00051: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

Original Poster National Theatre

Let me start this entry by saying that I have seen this show more times that I ever planned to see it. The first time I saw it was when it first opened at the National Theatre of London back in July 2018. I wasn't planning on seeing it but a friend told me about it and well, I just had to go see it for myself. The production I saw was directed by Sam Mendes, and the only actor from the three actors in the show that I knew of was Adam Godley. 

The show was fantastic. One of the best shows I saw that year and I couldn't stop talking about it. In fact, once back home, I talked about it so much that my theatre friends and colleagues told me to stop talking about it. I did. But by then, one of my good theatre friends bought tickets to the production that was coming to the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. This was back in April/May 2022. Unfortunately, the show was canceled for reasons that were never explained. 

Fast forward to spring 2023. I am on sabbatical in Italy for six months and during my birthday week (April 2023) I decided to treat myself to visiting London and see as many plays and musicals as possible. Yes, I saw many plays and musicals, and one of them was, you guessed it, The Lehman Trilogy. 

The Lehman Trilogy (West End, London)

This time the show was playing in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. I didn't even know it was playing. I was just walking around the London's Theatre District, and viola, there it was. So, I bought me a cheap ticket and decided to see the show. This time I was going to see the play because I wanted to see if the set and all the technical elements from the original production had transferred over. They did. The production starred Nigel Lindsay, Michael Balogun, and Hadley Fraser. They were not the same cast from the national theatre, and the three actors were people I had never heard of. The production was, as expected, as good as the one from the National. 

A year later, in May 2024, The Lehman Trilogy finally made its way to A.C.T. San Francisco. My theatre friend, who already had bough tickets for the one a year before, had tickets and invited me. This time I went with the idea to look at the writing structure of the play. The cast was the same from the Gillian Lynne Production and under Sam Mendes direction. 

I came out of this third viewing talking about two things: The writing and the Directing. The show is called "The Lehman Trilogy," which is about the three original Lehman brothers and their dependents, and how they founded their companies/bank. The show has three acts, which parallels the three brothers. Many of the lines in the show are broken into phrases or fragments. These phrases or fragments come in groups of three. There are many instances where lines and beats are also written in threes, while words or line motifs are also repeated in threes.

SCT's Lehman Program

When it comes to the directing, the blocking and movement is also repetitive and circular, and yes, the repetition and the circular motion of the show also comes in threes. Many of the gestures, mannerisms, and poses the three actors execute throughout the show, while playing different characters, are also repetitive. At times, the physical repetition is done immediately and other times, the repetition is done in one act and repeated later in another, mirroring situations or connecting characters' behavior, the same dramatic action or emotional simile. 

I truly enjoyed watching the show this third time, mainly because I was now looking at the production very objectively, keeping close attention on how the play had been written and how the production had been directed. I cared less about the emotional arc of the characters and concentrated more on the show as a piece of art that needed to be analyzed by someone who continues to learn about writing plays. 

Now that I look back at the excitement I felt when I first saw the show back in 2018, I can say that I couldn't stop talking about it to my theatre friends and colleagues because the show not only impressed me as a production but I was very much trapped by its writing structure and directing approach without even knowing it. The Lehman Trilogy is an excellent piece of writing, and as a production, the show is a visual and acting feast. 

OO50: THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Kennedy Center, Washington, DC 2024

Back in November 2023, my new play "CURSED: The House of Atreus" was produced at Contra Costa College under my direction. Yes, that is the institution I worked at. The play was entered to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 7 competition. Two different judicators saw the play and gave their responses. 

In December 2023 I received the news that the production had been chosen to be part of the Region 7 Festival in Spokane, WA, taking place in February 2024. From January 2024, even before schools started, all the way to festival time, the cast, crew, and I worked hard at "remounting" and "re-blocking" the show for the one performance at the festival. The festival took place the third week of February and our producing came and went. Students had a great experience performing for everyone at the festival. I was honored to receive great responses from the audience and the many respondents who saw the show, including national members of the Kennedy Center for the Arts and the Dramatist Guild. 

Because I'm a national member of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, I had to attend the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in May. What I didn't count on was receving National Awards for our production of "CURSED: The House of Atreus." At the end, though, I was very happy to received NINE national awards, including awards in directing, playwriting, and ensemble production. As if that wasn't enough, two of the awards were The Citizen Artist Award, (highest honor from KCACTF) and the Brave Spaces Award (a little complicated to explain but a very honorable and high esteemed honor.) I knew my play was a good play. As a theatre artists you know when a theatre piece is good or not. I wasn't surprised we were invited to perform our show at the regional level. I wasn't even surprised if one or two national awards were given for our show. It was, though, completely surprising to received nine national awards, and receving validation as both playwright and director. 

