Espejos de Aztlán; Socorro Romo and Stephanie Willis

¡Permasión, arte y cultura! ¡Bienvenidos! ¿Qué tal? ¡Muy bienvenidos a su programa de especos de Islam! Yo soy Cecilio García Camarilla y hoy en la noche tenemos dos invitadas. Se trata de la programación cultural que se va a estar presentando durante el mes de febrero que he considerado en este país como Black History Month. Y para esta ocasión tenemos la señorita Stephanie Willis a la poquita de Socorro Romo. Stephanie Willis es la directora de Theatre. She's also a visual artista y has her own business here in Albuquerque

en arquitectural design. Socorro Romo es un well-known local poetico. Stephanie Willis es directa a play que será presentada en la Ortex Theater en conjunction con Black History Month durante el mes de febrero. Socorro Romo es la... ¿Cuál es el play de este... El manager de Theatre? Es el manager de Theatre. Así que ella sabe que no es ahí y que es en la noche cuando se reforce. Stephanie y Socorro, gracias por estar aquí. ¡Gracias! ¡Gracias por mi! ¡Gracias por mi! ¡Gracias por mi! ¡Gracias por mi! Stephanie, ¿ able remembering how it was that how you decided to present this play here in Albuquerque? Sí, we were thumbing through Black Drama Anthology and looking for a play to do this year.

They really did jump out. a mí, como esto parece interesante, y parece que entre el romano de nuestros recursos, ¿sí que podamos poner todo together, y las propiedades en la playa de la ley, de la ley de la ley de la ley de la ley, y su vida, ¿sí que la ley de la ley de la ley, es interesante a mí, y como la gran numbre de la ley, con ocho territories en la playa, bien Infrast своим. ¿Con skull como un vag with each other?, la lore, no es muyuspensa, para que no se salen a torcer amam Moreover, está muy rápido. Ní en este juego Niettinge, La primera vez en New York. Si usted está correcto en este play,

que es entitled Henrietta, y es ridido por Karen Jones Meadows, es una playa que ha sido presentada en Numer's Times. Sí, primero con el colegio de un colegio de un colegio que se ha desarrollado en el colegio de New York. Y ella fue el cuerpo que fue eliodes de que la Niss Might. Y creo que JACæ, donde transele sus costos días, no solo luego que la España, sino aquí enrieben siempre caza soja. Pero HERE es un colegio de su vida. Sí, así que en el colegio, los inm cutes de la оружia mutacaksos los 15 años y se Titans Tim que algo lo queda a otro plan es la portrayal de la obra

es algo muy MUCH Karen, Joan Smedos, era el primer tiempo que lo hiciste en la primera vez que lo hiciste, o lo creyendo con su trabajo? Esta fue mi primera vez. Una de las actrices en la playa Virginia Hampton fue familiar con su trabajo, y también con su trabajo. Ella metó con su trabajo antes. Cuando se vea la película, se vea muy bien con su playa. Ah, wow, nosotros sabemos que él es y él lives aquí, ¿no? Así que nos llamamos en todo el plan, presentando este play. Ella ha tenido algunas cosas que suele ser, ¿no? ¿Quién tiene que conectar con él? ¿Dónde aquí correctamente es Ms. Joan Smedos

viviendo aquí en Albuquerque? En la vicinity. En la vicinity? Sí. Outer skirts, town. Eso es muy bien, así que es totalmente seguro que estás haciendo este proyecto. Sí, sí. Ella está contando un poco con su trabajo. Se llama a mi casa y dice, ¿qué es eso? Es un poco de información. Ya, ya, ya. Estoy seguro que te he dicho que hay una little secretos sobre la playa. Sí, ella tiene una otra relación con esta playa, entonces lo hacemos, y eso es muy bien para tener esa interacción. Pues, ¿cuál es tu bien nombre de poetas? Es muy active en la playa que se ve aquí, pero yo no sé que era ese tipo de intercidante. Sí, sí, sí. Sí, sí, sí, sí, sí. Yo tengo un intercidante minimal de la playa. Sí, sí, sí. Sí, sí, sí, sí, sí, sí, sí, sí, sí, sí. Es un diálogo, como es, pero yo estoy en el momento de la playa.

