Cleveland Public Theatre to Host 12th Annual DIA DE METROS 11/29

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) and Artistas Latinos Unidos proudly presents the 12th Annual Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival in Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., to take place at Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District.

The free, all-ages event opens at 11 a.m. and includes face painting for participants in the afternoon parade, pan de muerto (the traditional Day of the Dead bread), craft workshops and holiday vendors. The main programming kicks off at 3:30pm with a community procession of "Skulls and Skeletons" along Detroit Avenue starting at Cleveland Public Theatre. The festivities will continue through 10apm with live music and performance, Latin food, visual art exhibits and a DJ to cap of the evening.

This time-honored tradition of honoring the ancestors includes a colorful display of altars (ofrendas or retablos)created by local artists, as well as a main altar by guest Mexican artist Luis Ituarte, one of the 2016 Creative Fusion fellows sponsored by The Cleveland Foundation. Ituarte has worked internationally and earlier this year with students from St. Martin de Porres Center and Ingenuity Cleveland.

"I like to apply my 30 years' experience as a cultural promoter and as an artist, towards integrating art as a very important factor in the development of community and create new avenues for positive cultural expression,"Ituarte indicates in the artist statement on his web site.

Dia de Muertos Ohio's "Weaving the Tapestry of our Ancestors" encourages participants to fill in the large loom frame with ribbon messages in memory of those who have died. The pattern that will emerge once the loom is filled also reflects the true 'public' of Cleveland Public Theatre, which has hosted the celebration since 2008. The community altar is meant to welcome people of all cultures and backgrounds.

"We just kicked off our 2016-2017 season with Teatro Publico de Cleveland's original show, ¡Celebrando Three Years! as well as 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, two works that demonstrate Cleveland Public Theatre's commitment to providing a platform for artists and audience to connect with our individual and shared heritage, and to engage with the most critical issues of our time. We are proud to present Dia de Muertos inside of that mission, providing visitors a chance to celebrate life and reflect on those who have passed in a way that is thoughtful, beautiful and enriching," according to CPT's Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan.

Although its name may sound grim, the Dia de los Muertos holiday has its origins in the ancient rituals of Mexico's Aztec Indians and other indigenous tribes of Latin America. An Internet search of "Dia de los Muertos" will yield any number of links to web sites explaining and promoting the holiday. But the primary elements of this celebration indicate that the special nature of the occasion is to honor one's ancestors and commemorate beloved ones who have passed. For the Aztecs and others with similar beliefs, honoring and calling upon the ancestors was integrated with harvest festivities, and gathering family to remember past family and friends with fondness and happy memories.

Traditional arts, flowers, food, music, dance and fun are integral to the cultural mix, as are particular items specific to the holiday, such as the altars (ofrendas). Elements of the earth (salt), wind (cut paper decorations, papeles picados), fire (candles) and water are among the items included on some altars. However, the traditions and rituals are widely varied throughout Mexico, Latin America, Spain and other countries. When the Spaniards conquered the New World, the indigenous holiday was commingled and integrated with the Catholic All Saints and All Souls Days.

The image of Catrina, the traditional 'Lady of the Dead' goddess of the Aztecs, is a smiling skeleton. However gruesome or scary this or the idea of skulls is to Western culture, for the Aztecs skulls symbolized new life. Multiple colorful sculptures of candy skulls (calaveras) and skeletons (catrinas) are bursting with color and created with lighthearted and funny poses of the living. This deeply spiritual and yet exuberant celebration can often reflect more of an attitude about enjoying a higher level of consciousness and living life to the fullest.

For more information, visit Dia de Muertos Ohio on Facebook, its web site www.diadelosmuertosohio.com, or call Cleveland Public Theatre (216) 621-2727 x501.

FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 12th ANNUAL DIA DE MUERTOS / DAY OF THE DEAD

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29th, 2016

All events take place at:

Cleveland Public Theatre's Church, parish hall and surrounding area.

6205 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland OH 44102

11am to 10pm: Altars Exhibition, Cemetery Installations & Performances

11am to 3pm: Face painting & crafts workshops

3:30pm - 4:15pm "Skulls & Skeletons" Procession

4:15 - 10pm: Performances & DJ dance party

Main Altar: Luis Ituarte - Community altar installation

Altar #1: Kevin Williams

Altar #2: Robin Heinrich

Altar #3: The Students of the Cleveland High School for Digital Arts

& Professor David Manuelle

Altar #4: Cara Romano

Altar #5: Stephanie Perez-Williams

Altar #6: Oliver App & Frankie Teuber

CEMETERY INSTALLATIONS:

Mark Jenks / Ian Petroni / Nina Huryn & Ted Olah / Jessica Rosenlieb

DIA DE MUERTOS GIANT PUPPETS:

Robin VanLear & Story Rheinhart -Cadiz (CMA Community Arts)

PARISH HALL - Free Performances

MUSIC:

2:00 - 3:00 pm Dueto Maravilla (Romantic Mexican popular songs)

3:30 - 4:30 pm Mariachi Santa Cecilia

OUTDOOR PARADE (3:30 - 4:15PM)

"Skulls & Skeletons" Procession will take place along Detroit Avenue. Open to the public.

3:30 pm Depart CPT's Parish Hall (6205 Detroit Ave)

1st Stop: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (West 70th Street & Detroit Ave)

2nd Stop: Craciun Berry Funeral Home (West 72nd Street & Detroit Ave)

Return to Cleveland Public Theatre at 4:15

DANCE:

4:45 - 5:15 pm Tepehuani Nelli - Mexican Flokloric Dancers

5:30 - 6:00 pm Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center Dancers

REMARKS BY:

5:15 - pm Councilman Matt Zone

MUSIC:

6:00 - 8:00 pm Rice & Beans Latin Jazz Band

8:00 - 10:00 pm DJ Music

www.diademuertosohio.com

FB: diademuertosohio

Día de Muertos 2016 Sponsors
Día de Muertos 2016 is made possible through support by Artistas Latinos Unidos, Cleveland Public Theatre, Ward 15 Councilman Matt Zone, Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Cleveland City Council, Riverside Cemetery, Craciun Berry Funeral Home, Cleveland Museum of Art as well as through a Neighborhood Connections Grant, a program of the Cleveland Foundation.

Photo Credit: Steve Wagner