CSULB Theatre Arts to Host 'MIAMI TO LOS ANGELES' Panel After BIRD IN THE HAND

CSULB Theatre Arts Department will hold a panel discussion entitled Miami to Los Angeles: A Theatrical Portrait of the Cuban-American Experience at 3:30pm on Saturday April 9th, immediately following the 2:00 matinee performance of BIRD IN THE HAND.

The panel members include nationally-recognized experts from Tulane University, Latino Theatre Company, CSULB Chicano and Latino Studies Department, as well as the directors of the production, Dr. Shanti Pillai and Marc Gomes. Using the play as a springboard for discussion the panelists will focus on Cuban- American experiences in Miami and Los Angeles.

This event is free and open to the public, attending the play prior to the panel is encouraged but not required.

Featuring:

- Chantal Rodriguez, Ph.D. is the Programming Director/Literary Manager for the Latino Theater Company, operators of the Los Angeles Theatre Center, and a lecturer at UCLA and Emerson College, L.A.

- Antonia Garcia-Orozco, an Associate Professor in the Chicano and Latino Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach is a respected singer/songwriter who specializes in theatre, performance art and various musical genres.

- Carolina Caballero teaches in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and is Associate Director of the Cuban and Caribbean Studies Institute at Tulane University. She specializes in Cuban and Cuban-American theater and performance.

- Alicia del Campo, PhD is Professor of Spanish at the Romance, German and Russian Languages and Literatures Dept. and Assistant Director of the Latin American Studies Program at CSULB. She is an anthropologist (U of Chile) and theater scholar whose research works in the intersection of theater, cultural studies and memory.

- Shanti Pillai is Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at CSULB. From 2006-2014 she lived and worked in Havana, Cuba where she collaborated with dancers, actors, musicians, and visual artists in creating several original works for the stage and gallery spaces.

- Marc Gomes enjoys a prolific career as an actor, writer and director, on stage, in television, and beyond.

A New York Times Critic's Pick, BIRD IN THE HAND follows a young man, Felix. As he works at his father's Miami-based theme park dedicated to tropical birds, he daydreams about the choices he made and how they could have happened differently. A son of Cuban immigrants, Felix feels caged, much like the prized Macaw at the theme park, and struggles to find freedom while reflecting on his culture and sexual identity.

Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas is a New York based theatre-maker, Artistic Director of the Obie-winning company Fulcrum Theater, and a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop.

BIRD IN THE HAND opens Friday, April 8th, and closes Sunday, April 17th. This production will be presented in the Studio Theatre on the CSULB Campus, accessible via West Campus Drive. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $14 for students, seniors, and military (with valid ID). Parking is available in Lot 6 for $5, be aware of construction in the area. For tickets and additional information, call (562) 985-5526 or visit calrep.org.

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