When I was at the Kennedy Center, in front of all the attendees, receiving the awards, I had a big smile on my face. At the same time, I had an incredibly desire to cry, not because of the awards (although I'm sure that is a reason to) but because I suddenly remember how much work and dedication I had invested in order to be standing there. And I don't mean just writing and directing the play, but writing, directing, acting, and, overall, dedicating my life to the theatre while constantly trying to survive as a non-English speaking immigrant at first and later as a brown gay immigrant individual.

My trek as a student in the United States started at the age of 18 years old as a junior in high school. Yes, I was already "of age" but a counselor was able to get me through the system. I was 19 years old when I learned about "theatre" as a field of study. At 21 I was writing short stories, grammatically incorrect most of the time, but I was expressing myself. I wrote my first play at the age of 22. It was the most awful thing I had ever written. My English 1B teacher, also a theatre enthusiast, gave me an "A" for the assignment, not because it was good but because I had dared to take a short story and turn it into a 67-single space play, with speeches that were three to five pages long, all written by hand. When I say the script was awful. I mean it was just awful. But my teacher understood that such script was not about its quality but rather about my desire to write despite the fact I was still learning the English language. This was back in 1988.

Thirty-six years later, I was now standing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts receiving the highest award a theatre artist could received, as well as receiving eight other awards for a play I had written and directed a few months before. I'm still trying to figure out how I did not burst into tears at that moment, again, not necessarily because of the awards but because of the hard work and dedication I had invested from the day I step foot in a country I did not know at all. And all, because my mother sacrificed everything so her children could have a much better life than the one she had. These honors, of course, are all dedicated to my her first and also to my theatre students and the theatre colleagues who made this experience unforgattable. 

Before the semester was over, one of my non-drama students ask if I was ever hoping to be a "Broadway success." I quickly said no. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher." So I became a university professor. But I also knew I like the performing arts. Acting, directing, and playwriting became the vehicle(s) to achieve my dream: teaching. 

I had never had the desire to be a famous playwright or famous actor or a famous theatre director. Of course if the opportunity were to present itself I wouldn't reject it, but I've never been actively pursuing such goal because I have always known my passion has lied in teaching. I know this because after my first time out of graduate school, I took a corporate job and after one year I was desperately trying to get out. So, when the opportunity arrived, I took it. Once out, I promised myself to figure out how to become a university professor so I went back to graduate school to pursue a degree in playwriting. 

And so, here I am, reflecting on my teaching years, and wondering what has become of the many students I've mentored. I know some of them have become theatre teachers themselves, others have become theatre artists, like A. Zell Williams, who is an award-winning playwright and TV producer. Or Todd Thomas who is the former founder/artistic director of Missing Link Theater Company and former artistic director of Murphy's Theater, and continues to be an actor today. Their achievements have been their own and they are well deserved. I pride myself, however, in the fact that that I may have to do a little bit with their success. Not much though, but I do remember trying my best to guide them in the right direction.

The awards I received are in my office and soon they will be displayed in our college's theater lobby. I'm glad they will be there. And despite the fact that I'm now contemplating retirement, I'm now drafting two new plays, which, despite their quality, could become the last plays I write. But one never knows because even though art is challenging, once the artistic bug bites you, the symptoms are forever.  Or better put, as Stephen Sondheim wrote in Sunday in the Park with George: "White. A blank page or canvas... so many different possibilities."  

00047: UNWANTED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

For several months now, actually more than a year, many of my fellow theatre artists, theatre colleagues and I have been discussing the, now very popular issue of the unwanted audience participation incidents. 

I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. That moment when that one person in the audience starts to sing during a musical number and purposely (or not) tries to outdo the actor on stage. Oh, yes, instances like this have been happening for a long time now. A quick google search shows people discussing the issue as far back as 2015, so it seems this issue has been happening for a long time. Wait, maybe that is not long ago or maybe it is. I don't know. Since the pandemic everything is in some sort of time warp that is difficult to decipher. 

