In this blog post, Mariana Aristizabal Pardo and Malena Arcucci from Marianamalena Theatre Co. gives us a sneak peek into the devising process for Playing Latinx (coming to CPT on Tue 29 Mar - Sat 2 Apr). Click here to book.
Playing Latinx is our most recent collaboration with Guido García Lueches. We started dreaming about a show back in 2019, based on some poems and questions Guido had about their experience as a migrant actor. Back then, we only knew that it had to be fun for the audience and for us… just when we were about to have a sharing of some kind, the pandemic kicked in, and with it the confinement and A LOT of time to think and reshape this process.
At that point, we didn’t have a show to look forward to or a deadline, so we decided to play and to open as many doors as possible to see where that could take us. We designed several scenarios for Guido to explore his experience from different angles: we created a musical version, a short film, a choreography, amongst other experiments. Some things remained and are part of the show, other things were swept by new and exciting ideas, sometimes we struggled to let go, and at points we were ready to start from scratch. But that is the nature of the devising process, and because of Guido’s adventurous and curious spirit, we were able to distil and keep what was truly necessary.
Although centered around the entertainment industry, the journey of this play slips into everyday life and trickles through any migration experience. Playing Latinx is an invitation to feel uncomfortable, to allow yourself to be politically incorrect and vulnerable, to question, and to have a laugh. We hope it reflects the ability of the Latinx community to come together and celebrate even in adversity.