En Cognito. Es una una nueva experiencia para mí. Es increíble. Estoy muy impatienta, creo, para el diálogo, y es que uno tiene que ser mucho más impatienta. Pero, ¿no? Así que, para una producción muy grande, es simplemente increíble cómo se puede ir a la playa, y cómo funciona mucho. Yo he estado en un poco de la playa de mí, en el pasado, y no sé si es tan frantic, porque tengo, ¿no? Pero es, ¿no? Es una otra relación en la vida. Me voy a decirse, ¿qué fue la película? Yo creo que, somos el primer. No estoy enhalando por ahora.

¿Qué sekeras hace sus…? ¿Peteos Ojibus que sicúas han pensado que están parlamentadores? Prò? Probability, lo cual. Agendサ a gel est autrea, quiero escuchar que cuando cambie 만�Windas y las personas cute me ves por Vaja Esteẹusted,어가 qué pagan你有melon coexistiendo Turkish lite con Black History Month muy好的 ¿Que te encuentre aquí? Sík, cuyó este diseño de uf300 verte pesado38 un año ago, fue en hasta aguista wilson Play es pensado para cook los elementos de grea y la mente en la historia, como se ha que te teach art workshops for kids

y hacer celebración para ourselves durante esta semana. Sometimes, se senten sobre los principios de Kwanza. Pero ha hecho eso sobre los años, también. ¿Cuál es el público respondente a la producción de la última? Much better than we ever thought would happen. By the time we reached the middle of our run, we were sold out. Really? Not as encouraging. Yeah, it was pretty phenomenal. I don't think that happens all the time at the workshops. I mean, lately it seems like it is, but it was pretty amazing. We were all taken by surprise. But it was a very energetic play, also. And we had our music and dance and all the little fun ingredients we like to throw into play. And so that gave you the energy and inspiration to continue

with this production, huh? Well, I was going to ask you to tell us a little bit about the play, what it's about. But I noticed that you had a very nice write-up and we'd like Socorro Roma to please share that with us. OK, it's just a little synopsis. Henrietta takes place on a New York City street lined with brownstone row houses, children playing and folks walking by on their way to somewhere. The street and a room are two places where the triangle of this story takes place itself. These two places are attached to Henrietta and African-American lady who sits on her crate next to her stoop, concocting her famous fruit salad and harassing passers-by. One of Henrietta's studies, a moving target for Henrietta's brash insults and unsolicited advice, is a young woman named Shalia. Shalia, hoping to diffuse the antagonism

between Henrietta and the world, decides to become acquainted with Henrietta. They become friends, creating a web of codependency, complex truths and shifting realities. Henrietta's room holds her present predicament, memories of her family as well as her cosy dealings with Thomas, her landlord. Thomas Shalia and Henrietta form a wacky triangle defined by loss of family, betrayal, misguided love and a touch of insanity. Dancing in the myths of this triangle is a legacy of people disconnected from their ancestors, from themselves and from others who have experienced turbulent movement through the streets of America. Our production of Henrietta will explore the dynamics of triangles, the grouping of one, the present reality of the characters, two, the ancestral energy of the street, and three, the unpredictable crossroads of life and death will form our primary triad.

We plan to collage the voice of the script with the inner and outer space of the street, employing the grooves of jazz, spoken word and children. It sounds like a very good play. Stephanie, how is it going? How are rehearsals going? They are progressing. We were fortunate this year to have access to the vortex earlier in our process than we did last year. So the set is up and we are rehearsing in it and we actually did a nice full run over the weekend and we're on our way. Yeah, it's starting to all come together with the lights and the stage and the acting. Is this the first time that you will have presented something at the vortex? No, we did a do-turner there last year.

How do you feel about the vortex as a space for a theater? Well, we chose that space because it's a black box. And we can move the seats around and play with the space. And that I really like about the vortex. It's proving to be a fairly flexible space for us to use. It doesn't have rehearsal space so that has really been a challenge as we start out rehearsing our living room and beg and claw our way through spaces in town. Last year, one of the community centers allowed us to use their space and we just have to really get resourceful when it comes to that because we need it early in the process. A lot of space. The vortex is a well-known theater space and it's a very good reputation.

So I'm sure that will help to getting the people to see this production. Yeah, I think they have a pretty steady group of regulars come to see plays every month there. What about the actors? Are you having to train everybody as you prepare them for the production or do you have season actors and actresses? Thank goodness they're seasoned. I'm not an actor. So that's not something I really wanted to find professional folks who knew their responsibilities and could pull them off. Yeah, they're on it. My job has been more about staging it and being visual about how they're moving around on the stage. And the main character I'm assuming is, of course, Henrietta. Who has that role? Helena Washington.

