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Latinx Theatre

Content in this section is created by or highlights the work of Latinx theatremakers from around the world. Start with the Journal series Taking the Temperature about issues facing Latinx theatre artists in the United States, or with the video series Latinx Superfriends Playwriting Hour. Looking for more? Check out the Latinx Theatre Commons, a national movement to transform the narrative of the American theatre and a flagship program of HowlRound.

The Latest

Sustaining the Flame at the Latinx Theatre Commons Tenth Anniversary Convening
Essay
Sustaining the Flame at the Latinx Theatre Commons Tenth Anniversary Convening
by Olga Sanchez Saltveit
13 May 2024
Sowing Futures at the Latinx Theatre Commons Tenth Anniversary Convening
Essay
Sowing Futures at the Latinx Theatre Commons Tenth Anniversary Convening
by Georgina Escobar
8 May 2024
The Longer We Live
Essay
The Longer We Live
by Iraisa Ann Reilly
7 May 2024
A Leap of Faith to Seattle
Essay

A Leap of Faith to Seattle

3 March 2016

Armando Huipe describes the organizing principles behind the upcoming Latina/o Theatre Commons convening in Seattle, WA.

#LTCdallas
Essay

#LTCdallas

Challenges, Opportunities, and Reflections of the Texas Latina/o Theatre Community

2 March 2016

Trevor Boffone reports on the Texas Latinx Theare Commons Dallas Regional Convening.

The Afrolatin@ Theatre Series
Essay

The Afrolatin@ Theatre Series

Actress, Writer, and Theatre Mogul Florinda Bryant

25 February 2016

In this first installment, Jelisa Jay Robinson profiles Florinda Bryant of Salvage Vanguard Theater.

Pedagogy Notebook
Essay

Pedagogy Notebook

From Panza to Las Hociconas: Performance Pedagogy in the Chicana/o Studies Classroom

22 February 2016

Magda García writes about how, as a teaching assistant, she incorporated a performance element into an undergraduate Intro to Chicana/o Studies course at University of California Santa Barbara.

Latina/o Plays for Young Performers
Essay

Latina/o Plays for Young Performers

A Resource for Teachers

8 February 2016

Roxanne Schroeder-Arce shares a list of published Latina/o plays in the hopes that more of them will be produced in schools with Latina/o students.

Que Onda? with Martin Balmaceda and Alex Vásquez Escaño
Essay

Que Onda? with Martin Balmaceda and Alex Vásquez Escaño

7 February 2016

Emily Cordes interviews playwright Alex Vasquez Escaño and director Martin Balmaceda about a recent production of Alex’s play Yoleros in New York City.

Pedagogy Notebook
Essay

Pedagogy Notebook

Creating Visibility and Empowerment for Latina/o Artists through Wikiturgy

19 January 2016

Noe Montez kicks off a new Café Onda series with this post detailing how he had students in his Latina/o Theatre and Film class at Tufts University create Wikipedia pages for Latina/o theatre artists.

La Esquinita
Essay

La Esquinita

Pablo Santiago

15 January 2016

In the first bilingual installment of the series, Tara Houston profiles Lighting Designer Pablo Santiago about his inspiration and process.

Because It's 2016: An Open Invitation from the Latino Theatre Community to Discuss Representation
Video

Because It's 2016: An Open Invitation from the Latino Theatre Community to Discuss Representation

Monday 11 January 2016
Vancouver, Canada

BECAUSE IT'S 2016: An Open Invitation from the Latino Theatre Community to Discuss Representationa conversation with members of the Latina/o theatre community about fair and equal representation on Vancouver stages—livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 11 January at 7 p.m. PST (Vancouver) / 8 p.m. MST (Calgary) / 9 p.m. CST (Winnipeg) / 10 p.m. EST (Toronto). In Twitter, send comments and questions to @ricebeansthtr and use hashtag #cafeonda for Latina/o theatre related conversation.

Curtain Call
Essay

Curtain Call

Moments from Café Onda 2015

27 December 2015

The Café Onda editorial board celebrates the past year.

Why We Need Afro Latin@ Theatre
Essay

Why We Need Afro Latin@ Theatre

26 December 2015

Playwright Jelisa Jay Robinson advocates the need for more representation of Afro-Latin@s both onstage and behind the scenes in theatre.

