Miracle Insider
Volume 9 Issue 3: February 4, 2010

Gracias al Consulado de México
As part of the commemorative activities of the 2010 Bicentennial Anniversary of the Mexican Independence and the Centennial Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, the Consulate of Mexico in Portland is pleased to sponsor Miracle Theatre Group’s production of Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda (Between Pancho Villa and a Naked Woman), a modern comedy by award-winning Mexican playwright Sabina Berman. The Consulate of Mexico in Portland has served the Mexican community in the state of Oregon since 1996 and remains dedicated to the promotion of Mexican arts and culture through its most diverse and rich forms. Miracle is grateful to the Consulate for its support, including introductions to guest director Juan Carlos Vives, who we profiled in the last issue of the Insider. As opening night draws near, Juan Carlos shares his thoughts about the play …

Creating a sensual polyhedron
Cuando leí Entre Villa... inmediatamente me llamo la atención el cruento debate del cual participan estos siete personajes en todo momento. Todos caminan por una aceitosa cuerda floja, cuidando como mejor pueden no caer del lado de lo que los demás esperan de nosotros (que a veces es muy distinto a lo que nosotros queremos), ni tampoco del lado de lo que nosotros esperamos de nosotros mismos obedeciendo a nuestros propios deseos (que a veces es muy distinto a lo que nosotros nos atrevemos a querer). Donde está el límite entre conseguir lo que nos llena plenamente a cualquier precio, o tener la plenitud necesaria para merecer tal satisfacción... Es por ello que he montado así este texto: con doble vista, con un debate permanente. El espectador disfrutará de una comedia distinta, dependiendo de su propio punto de vista, tomando en cuenta sus propios paradigmas y sus costumbres, aprendidas o adquiridas, considerando como está su corazón en el momento de iniciar la función, dependiendo de donde esté ubicado su asiento esa noche... He decidido enlazar los componentes de esta puesta en escena hasta el punto máximo, estirar sus posibles conexiones pero sin llegar a romperlas, multiplicando así sus lecturas e interpretaciones... Un poliedro sensual... Es lo menos que podemos hacer como artistas comprometidos con la escena: ser un honesto espejo de nuestra realidad circundante... Y si ello se logra por medio de la risa, las puertas de acceso estarán doblemente abiertas...    

________________

When I read Entre Villa..., what first caught my attention was the bloody debate going on among these seven characters in every moment. They’re each walking along a slippery high-wire, being careful not to fall where we expect (which is, at times, very different from where we want), nor where we would expect ourselves if we were to follow our own desires (which are, at times, very different from what we dare to want). Where do we draw the line between getting what you want, at any price, and having enough to be satisfied... This is why I have staged the text this way: with two points of view, with a permanent debate. Audience members will enjoy different plays, depending on their own point of view, including their own paradigms and customs, learned or acquired, considering where their hearts are at the start of the show, depending on where their seats are located that night... I have chosen to link these ideas as far as possible, to stretch their possible connections without breaking them, thus multiplying their meanings and interpretations... A sensual polyhedron... It’s the least we can do as artists dedicated to the stage: to be an honest mirror of the reality that surrounds us... And if that is achieved through laughter, then the doorways in are twice as wide...

Les presentamos al actor Alberto Romero
Uno anhela y suspira por la oportunidad. Pero no es hasta que se toca una puerta y esta se abre, donde todo comienza a rodar. Este es el caso de Alberto Romero, sangre nueva para el Miracle Theatre. El reto viene acompañado, no solamente tendrá la oportunidad de participar en su primera obra de teatro, sino que hará su debut junto a un elenco estelar, y de la mano del director Juan Carlos Vives, quien gracias a una colaboración del Miracle Theatre y el consulado de México en Portland, ha venido desde México para dirigir Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda. El siguiente es un fragmento de la entrevista a Alberto Romero, realizada por nuestra asistente de mercadeo, Angela Bolaños-Osorio, quien habla con Alberto sobre el papel de Ismael, un hombre joven que se enamora de una mujer mayor que él.

Angela Bolaños-Osorio: ¿Qué piensas de las relaciones entre mujeres mayores y hombres más jóvenes?
Alberto Romero: Pienso que todos tenemos derecho a escoger una relación y creo que no importa la edad cuando hay amor; pienso que una relación entre una mujer que es mucho mayor que el hombre no va a durar mucho, el hombre tiende a buscar mujeres jóvenes, si quiere andar con mujeres adultas es para tener la experiencia.

