THREE READINGS, THREE GREAT WRITERS


Friends & Colleagues,

I invite you to attend three special projects which I have been involved with over the past several weeks:


These three writers represent the pulse of the American Theater and reflect my own artistic passion for new work today. Their plays are so different from one another and yet they each connected by the theme of finding human connection in a world of contradiction and chaos. Each reading is cast with some of the most exceptional talent in New York City. And I'm proud to champion each of these writer's voices for whom I've long admired. They deserve a place at the table, and we welcome you to ours ...

All good things,

Tlaloc

------------------------------


#1 - MONDAY, APRIL 27th @ 6pm

PRIMARY STAGES presents

The Dorothy Streslin FRESH INK Reading Series

a play from Katori Hall

THE HOPE WELL

directed by Tlaloc Rivas

with

Linda Gravatt
Greg Keller
Kelly McCreary
Condola Rashad
Keith Randolph Smith
Nilaja Sun

When Harvard Law School student Kirby Golden returns home to Texas with a surprise bigger than her white fiance, her ailing grandmother takes her on a magical journey where Kirby is forced to confront her family history and unearth the bones of their troubled past.

RESERVATIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Date: Monday, April 27, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Primary Stages
Street: 59 East 59th Street
City/Town: New York, NY
Phone: 212-840-9705
Email: readings(at)primarystages.org

----------------------

#2 THURSDAY APRIL 30th @ 7pm

New York Theatre Workshop's
Usual Suspect Studio presents

a new play from Catherine Filloux ("Killing The Boss")

DOG & WOLF

directed by Tlaloc Rivas

with

Birgit Huppuch ("Telephone")

John Daggett ("Lemkin's House")

Kristin Griffith ("Stretch: A Fantasia")


assistant to the director Lillian Meredith
production and dialect assistant Daniela Dakich


On the uncertain threshold between hope and fear, Joseph, an American asylum lawyer, fights to protect his client, Jasmina, a human rights worker and refugee from Bosnia. When she destroys his case and disappears, he is drawn across an emotional border into uncharted territory where he discovers that one’s own destiny can’t be put in front of family and country. It is Jasmina who shows Joseph the real road to asylum.

Note: there will be brief post-discussion following the reading with the playwright and Bianca Bagatorian, Kelly Stuart and more with the end of Genocide Prevention Month.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED


Date: Thursday, April 30, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: New York Theatre Workshop - 3rd Floor Studio
Street: 83 East 4th Street
City/Town: New York, NY


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#3 MONDAY, MAY 18th @ 8pm

BOUNDLESS THEATRE COMPANY presents

MONDAY MAY 18th @ 8pm
Staged reading of:

PROSPECT

by Octavio Solis

directed by Tlaloc Rivas

with

Michael Frederic
William Jackson Harper
Rebecca Hart
Florencia Lozano
Andres Munar
& Lucy Walters

produced by Boundless Theatre Company
assistant to the director Ian Quinlan

Texas. 1980's. Scout spends a night in hell as Liza, a beautiful stranger, and her boyfriend, Vince, pick him up in a Dallas bar and take him home to continue partying. There he encounters Elena, a crusty, foul-mouthed Latina dying of cancer, who drags him deeper into her anguish as she drags him closer to the past he has so long denied. Complications arise when Winter, a dealer who suspects him of muscling in on his turf, crashes the party with his weird and deadly assistant Red.

A fierce and muscular early work from Octavio Solis ... don't miss this 1st NYC reading with an audacious cast.