Anyway, a few years back I went to see a production of West Side Story, and being completely annoyed by a couple of people who started singing "Somewhere" along with the actress on stage. "This isn't a concert," I said to myself. "So shut the hell up." I added as I tried to incinerated them with my gaze. 

That was one incident, long time ago. 

I do think though, that the issue about audience members uninvitingly singing didn't become such an issue until jukebox musicals came into being. Jukebox musicals made used of very popular songs instead of comparing new songs. Most of the time jukebox musicals are bio-musicals (based on someone famous) such as Tina The Musical, Ain't Too Proud, or Jersey Boys or used song from a popular album or music group to create a "new story," such as Mama Mia! Jagged Little Pill, or American Idiot. I'm not putting the blame on jukebox musicals but I do think that the unwanted audience singers phenomenon has become a more unpopular occurrence because of this type of musicals. 

I pause here now to be fully transparent about the fact that I very much dislike jukebox musicals; I do. But I'm not here to talk about that, though this topic merits its own blog entry and I will write about it. Later. 

Since jukebox musicals use pop songs that are well known by most people. And since many of these songs are songs audiences have come to "adore." Or since many jukebox musicals are based on very popular films that contained very popular songs--Sister Act The Musical--when audiences go to see those musicals, they feel they must sing along with the actors on stage or else. After all, in my opinion, many of these audience members only go to see the musical because it is about their favorite music artist or based on their favorite film. And because these people have a "personal connection" to the song(s) they feel they have to sing their hearts out, when their songs are being performed on stage. In Manchester, England, for example, an incident of such behavior happened during the production of the musical "The Bodyguard." The performance of the show had to be cut short, the police called, and an audience member was escorted out, against their will. This individual tried to out sing the actress onstage during one of the most popular songs known on earth: "I Will Always Love You," sang originally by Dolly Parton, and then re-arrange by Dolly herself for the film (and Witney Houston) "The Bodyguard." Another incident happened on Broadway during the production of "Death of a Salesman," where the main actor, Wendell Pierce, had to break character and addressed the unruly behavior of an audience member in the front row, which also had to be escorted out. 

I admit that even though I don't like jukebox musicals, I have attended a few due to particular circumstances: taking a family member, given tickets as a present, or for research purposes. In every show I have attended, there has always been one or two people (or more) who are just singing loud enough to keep me from enjoying the actors' performances. This happened when I when to see Moulin Rouge The Musical, Tina The Musical, and Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. 

I get it. I know people love "this song or that song." I get it because I have my favorite pop songs too, I also have my favorite musical theatre songs as well. When I hear them, I sing them. Loud and out of key 99% of the time. But if I'm in a theater, watching a musical and such favorite songs start, I don't sing at all because I'm not there to sing. I'm there to watch others sing those songs. And like me, people paid money to hear those actors sing the songs. If I decide to sing, I'm not only being disrespectful to the actors on stage, but I'm also going to be the unwanted audience rude member that people will hiss at because they paid money to see the musical, not to see me. It's that simple. Just because the cast in Les Miz sings "Do you hear the people sing?" doesn't mean I need to start singing from my seat. 

Unfortunately, these unwanted audience participation situations are happening more often now than before. And at times, it's not even one audience member but many. The time I attended the production of Tina The Musical, people all over the audience were singing along with the actors when the character sang "What's Love Got to Do with It." There is no doubt that such song is a favorite of mostly everyone. And the moment I heard the musical chords I smile because I knew it was coming. But my excitement die when many different audience members started to sing the song. It was truly annoying. And I wasn't the only one because audience members were schussing at those who were singing.

At the end, I simply think it is common sense and human decency to not disturb and/or disrupt the theatrical experience everyone is trying to have. But many people feel that paying to see a show gives them the right to do what they want, becoming unwanted audience members instead of being respectful and communing with everyone attending. And knowing that more jukebox musicals are coming and that, in general, most people are showing their true entitlement colors, (I mean, even does anyone remember what Lauren Boebert did?), I'm afraid to say that the unwanted audience participation individuals will continued to exist. And that is an unfortunate reality. 

00045: CURSED THE HOUSE OF ATREUS

The cast of "CURSED: The House of Atreus"

I did it! I finally was able to write a play based on Greek mythology: CURSED: The House of Atreus. It took me two years to write this play. One year to simmer the idea and write a first draft and one year to work on the play in order to make it what is has turned out to be.

At first, I just wanted a short play, somewhere between an hour and 10 minutes and an hour and 20 minutes. At the end, the play ended up being a two-act, two hour play. There was a lot to say about the Cursed of Atreus. 

The Furies

The play, based on Greek mythology and inspired by Aeschylus' The Oristeia, mixes classical and modern language, as well as the used of modern pop references. The play is written for an ensemble of at least 15 people but it can be done with more actors, or if double casting with less. Another cool thing about the play is that any actor can play any role. And as a playwright I have opened the door for any gender, any identity, any body type, any race, and any anything to be part of the show. 

Movement

The play calls for no sets and no props, just one single costume. Although, a director can add a set and props, and even make costume changes if desired, but I think the play works best as written. Another aspect of the show is that it invites the director and the actors to use movement techniques such as viewpoints, Suzuki, Lecoq, Laban or any other theatre movement approach to create transitions and scene changes, especially since the play story jumps from the present to the past, to a near future, has flashbacks, reversals, and so many other theatrical conventions. One last thing about the play, the use of music, which can be from classical to modern, to surreal, to... well, the choices are endless. 

"Look at him! Look! At! Him!

The play was produced this past November 2023 and I was lucky enough to direct it. Now the production will be presented at the Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival, Region 7 Competition in February. Yes, I am very proud of this work. 

00044: ALICIA FROM THE REAL IN WONDERLAND

Contra Costa Production

A while ago, during a work meeting, the dean mentioned that perhaps we needed to produce a play that would cater to young people. "Sure!" Everyone said with enthusiasm as they looked at me for a more concrete answer. "I think something like Alice in Wonderland would be perfect," I said. Everyone agree. "But of course," I added. "If we are going to do that, I'm going to write my own version of the play." I concluded. And the rest, as they say, it's history. 

Contra Costa Production

In Fall 2022, I directed my own version of "Alice in Wonderland." I combined the two books written by Lewis Carroll and using different characters from both manuscripts, I came out with my own version. Being that the story is about a "little girl" who is involved in some weird trip, the version I wrote is about a 17-year old teen Latinx girl who is running away from home, runs into a rabbit and off she goes to wonderland where she realizes home is where she should be. 

College of Wooster Production

It only took me about three months to come out with the first draft. And then, like magic, within two more months I had the first official draft, and by the time auditions came about, a third draft have been written. And of course, as the rehearsal process took place additions, deletions, and changes took place. By the time the show opened, an official version of the play was done. 

College of Wooster Production

Alicia from the Real in Wonderland opened in November 2022. It had a very successful run of six performances (our usual run) but with sold out houses every time. During its run, a friend and colleague from another university heard of the play so he asked me for a copy of it. He presented the script to the director who read it and immediately liked it. So, in Spring 2023, the play was produced at The College ofWooster in Ohio. I heard the show was also a success. During the run of the show, someone from a Children's theatre company saw it, reached out and said they wanted to produce it. So, in Fall 2023, the show was produced by Akron Center for the Arts through Firestone Theatre. Needles to say, so far this play has had a good start. 

00013: ARLECCHINO E IL CAPITANO MANGABAMBINI & IL MASCHERAIO

During my second day at the Carnevale, I attended two events: the play "Arlecchino e Il Capitano Mangabambini" (Harlequin and the Eating-children Captain) and the lecture "Il Mascheraio" (The Mask Maker.) Both events were excellent choices to witness.

"Arlecchino e Il Capitano Mangabambini" is a children's play and, true to commedia, it had lots of audience participation, especially by children, who shouted, pointed, and became "cats" at some point. 

Campania Lande del Vero

The story revolves around Il Capitano who loves eating children while being in love with this beautiful girl who will only love him if he stops eating them. And of course, battling his urge to eat children and not to eat them is where the physical comedy lies. How does Arlechinno come into play, well, he's the narrator, who turns out to be a "she." And she turns out to be the beautiful girl Il Capitano loves. She is dressed as Arlecchino, who happens to be Il Capitano's servant. Both Il Capitano and Arlecchino "argue" all the time because Arlecchino refuses to bring him children. In fact, he asks the children to act like "cats" whenever Il Capitano "smells" them, that way he can never find them. And when Arlecchino reveals himself as La Bella Leonora, the girl Il Capitano loves, the battle between Il Capitano's desire to eat children and not to eat them, starts. And the results are hilarious. The show was about an hour and by the reaction of the audience, it was a success. And it really was, the two actors were fantastic.