Nos puedes hablar acerca de estar trabajando con actores con mucha experiencia como Nurys Herrera y Vicente Guzmán-Orozco, especialmente en el Miracle Theatre. ¿Que has aprendido de ellos?
Es un gran honor trabajar con ellos y es una experiencia padre porque ellos, con su seguridad y entusiasmo me apoyan y me ayudan a sentirme muy seguro y a desenvolverme con más facilidad en mi personaje.
 
Si pudieras escoger otro personaje de esta obra, (hombre o mujer) ¿a quién más te gustaría interpretar?
Yo escogería el personaje de Adrián. Interpretar a Adrián es un gran reto porque es muy complejo, se deja guiar por una personaje que ya no existe y que no se fija en lo que el hace. Este personaje me parece muy divertido al mismo tiempo que romántico.

--------------------------------------------

One yearns and sighs for an opportunity. But it is not until one knocks on the door and it opens, that things start to roll. This is the case of Alberto Romero, new blood for Miracle Theatre. The challenge is twofold:  not only is this his first play, but he is making his debut with a stellar cast, directed by Juan Carlos Vives, who, thanks to a collaboration between Miracle Theatre and the Consulate of Mexico in Portland, is directing Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda (Between Pancho Villa and a Naked Woman). The following is an excerpt from an interview conducted by our Marketing Assistant Angela Bolaños-Osorio, who speaks with Alberto about his role as Ismael, a young man in love with an older woman.

Angela Bolaños-Osorio: What do you think about romantic relationships between younger men and older women?
Alberto Romero: I think that we all have the right to choose who we want to be with; personally, I don’t think true love is too concerned with age; having said that, I am also aware that most relationships between an older woman and a younger man usually fail because they might not be at the same place in life. Men tend to like younger women, if they feel attracted to older women; it is usually to obtain more “experience”.

What can you tell us about being able to work with seasoned actors such as Nurys Herrera and Vicente Guzmán-Orozco? What have you learned from them?
It is a great honor to work with them, especially because they are very confident and enthusiastic, their support helps me feel more confident and it makes a difference in the way I am developing my character. 

If you could choose another character to play, whether it is a man or a woman, which one would you choose and why?
I would choose to play Adrián. It would be a great challenge because he is such a complex character. He allows himself to be guided by a person that does not exist, literally. This character seems fun to play and I really like his romantic side.

Digging Deeper: Boleros
Every work that we present here at El Centro Milagro brings to the forefront a different cultural connection, themes that are often elaborated in our complimentary study guides, available to download from our Web site. In Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda, you’ll hear a number of boleros, a couple’s dance that is slow, smooth, powerful and romantic. The style is noted for its gracefulness, the slow tempo of the music, and the particular and difficult dance steps that create a dramatic mood. The script mentions specifically “Desdichadamente,” a bolero written by the famous Puerto Rican songwriter Rafael Hernandez translates to “Unfortunately” or alternatively “Unhappily”, a song that plays while Gina feels her greatest disappointment with Adrián. Ismael witnesses her sadness and takes her in his arms. She begins to dance the bolero with him. Ismael, a young and inexperienced man, is clumsy; he does not know how to dance. Gina must lead. The scene is interrupted by Adrian’s arrival. A new bolero plays when Adrian cuts in and “Una y Otra vez” (Again and Again) by Rodolfo Mendiolea follows their dance. The two are excellent dancers and the dance reflects the drama of their relationship. But in the end, the dance turns into a furious fight, and suddenly Gina breaks away and shuts off the music. Just as our choices of music seem to underscore our real-world lives, playwright Sabina Berman uses dance and music to dramatize the emotional struggles of her characters in Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda.

“He who wants to paint should paint.”
If you saw a poster or received the postcard for Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda, you may have admired the original artwork by Alejandro Ceballos (pictured in the sidebar), who created this image just for Miracle. We’re always pleased to work with Alejandro, whose distinctive style has graced art cards for La carpa del maestro and The Labyrinth of Desire. Alejandro believes that his art represents contemporary and modern language, images, feelings and ideas. His work is inspired by everyday life and occurrences, but he paints in what he calls "primitive form" which is born of a spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment feeling. "Lines and figures express the way I feel, and they express the way you felt at that moment. The quality of your artwork must be original and it must carry a piece of you and of your expressions."

Born in Mexico, Ceballos has always had an interest in painting. His father, an architect and painter, taught him to love art. He remembers his passion for art even as a young boy, spending time in his father's office painting. At age nine, he was assigned his own private art instructor. Between 1985 and 1986, he attended an exchange program in Wisconsin where he took art and drafting classes, and in 1988 he attended Arizona State University where he studied art theory, painting and composition. He has a degree in graphic design from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara. His graphic design training shows in the use of flat colors and defined shapes, but he maintains the mystery of the hand-painted surface. "He who wants to paint should paint."