FREE - but RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED


Date: Monday, May 18, 2009
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Teatro Círculo
Street: 64 East 4th Street
City/Town: New York, NY
Email: boundlesstheatre(at)gmail.com

props to the women

it's been a tremendous week & a half, where i have seen several works produced, directed or written by some my close colleagues - most of whom are women. here's a recap:

ARCHITECTING by The TEAM (directed by Rachel Chavkin) @ Under The Radar
BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK by Lynn Nottage (directed by yours truly)
FRESHWATER by Virginia Woolf @ The Women's Project (directed by Anne Bogart)
STEAL BACK LIGHT by Caridad Svich @ HotINK (reading directed by Jose Zayas)
THE SHIPMENT @ The Kitchen (written & directed by Young Jean Lee)
TROJAN BARBIE by Christine Evans @ HotINK (reading directed by Daniella Topol)
SOUNDING by Jennifer Gibbs & Kristen Marting (also dir.) @ HERE's Culturemart 2009

and on tap (at least for me to attend):

RUINED by Lynn Nottage (MTC)
WATER by Sheila Callahan, Daniella Topol (HERE)
TELEPHONE by Ariana Reines (THE FOUNDRY)
THAT PRETTY, PRETTY by (again) Sheila Callaghan (RATTLESTICK)
LYDIA by Octavio Solis, dir. Juliette Carrillo (YALE REP)
HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, adapt. by Caridad Svich (SPANISH REP)

which is to say this is all quite inspiring. all of these are tremendous projects or works-in-progress that should be picked up in the male-dominated sphere of regional & commercial theater. i mean, seriously guys (ie. artistic directorsit), it is getting ridiculous with percentages of women, writers of color, etc. not getting produced more often ...

that's enough soapbox for tonight ...

-T

BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK

Hey Folks,

Hope you can all make it all this - should be a blast ... T

* * * * *

Tomorrow, Thursday January 22nd, 6pm
@ Cherry Lane Theater

Reservations Available Now!


NY PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL presents
a staged reading of a new play

BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK
by LYNN NOTTAGE

Directed by Tlaloc Rivas

with De'Adre Aziza, Mia Bankston, David Delinger, Zabryna Guevara,
Brian Henry, Rachael Hip-Flores, Lucy Owen and Josh Thelin

"Each Nottage play is richer and more incisive than the one before," said American Theatre Magazine about the playwright whose latest work recalls Hollywood in the 1930s. As African-Americans began to break into film, most were relegated to roles raging from caricature to servitude. But Vera, personal maid to the mega star Gloria Mitchell, goes after a meatier role in Gloria's big budget movie The Belle of New Orleans. Nottage pursues the complicated relationship of these two women into the 1970s and then the present day, revealing much that was hidden about the roles they played and the lives they led.


WHEN:
Thursday, January 22nd @ 6pm

WHERE:
CHERRY LANE THEATER
38 Commerce Street
New York, NY 10014

HOW:
General Admission - FREE
Reservations: NYPlaywrights@aol.com
or by phone: (212) 989-2020


ADDITIONAL INFO: HERE


FIND US ON FACEBOOK: HERE


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Presented as part of the
New York Playwrights Lab Readings of New Plays
at Cherry Lane Theatre, January 19-23, 2009.
38 Commerce Street, New York NY, 10014.

Admission to all events are FREE.
Reservations: NYPlaywrights@aol.com
or by phone: (212) 989-2020

NYTHEATRE.COM's 2008 People of the Year

Friends and Colleagues,

This has been a tremendous year for me, both personally and artistically. And I want to thank each and everyone of you for your dedication, commitment, love and support throughout the year for each of the respective productions you been able to attend, participate, or have been able to offer moral support in.

Which is why I'm pleased to share the news that NYTheatre.com named me one of their 2008 People of the Year. I am being recognized for my "outstanding and diverse work throughout the year, including SUMMER AND SMOKE and FIVE KINDS OF SILENCE," but also noted are my productions of Noemi De La Puente's GENERIC HISPANIC and Kia Corthron's short piece, FRONTIER.