She's been in theater for over 20 years. Really? She's done lots of things in Albuquerque. I can't even begin to list it all. But one of her mainstays is one woman peace she does about Henrietta Tubman. So she gets around. Pretty good. Now, there's a male role that the landlord, Henrietta, has some kind of relationship with the landlord. Who is taking on that role? Patricia Tujillo. Patricia Tujillo. I know that guy. I didn't know him, actually, till we got together for this production. So this has been about getting to know... I knew everyone else involved, but so now I'm developing a new relationship on top of it all. Patricia, of course, he's a Chicano from Southern Colorado. Was that Hispanic

in vision for this part all along? No. No, as I mentioned before, it was presented by the Negro Ensemble Company. And as far as I know, most members of that are black. But we thought the playwright concurred that since it is a play that takes place in New York, it could be about anybody, really. No problem. Certainly. It's been very easy to bring all of who Patricia is into this production and not have him try to be anything that he didn't want to be in this play. It's not exclusive to black culture, obviously. And we all know who occupies the streets. And in his case, who owns buildings? In New York, it really could be just about anybody.

Just about anybody. But with that, we're giving it a little southwestern touch, right? Yeah, and I think this is the first time for this play to have cast a non-black person in any of the roles, but definitely in that one. We're going to come back and let you finish with this list of wonderful actors you have working on the play by Karen Jones Meadows, entitled Henrietta that will be presented at the board text theatre. We're going to take a short musical break and hear something by a young lady I interviewed not that long ago. Henrietta Nacha Mendes. Henrietta Nacha Mendes.

Henrietta Nacha Mendes. Henrietta Nacha Mendes. Henrietta Nacha Mendes. Destroce tu vida ni siquiera pensé en la amor que me tenías. Ahora siento que tu amor está muy fragile. Hay que fortalecerlo, aunque no puedo creerlo. Me vengo a entregar este corazón profundamente

al repentida. Yo alero mi corazón a ti me arrepiendo de todas las mentiras que te di. Marte a todas tus esperanzas y ilusiones. Destroce tu vida ni siquiera pensé en la amor que me tenías. Ahora siento que tu amor está muy fragile. Hay que fortalecerlo, aunque no puedo creerlo. Me vengo a entregar este corazón profundamente

al repentida. Yo alero mi corazón a ti me arrepiendo de todas las mentiras que te di. Me vengo a entregar el corazón profundamente a todos

los esperanzas que te di. Me vengo a entregar este corazón profundamente a todos los esperanzas que te di. base aquí en Albuquerque y Stephanie Willis, chis directing, play, presented in conjunction with a black history month. It is a play entitled Henrietta, written by Miss Karen Jones Meadows. This play will be presented during the month of February. Every weekend, Friday and Saturday at eight and Sunday at six at the vortex theater. The vortex is a small theater at the university area. The actual address is 2,004 and a half. Buenavista Southeast.

2004 and a half. Buenavista Southeast. That's the vortex. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the month of February. Sunday's at six. Friday and Saturday at eight p.m. There's another main character, Stephanie. And that is a woman, a young woman that becomes sort of entangled with her heroine, Henrietta. Who is this character? Can you tell us something about her? The character or? Yeah, the character. And then the actress takes on that character. The character. You just don't want to say her name. Shalia. Shalia, yeah. Got me on that one. Yeah, she walks by Henrietta's little stoop scene pretty regularly and get to yell that. And so eventually she confronts her Henrietta

and tries to see what's up with her, you know. And yeah, they end up having a relationship, friendship. Yeah. So Corro has an observer of the play. What do you think of the main character, Henrietta? Not necessarily the actress that is portraying Henrietta, but Henrietta, the character. Is she an appealing woman? Is she a woman that arouses sympathy or...? What kind of reactions do you get? She's a very strong woman. She's a matriarch who has survived a fragmented life. There's a particular scene in the play, but I'm not going to give it up where the fragmentation of her life is mirrored by this one particular entertaining sequence in the play.

