks the breakdown of borders and the beginning of a new understanding of social constructions and the natural world.

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B'aktun 13, una producción bilingüe del Teatro Milagro  escrita por la dramaturga de Portland Dañel Malán, explora las predicciones de desplazamientos mundiales que se llevaran acabo al final del calendario de la cuenta larga maya, el cual llegara a su fin el 21 de diciembre de 2012. Aun que el lado espiritual de la antigua profecía ocupa una gran parte de la trama, Malán también vincula temas contemporáneos como la inmigración, la asimilación y la identidad, los cuales golpean con más fuerza y conmoción que la idea de un mundo que no pueda ser más. A través de una narrativa de tres personajes principales los cuales han sido deportados de los EE.UU. a México, se desenvuelven temas de aceptación e unidad como remedio al inminente fin del mundo. En este caso la llegada de b’aktun 13 no significa necesariamente el final. Por lo contrario, marca la descomposición de las fronteras y el inicio de un nuevo entendimiento de las construcciones sociales y del mundo natural.

Now, B’aktun 13 is ready to hit the road and begin its year-long tour. For more information about bringing the production to your community, contact Teatro Milagro’s Artistic Director Dañel Malán at 503-236-7253 ext. 116 or malan@milagro.org.

Joaquín spills the beans about our opening night feast
When Teatro Milagro's production of B'aktun 13 opened a couple weeks ago, audiences were treated to an incredible reception catered by the show's restaurant sponsor La Bonita. Dañel chatted briefly with Joaquín López about the menu and more...

Dañel: So tell me about the vegan Mayan stew – people seemed to really like it and that La Bonita food is always pretty healthy and sometimes vegan, unlike other Mexican restaurants.

Joaquín: The Eggplant Stew came to me one day when I was in the mood to create a vegan tostada option. I pretty much just went down the produce aisle and thought about the colors and tastes I thought would work well. I was lucky 'cause this dish not only looks beautiful and rich, it is also full of warm and savory flavors. The stew is made by first caramelizing onion, tomato and Brussels sprouts then stewed with eggplant, red cabbage and celery. To add spice, I add chipotle chile and cinnamon at the end. Unfortunately, I was channeling my inner Mexican chef; it is not a Mayan dish!

Dañel: The flan was fantastic – what is your “secret recipe”?

Joaquín: I like to call our flan a bi-cultural dessert: it's a cross between the American cheesecake and Mexican flan. The secret? A stick of Philadelphia cream cheese! This creates a different texture similar to cheesecake yet holds that familiar flavor that we know flan to be. And, with caramelized sugar on top who can resist?

Dañel: Tell us a little about the new location – I’m not sure if we have mentioned that since the last time we did a story on La Bonita.

Joaquín: Yes! Our new location is on the corner of North Killingsworth and Greeley next to the North Station food carts and Blend Coffee. Not only do we offer the same menu, we also serve cerveza; our new favorite friend! We are very fortunate to be there, we have wonderful neighbors. Many familiar faces from our Alberta store come in and express how happy they are that we are closer to their side of town. We are coming up to our one year anniversary February 18th!

Dañel: And not only are you a restaurateur, but you are also a musician and songwriter! When is the next time we might see Joaquín at the Jade or somewhere else around town?

Joaquín: Every first Sunday of the month at the Jade Lounge (2348 SE Ankeny) I hold Corazón Acústico: an evening celebrating the acoustic soul of the Americas. My hope it to create a night where folk musicians can play their hearts and soul in an intimate inclusive setting with an attentive audience. The audience is so diverse and so far response has been great. Soon, I will be creating Noche Bohemia, a late night event at La Bonita North where we can get a little louder and let our hair loose!

Visit La Bonita at its original location at 2839 NE Alberta St., or its newest restaurant at the corner of NE Killingsworth and Greeley.

In the wings: Oedipus el Rey
In May, we’ll be bringing you Oedipus el Rey, an incredibly charged work from playwright Luis Alfaro. Check out this original artwork for the show from Chazaq Pinto, who you may recall was one of the duo of artists who created the graffiti-inspired backdrop to Lazarillo. Among the cast is our very own Olga Sanchez, who has agreed to periodically post her behind-the-scenes observations and preparations to our Miracle Theatre blog. Recently, Olga wrote …

“It was refreshing to read the play this way, rather than from a director or artistic director's perspective. A director takes in the whole play, trying to make sense of the work in terms of its journey, its rhythm, look, sound, and meaning.  An artistic director reads a play thinking of the company, the season and the audience — how does this play fit with the theatre's mission, the other plays offered, and audience requests?  As I read the play today, I felt the urge to answer some of those questions as they cropped up, but that impulse was swiftly overtaken anytime Jocasta showed up on the page. 