The article went live last night and can be viewed HERE:

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/poy_current.php

There is also a podcast about all the recipients - you can listen to it HERE:

http://www.nytheatrecast.com/pcast/nythpod262.mp3

[FYI - I'm mentioned towards the end of the podcast, 2nd to last]

Every December, nytheatre.com announces their list of the PEOPLE OF THE YEAR – the 15 indie theater artists and/or companies who made particularly exciting, noteworthy, and outstanding contributions to the New York theater scene. Nominations are made by nytheatre.com's reviewers and final selections are made by their Board. The PEOPLE OF THE YEAR are playwrights, actors, directors, producers, and other theater artists who have had many distinct accomplishments during the past year, creatively and as members of the broader theater community.

I'm very happy to share this honor with you all. And while I'm humbled by this public recognition, I firmly believe that theater is, first and foremost, a collaborative art form - and without all of you, none of it would have been possible.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much. I miss your incredible gifts and love you all ...

xo Tlaloc

my next project


Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo

-t

FIVE KINDS OF SILENCE

Boundless Theatre Company
in collaboration with Teatro Circulo
presents the U.S. Premiere of

FIVE KINDS OF SILENCE
by Shelagh Stephenson
directed by Tlaloc Rivas

with James Chen*, Beatriz Córdoba, Stephen Hansen*, Lanna Joffrey*, Kate Kertez* and Monica Pérez Brandes*

FIVE KINDS OF SILENCE carves the stunning and heartbreaking tale of a working-class family in which control has become the driving force, where everything has its place and where there are only rules, duties and punishments. Shelagh Stephenson's award-winning drama belatedly makes its professional U.S. premiere with an international cast & creative team which exemplifies the 'boundless' mission of this emerging theater company.

Performed in English w/Spanish supertitles

General Admission $18
Tickets Available @ 212-505-1808
or online at www.teatrocirculo.org

Visit http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/coupon.php?t=7675 for a $5 discount for every performance!

***

Performances begin Thursday November 13th!

TEATRO CIRCULO
64 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
(b. Bowery & 2nd Avenue, NYC)

November 12th - November 30th, 2008

Performance Dates:

Weds 12 @ 8pm Industry Preview
Thurs 13 @ 8pm Press Opening
Fri 14 @ 8pm Opening
Sat 15 @ 8pm
Sun 16 @ 3pm

Thurs 20 @ 8pm
Fri 21 @ 8pm
Sat 22 @ 8pm
Sun 23 @ 3pm

Fri 28 @ 8pm
Sat 29 @ 8pm
Sun 30 @ 3pm Closing

See you in the house ...

-T

GO SEE THIS...

13P in association with Minetta Street Productions presents

CRAWL, FADE TO WHITE

by SHEILA CALLAGHAN (P#7)
directed by PAUL WILLIS

October 11 - November 1, 2008
Wednesday - Saturday @ 8PM
Previews Saturday and Sunday, October 11 & 12
Opening Night Monday, October 13

Ideal Glass Gallery
22 East 2nd Street
(between Bowery and 2nd Avenue)

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE TICKETS
or call TheatreMania at 212.352.3101

Mysteries buried within a sleepy suburban block are unearthed when April returns from college unannounced with a burning question: "What's in your briefcase, Louise?" A story about family secrets, yard sales, strange rain, and exactly what the neighbors really do know.

sets ANNA KIRALY lights BEN KATO
costumes JESSICA PABST sound ERIC SHIM

featuring MATTHEW ROI BERGER, SHAWTANE MONROE BOWEN*, CARLA HARTING*, JOCELYN KURITSKY, MATTHEW LEWIS,* and BLACK-EYED SUSAN

stage manager PAMELA SALLING*
assistant director / assistant stage manager MORGAN GOULD
assistant stage manager TARA SCHUSTER
associate producer BRIEL STEINBERG
prop master TEDDY NICHOLAS

[*AEA]

13P is Sheila Callaghan, Erin Courtney, Madeleine George, Rob Handel, Ann Marie Healy, Julia Jarcho, Young Jean Lee, Winter Miller, Sarah Ruhl, Katherine Ryan, Lucy Thurber, Anne Washburn, and Gary Winter; Maria Goyanes, Executive Producer

AND THIS ...