"Arlecchino e Il Capitano Mangabambini" is presented by Compagnia Lande del Vero (no website)

I thought the lecture on "mask-making" was going to be a typical lecture, serious and well, a lecture. Little did I know the mask maker was not only a great commedia dell'arte historian but also a great entertainer. 

The presentation was done in two parts: How masks were originally made and The Origins of the first Commedia dell'arte character. 

Turns out that the original Commedia masks were done of leather and the leather came from the cow. One of the reasons to use the cow was that such animal has a thick skin but not so thick that it can be manipulated easily. The main reason though is because cow is an animal whose meat can be consumed. 

The first Commedia dell'arte character was the zanni and it was born out of necessity, wearing a specific mask. This zanni wasn't very smart, he came from rural areas and was a servant to many rich people. From the zanni, an improved character was born. He was also a servant but rather than being stupid, he was street smart while not being "educated:" Arlechinno, and of course, Colombina came from here too. 

That's it, that was the lecture from the mask maker. It lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes and it not only educated people in the roots of Commedia dell'arte, it also entertained us a lot. I mean, the mask maker was able to make two different audience members act with him, improvising lines, and in matter of seconds become commedia actors. It was impressive. 

"Il Mascheraio" was presented by Compagnia Zorba Officine Creative 

Two very short excerpts:

Arlechinno e Il Capitano Mangabambini

For a longer excerpt of the production, visit my YouTube Chanel. 

Il Mascheraio 

For longer sample of the lecture, visit my YouTube Chanel. 

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

00010: UP! UP! AND AWAY!

It's a long flight!  

By the time some of you read this entry I will be at the airport. Or maybe I will be on cloud nine, or perhaps I will already be in Venice, trying to recall my rusty Italian language, one I learned long ago but haven't used much. 

From the internet

When will the next entry be and what will it be about? Not sure. But there will be one soon enough. But first, there will be an adjustment period that includes, culture shock, jet lag, internet issues, weather condition adjustments, language barriers, and many other things I cannot image. 

Until then, "Ciao! Pareleremo presto! (We will talk soon!) Ci ricontreremo!" (We will meet again!) 

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

0008: COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE CALIFORNIA

Dell'arte Logo

Besides going to Italia to investigate Commedia dell'arte matters, I also have to do two more things during my sabbatical. Both are in relation to Commedia, of course. I must create a Commedia dell'arte class to become part of our Drama Curriculum. I also need to  interview one or two Commedia experts within the country, more specifically, within California. 

The creation of the class will not take placed until I'm done with all my Commedia related work. This means that I will create the class sometimes during the months of May and September. The class must be created by the time I submit all my sabbatical reports.

Since my sabbatical was approved prior to the pandemic, back then I was already investigating what institutions I should look into. It didn't take me time to discover Dell'arte International, a School of Physical Theatre located in Blue Lake, California, 300 miles north from where I live.

From the internet

I soon contacted the school's administration and made plans to visit in order to visit their premises, conduct some interviews with their faculty, and see at least one of their shows. But once the pandemic hit, everything was canceled.

It is until now that the school has opened its doors, once again, although in a very limited capacity, that I started to have some contact with the institution once again. And because the "new normal" seems very uncertain, contacting people for interviews has proven far more difficult than before. Still, I will interview at least one person between now and the end of my sabbatical. And I hope that later in the year, I'm able to visit the institution and at least see one of their shows. 

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

0007: WHAT NOT TO WEAR

The Closet

I don't know if you ever saw the TV show "What Not To Wear." It was a reality series where to fashionistas ambush a person nominated by a family member. This person had its own unique fashion but in the eyes of American consumerism they had no fashion sense at all. It was the job of the fashionistas to bring them up to date with what I like to call, pretension capitalist American living. The American show was based on the UK show and it lasted for 10 years. Needless to say, and as expected, the series was a hit.

As the day to my infamous trip gets closer and as I plan the many different stops I will be making throughout Italy, I have a dilemma. My trip will start in the middle of winter and end in the middle of spring. This means I'm having issues packing what to wear.

If I were to stay in one single location, I wouldn't have any issues packing lots of luggage. But since my trip will start in northern Italy, quickly move to southern Italy and then slowly back up north, I can't take a winter suitcase, a spring suitcase, a carry-on, a backpack and my cpap. Or I could, but that would be insane. 

