Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Community Storytelling with CENTER THEATRE GROUP

Bobby Martinez — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:47:00 -0700

Making theatre a part of people’s lives is why we go back to the libraries year after year, and the Boyle Heights libraries have been great partners in engaging the community,” said Center Theatre Group’s Community Partnerships Director Jesus Reyes. “Library patrons have been slow to return to their neighborhood library and I hope the Community Play Readings will attract them back— one play at a time.”

Jessica Ko, Childrens Librarian at the Malabar Library, shared that “these events are such a wonderful opportunity to gather our community together to enjoy an afternoon in the arts. The play readings are a great way to experience theatre performances in the neighborhood.”

In 2023, ECP was proud to present six COMMUNITY PLAY READINGS at the Benjamin Franklin Library, Malabar Library, and Robert Louis Stevenson Library in Boyle Heights.

LOLA’S BANIG

Written by FRAN DE LEON Directed by GIOVANNI ORTEGA

When Gina, a single working mom, sits down to a Filipino breakfast with her daughter, Ligaya, flashbacks transport them to a childhood in the Philippines when every Sunday was spent with relatives at her Lola’s house. Recounting days of meriendas, chismis, and siestas on hand-woven banigs, Gina realizes there are painful moments of her life that have been cast away into the recesses of her mind. It takes Ligaya to unlock Gina’s memory and pass down long-forgotten family traditions. This was a bilingual presentation, in English and Tagalog.

Sasha, a quirky wordsmith, struggles to adjust to being the new girl at Kingdom Academy. When she bests the most popular kid in school in the spelling bee, their ensuing argument earns them detention. But on their way, they fall into a magical portal that brings them face-to-face with a fearsome dragon. Sasha must think on her feet to avoid being eaten during her first week of school. This production was presented in English.

SASHA THE DRAGON TAMER

Written and Directed by AJA HOUSTON

THE EXONERATION OF EL MAESTRO

Written by ANTHONY AGUILAR and ALEJANDRA CISNEROS Directed by ALEJANDRA CISNEROS

El Maestro believes he is the greatest luchador of all time. But after 50 years in the ring, time has slipped away from him—and so has his life! Now, he faces the Aztec gods in the afterlife and must convince them of a second chance on earth. It’s the fight of the century as El Maestro faces his greatest opponent: his own ego. This was a bilingual presentation, in English and Spanish.

THE WEREWOLVES LIVE IN MY CLOSET

Written By OZ JIMÉNEZ
Directed by JUAN PARADA
Presented by OFF THE TRACKS THEATRE COMPANY

Seven-year-old Farid goes on an adventure to rescue his older brother, Oscar, who he thinks has been taken by werewolves into the closet. During his search, he meets a hornless minotaur, a sweat-sucking vampire, and a broom-hating witch, and discovers that to be different is to be unique, and that’s OK, because everybody is special in their own way and should be accepted. This production was presented in Spanish.

DINNER WITH REMEDIOS Y SUS GATOS

Written by ESTELA GARCIA
Devised in collaboration with the ensemble

In 1940’s Mexico City, surrealist painter Remedios Varo attends a bourgeoisie dinner party, and her boredom leads to mischief and fancy. Audiences were invited to be a part of the performance told through movement, mask, puppetry, and music. This was a bilingual presentation, in Spanish and English, and with masks and movement.

WHERE THE HEART IS

Written by JASMINE BRAFF Directed by FRAN DE LEON

Estranged siblings, Abigail and Aaron, face the consequences of their father’s hoarding after he suffers a serious heart attack. Abigail, the primary caretaker and occupant of the house, fights to keep the home despite Aaron’s interrogation about her motives and the state of the home. This production was presented in English.

This was a beautiful season full of diversity, art, and valor. We are honored to be able to present these illuminating pieces and look forward to presenting more, especially as Community Partnerships celebrates their ten-year anniversary this season.

Workforce Development at Center Theatre Group

Jessica Doherty — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:22:00 -0700

Observerships

The Center Theatre Group Observership Program is a paid opportunity for diverse early-career theatre artists to sit in on a professional rehearsal process at one or more of Center Theatre Group’s three theatres. A Transparent Musical specifically welcomed nonbinary and/or gender nonconforming individuals to their rehearsal room—from the first meet and greet to final tech dress.

“To walk into a room and to not be the only queer [and/or] trans people in the room, but [a part of] the majority, felt so incredible,” Observer Nicole Delsack said. Delsack found that the sense of safety and consent in the rehearsal room was something they wanted to take forward in their own work—sparking an interest in potentially becoming an intimacy coordinator herself.

Creative Workforce Initiatives Director Nico Rosario oversees the program and Teaching Artist Jer Adrianne Lelliott facilitated this particular cohort. But the group often took initiative themselves.

“It was important for [the observers] to have that space fully to discuss things and feel empowered to have the conversations they wanted to have without another person evaluating their response,” Rosario said.

