teatro de la rosa
btw, the "kids' theater" performance we attended the other night was nothing short of stellar.
the li'l kids in birds of a feather were as charming and energetic as you figured they'd be without being annoyingly stage-precious (and directors yvonne duque and claudia acosta were drilling 'em hard right up to curtain time), but the teens in maricela and the magic shoes were nothing short of revelatory.
the story takes place on a real southside block that was prolly playwright rob bosquez' childhood stomping ground, and centers around a girl who finds a pair of shoes from her early childhood that miraculously still fit and give her magic powers (like hiding from her dad when she doesn't wanna be discovered). being of good heart and giving spirit (the legacy, one gathers, of her dear departed aunt tencha, played in a cameo by poet / activist tammy gomez), maricela uses the shoes to help her best friend win the boy of her dreams via karaoke (!), a blind lemonade vendor to see the colors he'd previously only imagined, her martial artist-wannabe cousin fight off local bullies, and her ancient-but-beloved pet dog michael jackson to be young and dance again. but when blind lalo and michael jackson ultimately reject her gift, maricela realizes that perhaps some things were just meant to be as they are. playwright bosquez deserves props for taking universally familiar situations and making them evocative in surprising ways (both comic and otherwise) and as he was sitting right behind me, i hope he was happy seeing me wipe my eyes during maricela's dance w/her pet. gtrist nick serna provided sparse but moody instrumental accompaniment. breanna herrera's performance as maricela merits special mention -- she seems uncommonly at ease on the stage (which is to say, in her own skin) for a performer so young. hopefully we'll see her again soon.
teatro de la rosa teaches theater arts to kids aged 8 through 18. if you know someone who might be interested, contact the troupe at 817-625-8333.
the li'l kids in birds of a feather were as charming and energetic as you figured they'd be without being annoyingly stage-precious (and directors yvonne duque and claudia acosta were drilling 'em hard right up to curtain time), but the teens in maricela and the magic shoes were nothing short of revelatory.
the story takes place on a real southside block that was prolly playwright rob bosquez' childhood stomping ground, and centers around a girl who finds a pair of shoes from her early childhood that miraculously still fit and give her magic powers (like hiding from her dad when she doesn't wanna be discovered). being of good heart and giving spirit (the legacy, one gathers, of her dear departed aunt tencha, played in a cameo by poet / activist tammy gomez), maricela uses the shoes to help her best friend win the boy of her dreams via karaoke (!), a blind lemonade vendor to see the colors he'd previously only imagined, her martial artist-wannabe cousin fight off local bullies, and her ancient-but-beloved pet dog michael jackson to be young and dance again. but when blind lalo and michael jackson ultimately reject her gift, maricela realizes that perhaps some things were just meant to be as they are. playwright bosquez deserves props for taking universally familiar situations and making them evocative in surprising ways (both comic and otherwise) and as he was sitting right behind me, i hope he was happy seeing me wipe my eyes during maricela's dance w/her pet. gtrist nick serna provided sparse but moody instrumental accompaniment. breanna herrera's performance as maricela merits special mention -- she seems uncommonly at ease on the stage (which is to say, in her own skin) for a performer so young. hopefully we'll see her again soon.
teatro de la rosa teaches theater arts to kids aged 8 through 18. if you know someone who might be interested, contact the troupe at 817-625-8333.
posted by stashdauber at 5:34 PM
6 Comments:
One of my students was in that and a few other productions at Teatro de la Rosa.
How's that place looking these days. Did they refurbish it well. I think they have had a few concerts in there as well.... Tish Hinahosa comes to mind.
concerts? do the Lightcrust Doughboys ring a bell?the diversity in programming is stunning. everything from film screenings and dance concerts to mariachis and Chicano comedy. i'm producing a Brazilian capoeira-with-spoken word event in feb 06 there, so stay tuned.
oh, btw, the number for Teatro de la Rosa is
624-8333, in the 817.
These kids are something else. Rob really gave us piece that deeply connected each character with the actor. This was a metaphor for a lot of these kids. Seeing them grow...Breanna, Maricela, was the most withdrawn from the group and now I see her shining "in her own skin" on stage. I love 'em, they are amazing I learn so much from them and I hope in turn they really develop a sense of discipline and respect for theater, I want them to gain the courage and passion to communicate. The community here in Northside, in time, will be more and more understanding and supportive of theater's place in society as a vehicle, as a reflection, a celebration, or as a magnifying glass for a seriously misrepresented demographic. Five of our teens are in Bosquez's next play: A Tale of Los Ninos Cinco. Fort Worth won't be the same after this. It is a priviledge to work with one of our best writers: as an actor, director, friend, fellow visionary who still believes in the magic and myth, we so desperately need these days. Thank you for supporting these young voices
Claudia Acosta
Teatro de la Rosa 1440 Experience
Teen Troupe Director
oh btw.. The guitarist is only 16
claudia
wow. ppl who demonstrate so much creativitiy at such young ages are astonishing!
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