Alejandro has been exhibiting since 1991 in Mexico and the U.S., and is often seen in exhibits at Onda Gallery on NE Alberta Street. For more information or to see more work, visit http://www.ondagallery.com/catalog/Alejandro_Ceballos-34-1.html

Hip-Hop Artist Paul Flores Returns with a Free Show at Milagro Feb. 13
Paul Flores, hip-hop poet and actor from San Francisco, will be visiting Portland in early February for workshops with the Spanish English International School (SEIS) at Roosevelt High School. Raised on the Tijuana/San Diego border, issues of immigration, border experience and Latino identity are central to Flores’ work, and he is recognized as a trailblazer in new Latino performance arts as both an artist and producer. His residency program will culminate in a bilingual spoken-word presentation at Milagro Theatre that features Flores’ writing as well as selected original work by SEIS students. The performance, which is free and open to the public, begins at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark St., Portland). This workshop presentation is made possible in part by funding from Oregon Community Foundation, JP Morgan Chase and the Albina Rotary Foundation. For more information about Flores, visit http://www.myspace.com/paulfloresrepresenta.

Off to the Trenches of Community Outreach
Teatro Milagro closed its successful run of American Sueño at El Centro Milagro with a bang. On the afternoon of the last day, the matinee performance was followed by a free community health fair sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and staffed by volunteers from Multnomah County Health Department, Kaiser, OHSU and An Sen Acupuncture and Massage Clinic. Participants received free flu shots (include Teatro Milagro Artistic Director Ms. Malán herself, pictured here), wellness checks and massages. The purpose of the health fair was to promote community wellness and, with that message in hand, Teatro Milagro heads to Hillsboro to begin a three-week residency that will culminate in a free community performance on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Hilhi Auditorium. This first Wednesday of the residency also includes an after-school workshop with PRIDE of Washington County, an extension of SMYRC (Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center). In addition to nominal fees paid by the participating school, these free workshops and performances are made possible with support from Juan Young Trust, The Standard, Kaiser Permanente, Target and Oregon Arts Commission. For more information about the free community performance, which will feature Hilhi students in cameo roles, contact the Office of Hispanic Outreach at 503-844-1486.

Memoirs of a Mentee
by Antonio Sonera

Well, here we are in February; where did January go? Time has been flying by for me. I am opening a world premiere show on Friday. It is called Rocket Man. It will be at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center and is the flagship production for BaseRoots Theatre Company. I hope you get a chance to see it and support this new African American Theatre Company (see sidebar for details). Then on Monday I begin rehearsals for How the García Girls Lost their Accents here at the Miracle. I am always excited about first rehearsal; it is the beginning of a new journey, it means discovery, it means creativity, it means collaboration, it means fun, it is the opportunity to do what I love to do most … tell stories.

Speaking of opportunities, Theatre Communications Group has given José and me an extremely rare opportunity. They have provided us with travel funds for personal development. Directly after García Girls opens, I will fly to Spain! I begin my journey in Madrid, and José and I will meet up in Barcelona and then travel to Zaragoza for a few days. I will then travel to Sevilla by myself for a week. We will see the sights, meet with colleagues, and absorb a culture that resonates so deeply within us. I am especially excited to see flamenco, and get my “Olé” on!  So, we have been planning our adventure; if any of my readers out there have suggestions of things to see, please send them my way.

José now has me working on very thoughtful projects. These are “big thinking” projects, working with experts about how to improve and use our spaces at El Centro Milagro, working in the community with other arts organizations about advocacy for small arts organizations, working on a grant for La Luna Nueva and articulating the need for such a program. All of these are very interesting and challenging, at the same time they keep me treading in the waters outside my comfort zone but have allowed me to exercise these new muscles. Each project has potential for positive long-term effects for the organization and the community at large.

As you can see there are plenty of things to be excited about here. In the five months left that I have on my grant, I hope to report to you on all of these exciting adventures and challenges. I often wonder if you, my readers, have questions about my experiences. So in the months to come I want to encourage you to ask me questions about my program, about theatre, about the Miracle.  Please e-mail me at tony@milagro.org

I would love to include your questions and my answers in my memoirs!

Until next time,

Mentee Out!

For comments and suggestions, or your email address has changed please e-mail marketing@milagro.org. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend.