Blog
Talking tech
A conversation with Watsonville Sound Designer Phillip Johnson How did your relationship with Milagro begin? I’ve been working with Milagro for 3 seasons, and my first show was Contigo Pan y Cebolla, directed by Nelda Reyes. I loved that process because it was the first time I had ever designed a show that was completely in another language, which made me have to really brush up on my Spanish. I also really enjoyed diving into Cuban history looking for sound bytes, music, and telenovelas, I really learned a lot. Can you talk...
read moreSeason 35 Spotlight: Georgina Escobar
A conversation with the writer and director of Alebrijes! A Día de Muertos celebration You have worked with Milagro before, even as recent as last season on Bi– as writer and director. What other projects have you worked on with us, and how did your relationship with Milagro begin? I was brought on to devise, write, and direct the 2016 Día de los Muertos production called El Muerto Vagabundo. José became familiar with my work at the Carnaval of New Latinx Work in 2015 and from there decided to bring me on for this socio-political...
read moreWatsonville: A Family Affair
A dynamic mother/daughter duo takes the stage in the final show of our boundary-shattering season! The theme of family is etched deep in Moraga’s work, as well as at Milagro. We are fortunate to have a mother and daughter team join us for Watsonville: Some Place Not Here. Bunnie Rivera, who portrays Dolores, and Rosalie Siler, who plays Susana, are both not only Milagro veterans, but have performed together multiple times in other Moraga plays. Rosalie performed in her adolescence in Milagro’s productions of Shadow of a Man and Heroes and...
read moreRise up with Watsonville
An interview with director Elizabeth Huffman The final show in our 34th Season, Watsonville: Some Place Not Here, is about to make its way to our main stage! And with it comes a new team of artists and producers to tell this story. The newest of which is Director Elizabeth Huffman. Although new to the production team, she is no stranger to Milagro, having directed both American Night (2015) and the five-time Drammy Award-winning Oedipus el Rey (2012). We got a chance to sit down ask her a few questions on her vision for the show, and what we...
read moreAn Eye on Vi
A conversation with Jaryn Lasentia The final weekend of The Mermaid Hour approaches, and audiences have loved this journey we’ve taken. But it’s not over yet. You still have the chance to be a part of the conversation. No dialogue is complete without a little perspective, so we took some time to ask Jaryn Lasentia, who portrays the titular Vi, some questions on their perspective and what The Mermaid Hour means to them! The themes of the show center directly around your character, Vi, and her experience of being a transgender girl. In what...
read moreThe merpersona of The Mermaid Hour
A conversation with Michael Cavazos While the actors reach the midway point of The Mermaid Hour, we thought we ought to explore the meaning behind the name of the show. The Merperson, played stunningly by Michael Cavazos, appears not only as a striking symbol of gender fluidity and binary-breaking beauty, but as an onstage character as well. We had a chance to ask Michael some questions about his part in the show, and to offer some perspective on this mysterious entity. The Mermaid Hour is a part of a NNPN Rolling World Premiere, with three...
read moreWatsonville Who’s Who
Witness the story of women’s triumph loosely based on a 1985 – 1987 Cannery strike, a Richter scale earthquake, and a vision of the Virgen de Guadalupe in Watsonville: Some Place Not Here. Meet the cast and crew that bring this story of Chicana women rising up to life. CAST Patricia Alvitez, Lucha Patricia Alvitez studied Ballet at La Escuela Nacional de Ballet en el Peru and theatre at la Asociacion de Artistas Aficionados. She moved to the US in late 80’s, joining The Peninsula Ballet Theatre in San Francisco. Patricia started...
read moreThe Mermaid Hour: A Portrait of Real Life
A conversation with playwright David Valdes Greenwood In preparation for the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of The Mermaid Hour, we asked playwright David Valdes Greenwood a few questions to get to know him, and the play, a little better. How did this idea for The Mermaid Hour come about? What, if any, personal relationship do you have to the subject matter? My college roommate transitioned in her 40s and shared with me what it was like to be a child in the 70s, knowing she was a girl but forced to conform as a boy as she...
read moreThe Mermaid Hour Who’s Who
Presented as part of the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, The Mermaid Hour focuses on the 21st century All-American Family and the challenges they face raising Violet, a 12-year-old trans girl. Meet the cast and crew that bring this poignant and hilarious play to life. CAST Jed Arkley, Bird Jed Arkley has been featured in “Poltergeist: Live” (Steve Freeling), “Road House: The Play!” (Wade Garrett), and “Rudolph: On Stage!” (Rudolph), all at The Siren Theater. Jed has also written for and acted in numerous sketch...
read moreINGENIO Milagro 2018 Call for Submissions
Pictured: Reading of Shoe by Marisela Treviño Orta, part of INGENIO Play Fest 2017. INGENIO Milagro is a play, and playwright, development program that serves as an intrinsic step in the creation of new full-length theatrical works by Latina/o-identified playwrights. Rehearsals, workshops, concert-style readings, and feedback sessions guide them and their works from concept to production. Directors, designers, and actors bring the plays to life for an audience of theatre professionals and members of the public. Readings are followed by...
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