"Simple questions arose.  How old is she?  Does she line her lips in brown lip liner?  What brand of cigarettes does she smoke?  Then more difficult questions emerged.  Why does she stay in Pico-Union?  Is she a victim of her own power, trapped by her position as much as by her fate?  What makes her laugh?

"Our director, Elizabeth Huffman, sent out the script to the whole cast last week, and we've been asked to arrive at the first rehearsal in late March as memorized as possible.  I'm sure this work over the next two months will only grow the list of questions...”

Follow Olga’s updates on the Miracle Insider blog.

COMING SOON

BOLEROS FOR THE DISENCHANTED
A love story written by José Rivera
(author of the screenplay
“The Motorcycle Diaries”)
Directed by Antonio Sonera
Sponsored by Urban Robotics and Willamette Week
Feb. 9-March 3, 2012

Passion and humor collide amid the warm, sunny breezes of 1950s Puerto Rico when Eusebio sweeps Flora off her feet and off to America — away from her family and her familiar life. Nearly 40 years later, an angel visits Eusebio with a mysterious message that stirs up old secrets and causes Flora to question the life she has tirelessly built in a foreign land.

Boleros for the Disenchanted, which is presented in English, plays Feb. 9 through March 3, 2012 at the Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark St., Portland, OR 97214). Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15-$29 from http://www.milagro.org or 503-236-7253.

A few special dates to keep in mind …

Thursday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. preview (limited availability)
Friday, Feb. 10, 8 p.m. opening night, including post-play reception catered by Pambiche (limited availability)
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2 p.m. matinee followed by post-play discussion with director and cast
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m. ASL-interpreted performance

Read our complimentary study guide
Check out press photos
Follow the production on our blog

Cuban art on exhibit in our lobby
Over the next month or so, we're thrilled to also present two new art exhibits in the lobby of El Centro Milagro. The first is a collection of works brought to Miracle by Allan Oliver, an exhibit produced in collaboration with the Cuban Art Space in New York City and benefits its art programs for children with Down syndrome. This exhibit of fine art and folk art offers creative expressions of Cuban culture — community life, sports, music, dance — in a variety of media.  Internationally recognized artists such as Manuel Mendive, Alicia Leal and Montebravo are represented in paintings, and self taught artists such as Carlos Caceres, Luis Ramirez, Marisol Hernandez and Sandra Dooley bring their intuitive design skills and personalities to their work.  Alejandrina Cue's tapestries are brilliant examples of how an artist can re-use materials. These works of art are available for purchase with a portion of the sale to benefit the Miracle Theatre Group.

The second features a selection of visual artwork by our very own Dañel Malán, the artistic director of Teatro Milagro. In her artist statement, Dañel says, "The forces of nature have always played a large part in my life. I grew up near the ocean and swam in it almost every day as a young child.  The environment, animals and my spiritual connection to the earth has inspired most of my work. Growing up in San Diego and working with immigrant populations has enlightened me to the continuous injustices in the world that we can only hope will someday be mediated in a peaceful way.  If only we could all learn to love each other and respect the earth. These works were created for plays that I produced that introduced themes that are also prevalent in B’aktun 13; deities, indigenous folklore, Zapatistas and immigration.  As we look to the coming year for change and transformation, I hope my creations offer some inspiration."

Save the date: International Women’s Day (observed) March 3
Each year, Miracle Theatre Group recognizes International Women’s Day with a Spanish-language presentation and forum about a contemporary social issue. We’re still pulling the details together on this year’s event, but mark your calendar for the afternoon of Saturday, March 3 and watch a future edition of the Miracle Insider for complete details.

Cada año, el Miracle Theatre Group reconoce Día Internacional de la Mujer con una presentación y un foro en español sobre algún tema social contemporáneo. En este momento seguimos en preparaciones para el evento de este año pero los invitamos a que marquen sus calendarios desde ahora y aparten la tarde del sábado 3 de marzo.  Sigue al tanto de las siguientes ediciones del Miracle Insider para más detalles sobre el evento de este año.