Miracle Insider
Volume 9 Special Edition: December 22, 2010

¡Feliz Navidad

We are inspired by the spirit of generosity of leadership groups such as ALMAS from Gresham, MEChA of Portland State University, and students from Catlin Gabel High School, who worked together to make our celebration truly spectacular. El Centro Milagro was decorated in minutes thanks to the help of local students including those from Centennial High School and Mt. Hood Community College, and when the clock struck noon, patrons were already filling the café eager to experience the warmth of the festivities in store.

They were not disappointed. Attendees were greeted by arts and crafts projects for the kids, café con leche from Equal Exchange for the adults, tamales from Hacienda CDC and pan dulce (provided by the Consulate of Mexico in Portland) for everyone. Good cheer infused the building through the day, from the storytelling of Lucila Argüello to each overflowing performance of the Pastorela Guadalupana, from the music of Los Tres Lara Magos and Cosecha Mestiza to the beautiful young dancers of Ballet Papalotl. People crowded every corner of El Centro Milagro, friendly, happy and simply delighted to share the day together. And long after the final piñata spilled its candy, the spirit of the community and the energy of the fiesta lingered on.

We owe a big thank you to our event sponsors: OnPoint Community Credit Union, El Centinela newspaper and Multnomah County Cultural Coalition who helped to make this year’s Posada a memorable one.

One Simple Truth
The continued success of community-based events like Posada Milagro underscores a simple truth: None of this is possible without you, our artists, audiences, volunteers, sponsors and, yes, donors.

Only together can we accomplish work that is as challenging as it is rewarding. We strive to bring you culturally authentic, truthful and highly entertaining works such as How the García Girls Lost their Accents, El Quijote, Viva Don Juan and American Sueño — not to mention our Luna Nueva festival filled with music, dance and literary performances from across Spain, the U.S. and Latin America. Together, we launch conversations on life, love, culture and community that can only be started after watching a Miracle together.

This is our work, but we can’t do this alone; none of this is possible without you.

And we have even bigger dreams! We want to introduce you to more international artists, to expand our generative process in order to bring you exciting new work, and to equip El Zócalo, a vibrant new space at El Centro Milagro dedicated to community events like Posada Milagro. And yes, our New Year’s resolution: more comfortable seating for the Milagro Theatre.

But we need your help to make it happen. None of this is possible without you.

Please contribute to the theatre today. Click the button to make a donation online with a credit card, or simply mail a check to the theatre offices at 425 SE Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97214. Either way, your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law — and by participating in the Oregon Cultural Trust, you can double the impact of your donation (see sidebar for details).

With heartfelt thanks,
Miracle Theatre Group

¡Felices Fiestas y
Próspero Año Nuevo!
From all of your amigos at Milagro … Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Double your cultural support at no additional cost
Did you know that when you make a donation to Miracle Theatre Group, you can make a matching donation to the Oregon Cultural Trust and receive a 100% dollar-for-dollar tax credit as a reward for your contribution?

Oregon Cultural Trust is a statewide cultural plan to raise significant new funds to invest in Oregon's arts, humanities and heritage. The Cultural Trust was created by civic, business and cultural leaders to preserve and strengthen every aspect of Oregon culture. Its goal is to create a protected endowment to provide long-term support for culture in Oregon.

In return, the Trust has provided millions of dollars in direct grant support to cultural organizations statewide, including grants to Miracle Theatre Group for productions such as our upcoming Ana en el trópico. A full list of grants is available on the cultural trust website.

Here’s how you can help to build this endowment fund and provide much needed grant support at no cost to you!

Step #1: Make a contribution to the Miracle Theatre Group before the end of the year.

Step #2: Make a matching gift to the Oregon Cultural Trust before the end of the year.

Step #3: You now qualify for an Oregon tax credit. At tax time, subtract your gift to the Trust from your Oregon taxes owed. The tax credit allows for gifts of up to $500 for individuals, $1,000 for couples filing jointly, and $2,500 for Oregon corporations!

To learn more or donate visit www.culturaltrust.org

Get your tickets now for Duende de Lorca
Federico García Lorca is celebrated the world over for his poetry, music and plays. Yet at the age of 27, he was still a struggling artist living with his parents, writing puppet plays that were laughed off the stage by the critics. In this new bilingual play from Teatro Milagro, we witness the emergence of Federico’s talent, from opening night of Mariana Pineda to the printing of Gypsy Ballads and Poet in New York. We share in his triumphs, his failures and his relationships with luminaries such as Salvador Dalí, as his journey from New York to Cuba re-shapes his life and his art.

Duende de Lorca plays Jan. 13-22, 2011 at the Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark St., Portland). Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Sunday Jan. 16 and Saturday Jan. 22. A complimentary opening night reception on Friday, Jan. 14 will be catered by Pata Negra restaurant, and a bilingual book bazaar follows the Saturday matinee. Tickets are $12 to $23 and can be purchased from The Miracle Website or 503-236-7253. Discounts apply for students, seniors and advance purchases.

Read the study guide in English
Lee el guia de estudio en español

See more photos from the production