BLASTED
by Sarah Kane
directed by Sarah Benson

New York Premiere
Oct. 2 - 26, 2008

A middle-aged man, Ian, and young woman, Cate, enter a hotel room. As private and public violation collide, the world fragments around them. Acknowledged as the most provocative and influential British playwright of her generation, in her landmark play Blasted, Sarah Kane forges a potent theatrical vision of destruction, collapse, and ultimately, redemption and love.

Featuring: Reed Birney*, Louis Cancelmi* and Marin Ireland*

*Appears courtesy of AEA

Read The New York Times feature about the show here.

PRELUDE 08

Hey guys,

Tonight through Saturday there’s some free cutting-edge theater being presented at the CUNY Graduate Center (34th and Madison).

I’ve mentioned this incredible and vital festival before - merging new works in performance cross-pollinating with insightful panels with artists, academics and curators/fans. These are all fantastic folks that I’m a big fan of that work exclusively in multidisciplinary/multimedia formats.

Here’s the website with all the details: http://www.preludenyc.org/

It’s first come, first serve so try to arrive early for stuff – most of the programs are no more than 45 minutes – but you can go from show-to-show for as long as you like.

Have fun …

-T

Onward

My blogging has been rather spotty this Summer, so I'll do what I can to keep you posted on my ruminations and activities as it relates to NYC, the theater and random current events which continue to bring insight to my life and work.

post-SUMMER & SMOKE:

It has been up-and-down emotionally since closing. All went extremely well and the response and feedback has been tremendous. I reached out to a few colleagues to get some more critical response (as it pertained to my work) in order to get a firm clarity on what they saw and what I did. It's important to do so, in my mind, because one can rest on the accolades and laurels only so much. Finding the right people in your circle, who can give you honest perspective, can be really useful - especially since I'm a/consistently raising the bar artistically, b/identifying the missteps and correcting them, and c/getting to a point where I take credit and never be unapologetic for the choices I've made, whether they mistakes or glorious, happy accidents.


pre-FIVE KINDS OF SILENCE

Design meetings are in full swing, although I'm still looking for a sound-designer and composer. I have a few prospects so I'm hoping to nail someone down soon. I've had to do some re-casting that unfortunately involved me laying the law down on someone who was being non-committal. So I made the call in finding a replacement. Never an easy thing to do, but I did it for the sanity of the production ... and mine.


present-TENSE

Settling into a daily groove. Slowly easing into the running again - and the knee is holding up. The physical therapist wanted me to hold off a little longer, but considering I've been off the paths for a year, it was time. I'm deferring my NYC Marathon entry until next year.

Good things are happening on the career front. Thinking it might be time to move on from the day job to something that will allow me to freelance more. Academia is a possibility, but only if it is near/within the city. I'm still sticking to the mantra of not taking an administrative job unless it allows me to pursue directorial opportunities.

And personally, well, New York has been good to me. The friends and colleagues I've made in the almost 4 years I've been here is great. As I am constantly difficult on myself, I also have to remember to count my blessings. So far, so good.

-T

My 1st off-Broadway review

Directing Off-Broadway. American classic. Surprised that it has taken this long? Not really. I started late in the theater from being mostly interested in history, politics and 'la buena onda'. It was probably meant to be this way. I'm just a kid from Baja California who had dreams like everyone else. Worked my way from actor, to technician, stage manager, then director. It all came together on this one ...

Everyone on this show worked so hard - devoted themselves to this pretty crazy attempt at telling Tennessee Williams' story without getting in the way. It shows in its passion, its contradictions, its deeply philosophical exploration of the human heart. All praise and thanks go to my design team and ensemble for making this happen.

I do have to say its been rough these past few years - and yet somehow, deep within oneself, you press on despite the rejections, the heartbreaks, the just-missed opportunities and the people who so deeply have a prejudice on what theater ought to be - which is this sameness done by the same people over and over again.