So you have to keep your eyes and ears open to see what I mean because it's really a metaphor. What takes play in this one particular scene in the play that I call it, an entertaining piece. Stephanie, what about the relationship between Henrietta and the landlord? It's not a nameless relationship or is it? No. Something else. He's a cancer. Yeah, we're just supposed to help y'all lick your chops here. They're close. They are close. Is Henrietta a mother figure to this other woman that she meets on the street? That's a good question. I would say, and I don't even know if I would completely answer that, endeavor to answer that even.

But I definitely think there's something very familiar about Henrietta's character to the young woman, definitely. I think she recognizes her when she visits her and she recognizes this person as someone she knows from her own past, her own family. Is this a play for the entire family or is this more than an adult to play? No, I believe it's a family-oriented play. It's got a clean language in it. And three cute kids. They're very sweet too. They are fun, energetic. That we all love and adore. And two of them, E.F.A. Hampton and Ben Smith, were in Joe Turner's coming on last year. So they're becoming veterans through the theater already.

They were up 12 and 9. Yeah, the veterans. They're very talented. I seek to encourage them as much as I can. That's how, if they weren't in our lives, the way they were, we created this space because we knew that they could kind of handle it. Yeah. And there's a newcomer who's really cute, like dimples and all. Oh, Lorenzo. Lorenzo. Yeah. We'll be ready for that. Yeah. But you also not only have live music, but you manage to corner my favorite. And I think one of the best bassists in the Southwest, St.Bopway. How do you manage that? How do we manage that? This year was easy because he was in it last year.

We're definitely trying to create a cohesive group for ourselves. And so we will always call on the same people. They might want to change roles later right tomorrow. But trying to create a community for ourselves to create these projects. And he was such an asset last year. It worked so well. And I think he was pleased with it, too, enough that he definitely wanted to be counted in this year. Well, I know he's a cultural worker, so he'll get into anything as long as it involves presenting culture in a good, positive manner. Yes, of course. There's also a wonderful poet in the play, as well, with her own work, interspers throughout the whole play. Tondyway.

Oh, Tondyway. Tondyway. And she will be reading her own works throughout the play. Yes. Wonderful. Any surprises for you in terms of directing this play that you hadn't visualized when you read it? Oh, that's no. That's a great question. Yes, I think the script has proven to be quite a bit more poetic than it did to me when I read it. And hearing it out loud has inspired that part. I mean, I look for that. We have poets all around us in this production. And I have a great deal of appreciation for that. And that has definitely come forward more as we've studied the play and listened to the play. And so let's go ahead and mention once again the hours

and the place where Henrietta, a play authored by Karen Jones Meadows, will be presented. Go ahead, Stephanie. Remind the listening audience. It's presented at the War Text, which is located on Buena Vista, Southeast 2004 and a half, Buena Vista, Southeast, which is just across from the University of Central. And the dates are every weekend in February, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. And I recommend that you call the War Text for reservations. And now the big question of the night, is everyone ready for opening night? It's a mystery. It's a mystery.

We're certainly working in that direction. And the thing about theater is that it is all the way live. And we will be where we are at opening night. My understanding about places that about halfway through the entire production, people really begin to get into the roles and understand them, you know? So... Another thing that's kind of interesting about actors that I've noticed is when they have an audience, things really start to click in the time and get click in. And you know, it seems to support them while they're on the stage. It's showtime. Yeah, exactly. The dynamics. So if I were to ask you, people of Albuquerque should go and see the work of Karen Jones Meadows entitled Henrietta, because what would you say?

You will be entertained. Definitely. Hopefully it will inspire you to ponder certain issues. And one thing about our production that I think is important to Albuquerque is by having Patricia on the stage and some other folks, such as Sakura on the background, backstage and me. And I think, you know, I'm really looking to have the visual power of us, our two cultures, working together more, because I really feel that our cultures are pretty polarized in the city. And I'd like to see that change. And it's important for us to work together as well as be seen together, you know, doing creative projects.

And of course, it's the arts that are the vanguard for bringing people together and making them work together. I want to thank both of you for being here tonight and for sharing this information once again. Henrietta, by Karen Jones Meadows, presented by the group Omni Roots Productions. Every weekend, during the month of February, 8 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays, every weekend during February. At the vortex, 2004 and a half, Buena Vista Southeast. Muchas gracias. Okorromo and Stephanie Willis. Thank you. For all of us, I'm Cecilio, García Camarillo. I invite you to join us on the next Monday, on the 8th of the night to continue sharing with you all the information, culture and art, very good night. Thank you very much.