Chicago All-Latina Theater Company Begins Expansion to LA & NYC

As Chicago's all-Latina theater company approaches its 12th anniversary and launches its new community arts center Luna Central in Chicago, it is expanding its national reach. Its upcoming world premiere of Los Angeles playwright Diane Rodriguez's, Obie award winner and TCG board member, new play LIVING LARGE IN A MINI KIND OF WAY is a comedy with immigration drama and universal issues about identity and privilege. Luna brings light to this exploration of the American Dream. Rodriguez will also direct the play.

"What excites me about working with the ladies of Teatro Luna," Rodriguez says, "is that they have been working together for eleven years and have a vocabulary, a methodology and an audience." 

Teatro Luna built its relationship with Rodriguez and other nationally-acclaimed artists with its LUNADAS reading series, providing an outlet for Latina playwrights to have their work developed. Though Teatro Luna is still seeking funding for artist travel accommodations, they find that opportunities for Latinas are so few that many are willing to cover their own transportation costs to access the rare resources Teatro Luna provides. The Luna ladies are committed to creating a national network of support for female theater artists of color, and have been honored to work with Elaine Romero, Caridad Svich, Marisela Treviño Orta, and others as a result. Three to four of the upcoming LUNADAS staged readings will feature New York based playwrights, broadening its foundation on the East Coast and setting in motion plans for a 15th Anniversary world premiere in New York in Spring 2015.

In addition to this explosion of bicoastal expansion, Teatro Luna is launching TLTV - a video series featuring comedy, interviews, music, commentary on current events, and original performances broadcast on the web nationwide, in an effort to better engage their growing community and fans they meet all around the country while on tour with their original performances.

LIVING LARGE IN A MINI KIND OF WAY will be held at the Mainstage at Viaduct Theater 3111 N. Western Avenue. The show opens May 10 at 7:30PM with a reception to follow. The show runs Thursdays - Saturdays 7:30 pm Sundays at 3 & 6 pm from May 10 to June 17 2012.

Tickets are $12-$40 and are available online, over the phone, and at the door, visit www.teatroluna.org to purchase or call 773.819.5862

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