One could say that this event/review happening on the same night our country will make a historic nomination for President is quite the coincidence. But let's put this into context: this is just the small step for me (& Latinos) in the theater - which is in itself just as slippery as politics but on a much smaller and less important scale. There are more stories to be told - and I for one look forward to telling many more ...

I'm so tired that I'm kinda ramblin' here. Anyhow, TONIGHT is historic - and it has nothing to with me. I'm going to assume Obama will knock me off the front page - but that's alright. ;-) I defer all fist bumps to him. I'm just going to drink it in this closing weekend and enjoy our last remaining shows. Besides, my real hope is that it gets more folks into the door ...

But all of this, has everything to do with you. Whether you've helped or hurt, nurtured or ignored, praised or despised - it has all made a difference ... and I've learned to accept everything and never regret a single thing...

Adelante ...

***

From Martin Denton's review:

"Tlaloc Rivas' realization of Tennessee Williams' play Summer and Smoke is incisive and moving; there are only a few performances left and if you're a fan of great American drama I highly recommend that you see it...

Because Summer and Smoke is nowhere near so frequently presented as the major Williams' works, this revival is especially enlightening and edifying: Rivas and the producers, Big Sky Theater Company, are giving us fresh insight into a play that brims with intelligence and raw emotion. Fans of Williams and, indeed, anyone interested in understanding something more of the human condition are advised to catch this production before it disappears..."

Read the full review here:

www.nytheatre.com

Thanks again to everyone - and goodnight, Irene...

-T

SUMMER & SMOKE




Dear Friends & Colleagues,






Well, here it is ...

One week from my off(ish)-Broadway debut! Tickets are available now at www.ticketcentral.com. We have an awesome Facebook page which you should visit for more details, photographs and events associated with our production.

As an appreciation for your support - we're offering 20% discount off each ticket to Blue Sky Theater Company's production of SUMMER & SMOKE, opening August 22nd through August 31st, 2008. All performances will be at the Clurman Theater @ Theater Row, NYC (42nd Street and 9th Avenue). Tickets are regularly $18.

All tickets are available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visiting www.ticketcentral.com and entering the code:

Discount Code: SUMR

Good for all performances Friday August 22nd through Sunday August 31st. Tickets with this discount code are 20% OFF.

Feel free to spread the word to your friends and colleagues, and I look forward to seeing you at the show!

All the best,

Tlaloc Rivas
Director


Big Sky Theater Company presents

SUMMER AND SMOKE
by TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

Directed by Tlaloc Rivas

In a provocative new staging of this oft-neglected classic, a lonely minister's daughter, Alma Winemiller, lives in her stifling parents' home in a small-minded Mississippi town. Her only solace: a secret lifelong love for the former boy-next-door, Dr. John Buchanan, now a fully-grown, wandering-eye bachelor. Tortured by her unrequited passion, Alma's spiritual devotion becomes pitted against John's sensuous need for physical desire, and their turbulent relationship becomes an emotional battle of wills that will irrevocably alter each of them forever...


WHEN:
August 22nd - August 31st, 2008
Wed-Sat @ 8pm / Sat & Sun @ 2pm

WHERE:
The Clurman Theater @ Theatre Row
410 W. 42nd Street (@ 9th Avenue) - NYC
New York, NY 10036

HOW:
General Admission $18
Tickets Available @ Ticket Central
212-279-4200 or online at www.ticketcentral.com

WITH:
Samuel Adams*, Jessica Angleskhan*, Mia Bankston*, Harry Barandes*,
Michael Frederic*, Rachael Hip-Flores, Lena Hurt*, Clyde Kelley*,
Jorge Montenegro*, Stu Richel*, Mary Sheridan* and Melodie Wolford*.