This space was also important to Observer Leví Angel Garcia, who felt that A Transparent Musical would be a historical production. “Knowing that all three of the folks writing the show [and music] were either nonbinary or trans called to me,” they said. “As someone who identifies as nonbinary, it is very hard to find these spaces where I can exist freely.”

The Observership program began as a pilot program in 2020, but experienced interruptions due to the pandemic and resumed with the 2022 production of Alma. The Observership program continued on after A Transparent Musical with Our Dear Dead Drug Lord at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, welcoming six artists into the rehearsal room from first rehearsal through previews and opening night.

Internships

Program Manager Aurora Ilog said that this summer is the largest cohort of interns since the program was paused in 2020. In the many years that the internship program has run, Center Theatre Group’s paid interns have gone on to have successful careers in theatre, arts administration, and beyond.

Ilog loves that the program offers “the opportunity to connect interns to professionals who are practicing different arts and crafts and who have different areas of expertise in theatre; to hear they need now to make that step in their career and to make connections [for] long lasting connections.”

Anastasia Ernst spent their summer as an intern in the marketing department under Senior Manager, Marketing Events & Partnerships Kiyomi Emi. Ernst was surprised by how much she learned not just in their day-to-day experience on the job, but in the professional development sessions led by Ilog and other working professionals for the entire cohort of interns.

Ernst grew up attending Center Theatre Group shows for most of her life. Through the internship, they were able to lead a talkback after Into The Woods, work events with celebrities and influencers like opening nights, and learn about the many departments and jobs throughout the company.

“Theatre people are the best people, hands down,” she said. “Getting to work with people who love theatre every day was the best thing ever. The community of all of my coworkers and fellow interns were the best people because they were theatre people.”

Apprenticeships

From the design, build, and rehearsal stages of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, there were not only Observers in the room, but Apprentices involved in the process as well. Center Theatre Group welcomed seven paid Apprentices in a variety of disciplines into the Our Dear Dead Drug Lord rehearsal room.

The Center Theatre Group Apprenticeship Program is a paid opportunity for people with no background in professional theatre to get hands-on training in technical production and artistic careers. Apprentices shadow one or more theatre professionals and get the opportunity

to not only sit in on the production process, but also to learn and practice skills necessary to work in these fields. The apprentices focused on many different aspects of theatrical design and production, like scenic; sound; prop and costume design; and directing.

Prop Apprentice Cindy Campos is a student at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) majoring in Theatre Arts, with an emphasis on technical theatre. She worked with the design team for Our Dear Dead Drug Lord for three months on everything from coordinating with prop warehouses to creating props for the show from scratch. Campos actually made the Ouija Board prop—a central piece of the story of the show.

Campos said that this apprentice opportunity to learn from professionals in the industry is incredibly important for her, especially as a woman in technical theatre. “There’s not many of us in history,” she said. “Getting my foot in the door at CTG has helped me tremendously to get into this field.” She was mentored by Kate Reinlib, Eric Babb, and Merrianne Nerdreberg at CTG and learned from ELAC professor, François-Pierre Couture.

While summer is over, this is just the beginning of another season of programming for Education & Community Partnerships at Center Theatre Group. We’ll be sharing even more over the next year as the Community Partnerships program celebrates its tenth anniversary! Stay in touch with Education & Community Partnerships at @ctgcommunity on Instagram.

Announcing CTG:FWD

Center Theatre Group — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 17:17:00 -0700

These events are the first formally announced under a new initiative created by Artistic Director Snehal Desai called CTG:FWD.

CTG:FWD provides greater opportunities for community gatherings and conversations, can’t-miss special events, and ways to help center Los Angeles-based artists and the arts community. It also provides a unique opportunity to open the doors of the Mark Taper Forum during this pause in traditional season programming, and welcome members of the community back into that space for some of these special events and programs.

CTG:FWD is also created with everyone in mind, whether you are a long-time loyal subscriber, or setting foot in one of Center Theatre Group’s venues for the very first time.

Exciting Things Are Coming

The initial slate of programming announcements features the comedic special event Alex Edelman’s Just for Us direct from Broadway; a throwback to the Taper’s past with the return of Michael Feinstein in a series of new engagements called Feinstein’s at the Taper; and a visit from Little Amal, the 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl who is currently traveling across the United States and will pay a visit to The Music Center in November as part of Amal Walks Across America.

In addition to Edelman, Feinstein, and Amal, CTG:FWD will also be the home of the Los Angeles Theatre Summit, a series of curated events and gatherings for Los Angeles theatre makers; the L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival, which features presentations of new works-in-progress from some of L.A.’s best, up-and-coming playwrights; and the newly established L.A. Artist Residencies, which will provide resources for local artists and theatre companies. Center Theatre Group will continue to announce new special events, programs, and opportunities under the CTG:FWD banner over the coming months.

CTG:FWD is funded in part by special artistic discretionary funds that were raised for Desai’s first year to be used on special programming, gatherings, and events like the ones outlined in this new initiative.