Detroit
Essay

Detroit

Only Abandoned from the Outside

18 December 2015

Playwright Emilio Rodriguez discusses his experience working in Detroit, a city that is often overlooked, but has opportunities for emerging theatre artists. 

Should Latina/o Roles Be Cast with Non-Latina/o Actors?
Essay

Should Latina/o Roles Be Cast with Non-Latina/o Actors?

6 December 2015

Playwrights Magdalena Gómez, Irma Mayorga, Marisela Treviño Orta, Elaine Romero, and Martín Zimmerman weigh in on casting practices in light of recent debates.

The Legacy of Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino
Essay

The Legacy of Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino

The First Fifty Years / El Legado de Luis Valdez y El Teatro Campesino: Los Primeros Cincuenta Años

5 December 2015

Dr. Jorge Huerta reflects on the birth, present, and enduring legacy of El Teatro Campesino on its fiftieth anniversary.

Que Onda? with Josefina López and CASA 0101 Theater
Essay

Que Onda? with Josefina López and CASA 0101 Theater

23 November 2015

Trevor Boffone interviews playwright Josefina López about CASA 0101, the theatre company she founded fifteen years ago, and how she’s become a leader in her community.

Que Onda? with Virginia Grise
Essay

Que Onda? with Virginia Grise

19 November 2015

Jennifer S. Ponce de León interviews playwright Virginia Grise about her plays, her process, and her vision for the future of Latino/a theatre.

The Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement
Video

The Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement

Saturday 7 November 2015.
New York, NY, United States

The Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement presented its first convening in a three-part series of artist roundtables, livestreamed on the global, commons based peer-produced HowlRoundTV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 7 November. To join the conversation via Twitter use hashtag #TheArtofJustice and follow @cccadi and @nyuartspolitics.

Moving From Event to Tradition
Essay

Moving From Event to Tradition

A Report from the Latino/a Play Project at Oregon Shakespeare Festival

3 November 2015

Brian Sonia-Wallace writes about his experience at the Latino/a Play Project at Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Coffee and chat
Essay

Coffee and chat

Marisela Treviño Orta

27 October 2015

Abel Muñoz interviews Marisela Treviño Orta

Cafecito
Essay

Cafecito

Emilio Rodriguez

20 October 2015

Maria Enriquez interviews Emilio Rodriguez about his play Swimming While Drowning, incorporating spoken word poetry into his work, and the idea of being “Latino enough.”

La Esquinita
Essay

La Esquinita

Lupe Valdez

17 October 2015

In this first installment, Courtney Flores profiles Lupe Valdez, Costume Designer and Founding Member of El Teatro Campesino.

Collage of theatre artists gathering and speaking at the From Scarcity to Abundance convening.
Participate at the Latinx Theatre Commons Dallas Convening October 30-November 1, 2015
Essay

Participate at the Latinx Theatre Commons Dallas Convening October 30-November 1, 2015

5 October 2015

The Latinx Theatre Commons invites theatremakers to participate in a regional convening in Dallas, Texas October 30-November 1, 2015. 

Notes from a Latina at the Black Theatre Conference in Winston Salem, North Carolina
Essay

Notes from a Latina at the Black Theatre Conference in Winston Salem, North Carolina

3 October 2015

PhD candidate Daphnie Sicre writes about her experience presenting at the Black Theatre Conference.

Cafecito
Essay

Cafecito

Mando Alvarado

2 October 2015

Jamie Gahlon interviews Mando Alvarado about the inspiration for his play Parachute Men, his writing process, and the challenges facing the American theatre.

Latina/o Play Project Panel: Aesthetics of Alma, Performance of Corazón: Envisioning the Progression of Latina/o Theatre
Video

Latina/o Play Project Panel: Aesthetics of Alma, Performance of Corazón: Envisioning the Progression of Latina/o Theatre

Saturday 26 September 2015 
Ashland, OR, United States

Oregon Shakespeare Festival presented the Latina/o Play Project panel Aesthetics of Alma, Performance of Corazón: Envisioning the Progression of Latina/o Theatre livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 26 September at 4:30 p.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 6:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 7:30 p.m. EDT (New York).