One of the main train companies in Italy

As I buy ticket trains from Point A to Point B and make room reservations for the different cities I must visit, the thoughts floating in my head are all about how to combine winter and spring clothes in a way that I'm able to withstand the cold but also not to be completely overdressed during spring time. Not an easy task, at least not for me. 

One thing is spending winter time at home, where I can protect myself from the elements and another is to travel to a place, colder than my own hometown where I need to navigate the streets at daytime and nighttime. As I research what not to wear during the cold winter days, I'm finding out that wool socks, for example, are something I should wear. But come spring, those wool socks would not be ideal. I can wear different warm layers during the winter days but at some point, the sweaters and jackets would have to be left behind, so yes, I'm facing a conundrum. 

At some point I thought of simply taking whatever I can fit in my carry-on and just buy clothes in Italy, as needed. Then I remember a millionaire I am not, so that idea was quickly scratched. Then I thought, "how about just taking spring outfits and top those with just a winter coat." And while I don't care about fashion, (if you know me you know I don't.) I do care about comfort and overall, my health. And that along brought me to think about shoes. SHOES! I have traveled for periods of one to two months at the time and I have only taken one or two pairs of comfortable walking shoes. That has worked fine because I have been in mild to hot weather climates. This time however, I will be in winter (with possible rain showers) and spring seasons during the trip, so the shoes have to fit both situations. Now I'm also stressing about that. 

Photo by Richard James on Unsplash    

As of the writing of this travelog entry, I'm thinking of simply taking three pairs of jeans, layering my upper body, and a very good pair of waterproof, all-weather shoes that can also feel like I'm wearing sneakers. Of course there are also the toiletries and other personal items. At the end, everything makes me think like I need more than one suitcase and a carry-on. 

And did I mention that my traveling companion is a fashionista? That's right, matching the colors of the shoes with colors of the belts and the colors of the socks with the colors of the sweaters is, in fact, "essential and an integral part of being human," (their words not mine.) I don't even want to think how many suitcases we will have by the time we leave. 

Maybe driving is the solution.  

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

0004: THE STAGED READING

Because this was a staged reading, no set was needed. The director, however, decided that the image of the show should be present as a visual. He also added two music stands and a box that served as a "table" to hold a few props. 

During the staged reading, the audience was very responsive. I could hear them react and laugh. And as expected, the lip-synch songs felt too long and they were a challenge to perform, especially without actual costumes and props.

Before the reading, we told audience members that they could stay behind once the reading was over because we wanted to hear their opinion. After the reading, some audience members stayed and we had a lovely 30-minute conversation. In the end, the audience said the lip-synch felt a little too long and that shortening the length of the numbers would benefit the script. Our hunch was correct. 

To sum up the audience's impressions, the show made them feel as if "I was in someone's living room," "listening to stories that were funny, engaging, and touching." "The script is entertaining," "I can't imagine how fun it would be to see the actor in full costumes" and "the sets and the lights will sure make the show even more exciting." To all that, all I can say is that the staged reading was a success.

The next steps are to edit the lip-synch songs and add a short monologue towards the end of the play to solidify a character. Once this is done, the script will be sealed, and ready for the sabbatical committee. 

In terms of the play's future, the director and I have plans to produce the work at both Contra Costa College and at The College of Wooster. We are also planning a national tour, taking the play to San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, and Los Angeles. And we're also thinking of submitting the work to a couple of international theatre festivals.   

Lots of plans; we will see. 

Theatre Students at Wooster

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

0003: THE PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

I've arrived in Wooster, OH as planned. In the next two days, I will be giving a workshop on "solo performance" and preparing for the staged reading. 

The artistic director of Teatro Travieso is also a full-time faculty at The College of Wooster. His theatre company does a lot of collaborations with the drama department at the college. That relationship allows Dr. Noriega to use the college's theater spaces for his own projects. This staged reading of Introducing Moderna Suspiros will take place in one of their performing spaces, the Shoolroy Arena, which is a performing studio that holds about 100 people in a "black box" theater-style space. The Shoolroy Arena Theatre is located inside their bigger theatre complex known as "The Freedlander Theatre." 

As I walk around campus I see a few posters announcing the staged reading:

One thing about the image is that the idea for the show came from me but the image helped me solidify what the character and their story needed to be. 

Before the reading, the director and I spent half the day discussing the script, talking about places I, as a playwright, felt the script needed some editing and focus. Once we discussed what needed attention, I read the script out loud for the director, who is also acting as a dramaturg. As I read, the director took notes and afterward we discussed where, why, and how to edit in order to connect one element with the next.

