Every year, the dead have been commemorated in Portland’s longest-running Día de los muertos celebration. This year’s production is called Raíz, which means «root» in Spanish, and this play will go to the root of the holiday, the root of humanity, the root of life as a cabal of Aztec gods, having fallen out of favor in the modern world, seek to revive their relevance by reuniting a young clown with his departed partner, Augustina. Time turns backward as we unearth the interwoven roots of pre-Hispanic customs and traditions found at the juncture of life and death. Are we but dreaming and awake only when we die? Through music, dance and legend, we explore that thin veil that separates our world from the realm of our indigenous ancestors.
In this article, marketing assistant Stefanus Gunawan shines the spotlight on actor Alberto Romero to get a closer look into his passion, art, experience. Alberto has longed to be onstage and act in plays from a young age, and is grateful for this opportunity. He hopes everyone follows their dream as he has.
Creo que es el poder trasmitir un mensaje al público.
I think that it’s the power of sharing a message with the audience.
¿Cuál fue tu primera experiencia actuando en el escenario? Explícanos tus sentimientos. / What was your first experience onstage? What was that like?
Mi primera experiencia actuando en el escenario fue cuando me encontraba en un grupo de ballet folklórico que hice mi primera presentación de baile al público cuando yo tenía 18 anos. Para mi fue algo súper emocionante al ver el público satisfecho y encantado por el trabajo que elaboré en el escenario, para mi fue un gran triunfo el aplauso del público … es lo más emocionante.
My first experience acting onstage with a folkloric dance group, where I first danced in public when I was 18 years old. For me, it was really exciting to see a happy audience, entertained by the work the saw onstage. For me, the best part was the audience’s applause – that was the most exciting.
Vamos a hablar sobre el espectáculo del Día de los muertos. En tu opinión, ¿cuál es la significa del Día de los muertos? / Let’s talk about the Day of the Dead show. In your opinion, what’s the meaning of the Day of the Dead?
Día de muertos yo sinceramente no sabía de esta celebración primero que nada porque me vine de México a corta edad y no supe pero aquí me he dado cuenta que el día de muertos es algo al cual se le debe respecto por las personas que nos han dejado y claro también celebrando que la vida sigue y que disfrutemos de ella en el momento.
To be honest, I didn’t know about the Day of the Dead celebration because I came from Mexico when I was really young, but now I have come to realize that Day of the Dead is something I know I should honor for the people who are no longer with us and, of course, celebrating life and remembering to enjoy it in the moment.
A propósito del show, díganos tu personaje. / Getting back to the show, tell us about your character.
Mi personaje en el show, bueno mi personaje es Tezcatlipoca. Para mi es una experiencia distinta en esta obra porque me toca interpretar un personaje el cual tiene distintas transformaciones en base al personaje pero aprendiendo de él, me siento muy contento de ser parte de este show de día de muertos y estamos trabajando duro para darles un buen espectáculo y claro una muy buena historia de Raíz.
My carácter in the show is Tezcatlipoca. For me, this play is a really different experience because I’m asked to portray a character who has distinct transformations at its core, but I’m learning about him and I’m really happy to be a part of this Day of the Dead show. We are working hard to present a great show and, of course, a good story in Raíz.
* * *
Alberto Romero, originally from Michoacán, has a great love for theatre. With only three years of experience, he has been part of several amazing theatre projects. He has worked with Oregon Children’s Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theater and here at Milagro. He also has a web show in which he has been developing his television skills called Entre tu y yo that shows the community, art, culture, comedy, education and many adventures. Finally, he would like to thank all the teachers who have helped him to grow as an artist.
Alberto Romero, originario de Michoacán, tiene un gran amor por el teatro. Con solo 3 años de experiencia, ha logrado ser parte de muy buenos proyectos de teatro; ha trabajando con Oregon Children’s Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theater y el Milagro. También tiene un programa en el cual ha estado desarrollando sus habilidades en televisión. El programa es a través de Internet (Entre tu y yo) y el propósito es mostrar a nuestra comunidad arte, cultura, comedia, educación y muchas aventuras. Finalmente quiere agradecer a todos los maestros que le han ayudado a crecer como artista.
* * *
Raíz runs October 18 through November 11, 2012 at the Milagro Theatre (525 SE Stark St., Portland). Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. Tickets begin at $15 for the preview (first Thursday performance) and may be purchased online at www.milagro.org (see link in right-hand sidebar); by calling 503-236-7253 or by visiting the theatre offices at 425 SE Sixth Ave., weekdays 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.