Lighting Design by Kate Ashton
Set Design by Jonathan Collins
Costume Design by Tilly Grimes
Original Music & Sound by Brian McCorkle

Production Stage Manager - Cherie B. Tay
Production Associate - Claudia Acosta
Production Assistant - Oscar Avila
Technical Director - Jack Blacketer
Publicist - Michael Martinez
Poster/Postcard Design by Colleen Ho

*Appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association
(An AEA approved showcase)

ADDITIONAL INFO:
www.theatrerow.org

FIND US ON FACEBOOK:
SUMMER & SMOKE (Big Sky Theater Company)

Table Work w/Alma & John

Last night we began table work with Mary and Michael for SUMMER & SMOKE. Since their characters are practically in every scene, we decided to spend the first week (just the three of us) really honing in on their characters, objectives, life-needs and arcs. The 1st scene in the play alone is 20+ pages. Cherie (our stage manager) was also present.

How do we present Alma and John at the top? Tricky business indeed. They have an immense journey to go through and we don't want to lay it on thick at the top. There's tension, yes, but they both have to rediscover one another. Or, I should say, the audience needs to re-discover who they are ...

I'm trying not to worry about the preconceptions and notions about Williams. But in the end, we're going to have to wrestle with the angels and confront them.

-T

Summer & Smoke

We start table work with John & Alma tonight - next week we have our meet & greet with the rest of the ensemble and the creative team. I'm very much looking forward to it. We're fortunate to be rehearsing in Chinatown/Tribeca. Very convenient and accessible for everyone. My only concern is that I've begun wearing a leg brace for my knee as it recovers from a tear in the patella - and the 1st three weeks require us to climb 3 1/2 big-ass flights of stairs. The space itself is a dance studio, open and gloriously filled with light until dusk. There will be plenty of space to play around in ...

I haven't listed our dynamic ensemble, so here you go:

Samuel Adams
Jessica Angleskhan
Mia Bankston
Harry Barandes
Michael Frederic
Rachael Hip-Flores
Lena Hurt
Clyde Kelly
Jorge Montenegro
Stu Richel
Mary Sheridan
Melodie Wolford

and our creative team:

Jonathan Collins (set design)
Tilly Grimes (costume design)
Kate Ashton (lighting design)
Brian McCorkle (sound and music)
Claudia Acosta (production associate)
Cherie Tay (production stage manager)
Oscar Avila (production assistant)

more to come ...

-T

si se puede

the big day - mccain and obama @ naleo:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92000133

sadly, i could not get in (did not get the credentials in time); but i was able to get pick up most of what sen. mccain said (who sometimes sounded like he couldn't care less) and what sen. obama addressed to the elected officials in the room. i was able to get more of full report from mom and dad and their friends told us over dinner (we dined at rosa mexicana - and it was pretty awesome). though my parents had been hilary supporters (as was i), we were all convinced that obama truly is candidate to lend our support for.

it was our final evening together - they head back to california in the morning. it was really wonderful to see them. they still continue to embrace politics since before i was born. it's in our blood. there are pictures of my parents and i attending protests for EOP programs and the UFW boycotts when i was toddler. they're somewhere back home. there's a special one, hanging in my bedroom. i'm standing, being held up by my mother. check out that awesome manicure she has. the same furrowed brow on my forehead. chubby cheeks. navy osh-kosh. wearing a checkered hat. a ufw button on my coat ... rebel with a cause.

on the days my parents thought they might get tear gassed for protesting, they left me at home with abuelita. they never backed down. and because of them, neither do i.

it's still there. that passion. the belief. the hope for a better america. this trip reinvigorated me when i really needed it most.

tomorrow: the national gallery (both of them). then home ...

-t

leaving on a jet plane

heading down to washington dc to meet up with my folks who are attending the naleo conference. appearances by mccain and obama (so i'm told) - perhaps i'll get in. although the weekend is packed, maybe i'll catch a show or two...

dc holds a special place in my heart. some dear friends are there. the museums are awesome (most of them are FREE). and if wasn't for arena stage bringing me out years ago for the hughes fellowship, i wouldn't have taken the train up to philadelphia for another spur of the moment interview for an a.d. position. the rest, as they say, is history...

-t