Teatro Paraguas 11th Season to Include Four Original Productions and More

Teatro Paraguas is pleased to announce its 11th season of Latino theater in Santa Fe, presenting six productions and two co-productions beginning in September 2014. The season includes four original productions by New Mexico playwrights.

When The Stars Trembled in Rio Puerco, by Shebana Coelho, based on the oral histories collected by Nasario Garcia in the Rio Puerco Valley south of Cuba NM in the 1970's, will be presented Sept 25-28 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The play was presented at Teatro Paraguas in April 2014 to enthusiastic audiences. The play captures the joys and sorrows, trials and tribulations of rural life before World War II in New Mexico. Shebana Coehlo directs a cast including Rudy Fernandez, Anna Maria Gonzales, Amador Gonzales, Maria Cristina Lopez, Oscar Rodriguez, and JoJo Sena de Tarnoff.

Confessions of a Mexpatriate, a humorous and irreverent one-man show by Raul Garza, comes to Teatro Paraguas October 17-19 after a successful run in Austin. Mical Trejo plays the modern-day, media-minded Mexican-American who wants to unplug from his American side and connect with his Mexican roots in the land of his ancestors.

Death and The Maiden, a chilling play dealing with torture and political repression written by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman in 1990, opens Nov. 7 for a three week run. Nicole Phelps plays Paulina Salas , a former political prisoner in an unnamed Latin American country who had been raped by her captors, led by a sadistic doctor, played by Rod Harrison, whose face she never saw. Her husband, played by Angelo Jaramillo, has just been appointed chair of a truth and reconciliation commission. Fate brings the three together late one night. Rick Vargas directs.

26 Miles, a play by Quiara Alegria Hudes, will be presented in association with Camino Real Productions of Albuquerque December 2-14 at Teatro Paraguas. A 2000-mile road trip brings a brown-skinned mother and a white-skinned daughter together after years of estrangement due to a messy divorce. Valli Rivera directs

A Musical Piñata for Christmas II JoJo Sena de Tarnoff brings this seasonal family fun-filled celebration back just in time for Christmas (Dec. 18-23) with live music, poetry, traditional carols, Santa Claus and his crazy elves, and a piñata!

Mariela in the Desert by Karen Zacarias, premiered in 2005, and centers on the lives of artists Mariela and José, contemporaries of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who lived the high life in Mexico City. Now they live an isolated existence in the desert, haunted by a painting called The Blue Barn, and the ghost of their young son. Alaina Warren Zachary directs.

Not Quite Right, an upbeat family drama by Elaine Jarvik and Robert F. Benjamin which includes " three couples with dueling expectations, a misshapen pot, a marathon dance, and a middle-of-the-night melee over 'what's right?'" Beth Kennedy Jones directs this hilarious play which opens February 27 for two weeks.

Word Over All: The Poetry of Whitman and Neruda is a Poesia Viva! original bilingual poetry production which explores the poetic resonances of the two elder statesman-poets of both American continents. Created and directed by Dan Bohnhorst, Word Over All opens March 20 for two weeks.

Besides the productions listed above, Teatro Paraguas will sponsor a three-day residency by Teatro Luna, the nation's only professional all-Latina theatre company based in Chicago, at Capital High School. Students will work directly with Luna's actors on acting techniques, story development, and what it means to be Latina. Teatro Luna will also conduct an afternoon workshop at Teatro Paraguas for women of all ages.

Teatro Paraguas will also produce Esperanza, an adaptation by Carlos Morton of the classic film Salt of the Earth, at Capital High with students performing and providing technical support. Performances will take place in March.

Teatro Paraguas also launches itsTeatro Paraguas Children's Theatre this September, with performances of El Diablo and the Three Thieves taking place in November.

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When The Stars Trembled in Rio Puerco , by Shebana Coehlo,* based on the oral histories collected by Nasario Garcia Sept 25-28 (National Hispanic Cultural Center) director: Shebana Coehlo

Death and The Maiden, by Ariel DorfmanNov. 7-16 (Teatro Paraguas Studio) director: Rick Vargas

Teatro Luna (Chicago) 3-day residency at Capital High School sponsored by Teatro Paraguas culminating in public performance with students Nov. 20-23 (Capital High School and TPS)

26 Miles, by Quiara Alegria Hudes (co-production with Camino Real Productons) Dec 2-14 (TPS) director: Valli Marie Rivera

Musical Piñata for Christmas II, seasonal celebration created by JoJo Sena de Tarnoff* Dec 18-23 (TPS) director: JoJo Sena de Tarnoff

Mariela in the Desert, by Karen Zacarias Jan 30-Feb 15 (TPS) director: Alaina Warren Zachary

Not Quite Right, by Elaine Jarvik and Robert F. Benjamin* Feb 27- March 8 (TPS) director: Beth Kennedy Jones

Esperanza, by Carlos Morton, based on the movie Salt of the Earth, a bilingualproduction in collaboration with Capital High School's Drama, Music, Dance,Spanish, History and Film departments, starring Capital High School students Dates TBA (Brian Fant Theatre at CHS) director: Argos MacCallum

Neruda y Whitman, a Poesia Viva! original bilingual poetry production created by Dan Bohnhorst *Dates March 20-22 and 27-29 (Teatro Paraguas Studio) director: Dan Bohnhorst

* New Mexico playwrights