Miracle Theatre Receive $18K NEA Grant for Spanish-language Production

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman today announced that the agency will award 863 grants to organizations and individual writers across the country. Miracle Theatre Group is one of the grantees and will receive $18,000 to develop and produce Jardín de sueños, an original Spanish-language play based on pre-Hispanic legends, inspired by a work created by Miracle’s Teatro Español in 2005. The 863 grant awards total $22.543 million, encompass 15 artistic disciplines and fields, and support projects in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Jardín de sueños will be produced at Milagro Theatre in Southeast Portland March 22-April 14, 2012, and will be a completely unique opportunity for the Miracle Theatre Group to provide Spanish-language theatre suitable for audiences of all ages. Centered on Latin American indigenous myths including those of the Mayan of Mexico and those of the Cocomas of Peru, Jardín de sueños tells the story of Cristina, an immigrant girl living in the United States. Longing to continue her education but faced with the lack of support, Cristina is frustrated by her family, far too busy with their work, the Internet and other distractions, to pay attention to her. Disappointed, she falls asleep on the couch and dreams of a jaguar who chases her into the Jardín de sueños (Garden of Dreams) which she is told grows from within her heart. In the garden, a variety of pre-Hispanic legends come to life. In one encounter, the Lupana tree of the Amazon sings a song that lulls a woodcutter to sleep, saving herself from being cut down; in a second encounter, a humble Andean shepherd falls in love with the daughter of the Sun; and in a third tale, the Xkokoleche bird, though not as pretty as the richly plumed Chacdzidzib bird, learns that she sings far better than anyone might imagine. When Cristina wakes up, she realizes that there are insights in her dream life that can help her achieve her goals.

The original script was created as a children’s theatre piece, but for 2012 Miracle will create a more sophisticated, thought-provoking as well as entertaining production. Cristina will find the power of self-expression through art, a voice that will enable her to draw her family together, pulling them away from the distractions that threaten their cohesion. Miracle has engaged Mexican writer Sofia May-Cuxim to research pre-Hispanic Latin American legends and folktales that address the themes of empowerment, creativity and transformation. Through independent writing, in workshops and rehearsals with Mexican director Nelda Reyes and the cast, May-Cuxim will reinforce how Cristina interacts with the legendary characters of her dream, how she is changed, and how her relationship to her family is transformed. Cristina’s family has embraced a fast-paced, isolating lifestyle that modern technology often brings. As Cristina shares her stories, she captures her family’s attention, and as they engage with Cristina’s folktales by entering her world of art, they are brought closer to their traditional values in which family is a priority.

Jardín de sueños was originally created in a season-long workshop in 2004-5 offered to the actors of Teatro Español, the only professional Spanish-language ensemble in the Pacific Northwest. With the success of our training programs and Miracle’s Spanish-language Audience Cultivation efforts, the time has come to revisit the original concept, deepen the script’s themes, strengthen the production values, and provide a completely unique production for the Pacific Northwest.

“Art Works is the guiding principle at the NEA,” said agency Chairman Rocco Landesman. “And I’m pleased to see that principle represented through the 823 Art Works-funded projects included in this announcement. These projects demonstrate the imaginative and innovative capacities of artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in their communities.”

In March 2011, the NEA received 1,686 eligible applications for Art Works requesting more than $84 million in funding. The resulting funding rate of 49 percent of eligible applications reflects both the significant demand for support and the ongoing vitality of the not-for-profit arts community despite current financial challenges. Art Works grants are awarded based on the applications received by the NEA and how those applications are assessed by the review panels.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA web site at arts.gov.

ABOUT MIRACLE THEATRE GROUP
The Miracle Theatre Group has been dedicated to bringing the vibrancy of Latino theatre to the Northwest community and beyond for more than 27 years. In addition to its national tours, Miracle provides a home for Spanish and Latin American arts and culture at El Centro Milagro, where it enriches the local community with a variety of community outreach projects and educational programs designed to share the diversity of Latino culture. For more information about the Miracle Theatre Group, visit www.milagro.org or call 503-236-7253.