After the edits were done, I read the script out loud for the director once again. This second time around I felt more confident about the script. We both still worried about the "musical numbers" being too long, but we need an audience to see how they react. 

We are ready, and more than eager, to have the staged reading.  

                                                   

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

0002: THE NEW NORMAL

Where I Work

Fall 22 has become the semester to fully work on both, my sabbatical play and the planning of my sabbatical trip. So far the one-person show has had three different re-writes, it has been read by three different theatre professionals: a theatre producer, a dramaturg, and a playwright, and by two closed friends who are university professors. 

Once they all read the play I met with them, either in person or through zoom. I listened to their impressions of the script; we discussed the themes, the messages and character(s) and the goals of the story, and I listened to their suggestions. Afterward, I wrote a new version of the play and I was finally able to give the script a title: Introducing Moderna Suspiros. 

The play is "a comedy about a wannabe Latinx drag queen who is reflecting on life and love after COVID. The show intertwines music with the experiences of a man who laughs at life despite adversity and aging. 

This latest version of the script is the one that will be presented by Teatro Travieso as a staged reading at The College of Wooster, in Wooster, OH.  This will be happening during the first week of December 2022.

But, what is a staged reading? In its simplest terms, a stage reading is a form of theatre presentation without sets and costumes. The actors reading the different parts are either seated or standing, incorporating very little blocking while reading. 

The image below is the inspiration for the main character and will become the image for the production. It is a drawing done by a San Francisco, CA artist: Ralfka, a friend. And yes, I have his permission to use the image. 

Ralfka

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted

0001: IN THE BEGINNING

Photo by Vlad Hilitanu on Unsplash

I am creating this blog as a means to document my sabbatical work, which is divided into two parts: 

1: A trip to Italy in relation to Commedia dell'arte and its characters 

and 

2: the writing of a new play based on the "Commedia dell'arte findings. 

Officially, my sabbatical was supposed to start in the spring of 2021 with the trip to Italy and then, in the spring of 2022, I was going to write the play. But then the pandemic hit and the sabbatical plans were flipped and adjusted to the situation. 

The trip to Italy was postponed to Spring 22, thinking that by then things would be back to "normal." This meant that the writing of the play needed to happen during spring 21 and instead of writing a play based on "Commedia," the play would now be either a multicharacter play or a solo piece and either type of play would have to be a collaboration with a Latinx Theatre Company. 

Two Latinx theatre companies came to mind right away, Teatro Tercera Llamada in Louisville, KY, and Teatro Travieso/Troublemaker Theatre in Wooster, OH. I have personal connections with these two entities so I thought it would be much easier to collaborate with either one. In the end, I decided to work with Teatro Travieso, and soon plans to discuss "an idea" took place. 

During Spring 21 I wrote drafts for three different plays and I sent them to Dr. Jimmy Noriega, founder and artistic director of Teatro Travieso. After he read the drafts, we discussed the three play ideas and settled on writing a one-person show that could be "funny, entertaining, and somehow musical."

I won't go into details but the pandemic really made a mess of things for my sabbatical plans and the projects. First, the artistic director became very ill and the development of the play was brought to a halt. Luckily, by now, a complete draft of the new play had been written, and a couple of zoom meetings had taken place where dramaturgical discussions about the work took place. Then, I became very ill, which forced me to leave the writing project behind for a few months. On top of that, due to the pandemic, I experienced a number of losses among my friends and family. Writing became very challenging. 

By fall 22, a new variant of COVID-19 had taken over: OMICRON. This forced me to, once again, postponed my trip to Italy for yet another year, to Spring 2023. The upside of this second-time-around postponement was that I had more time for the writing project. 

Once both, the artistic director of Teatro Travieso and I were able to tackle the play, once again, we got back to work. But now, due to our experiences with illnesses and the deaths of loved ones, we decided to refocus the play. We still wanted it to be "funny, entertaining, and somehow musical" but at the same time, we couldn't just ignore what we were all experiencing due to COVID-19. 

After a few zoom meetings where we discussed how to incorporate the pandemic into the play, we came up with an idea that wouldn't jeopardize the "comedy, the entertainment, and the musical aspect" of the piece. 

With this new goal in mind, I set out to write a new version of the play. 

Photo by Super Snapper on Unsplash

All material and images © copyright carlos-manuel 2023 unless noted