Alfaro has collaborated and worked with the Center Theater Group as a playwright as well as the co-director of the Latino Theatre Initiative at the Mark Taper Forum where he worked alongside Diane Rodriguez. Together they were able to introduce and identify new and exciting playwrights and secure a stage to present their theater works to the Center Theater Group stages. 

A celebrated, self-identified Chicano artist, Alfaro is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius”.  In his new position, Alfaro will work closely with  Artistic Director Michael Ritchie and fellow associate artistic directors on overall artistic programming. He will also oversee the L.A. Writers’ Workshop and serve a key role in the expansion of new play development.

“Center Theatre Group has been my artistic home for nearly my entire career, so to return at such a pivotal moment in the history of regional theatre, the organization, and Los Angeles, is quite invigorating,” said Alfaro. I’m looking forward to helping further our shared vision of nurturing more Los Angeles voices and stories and asking important questions, like how we are viewing our role as an anti-racist theatre organization”.

“There’s no denying that our industry is facing a critical moment of self-reflection,” Alfaro went on to say. “I firmly believe that Center Theatre Group is rising to the challenge as it considers its role in the new American theatrical landscape.”

The Center Theatre Group has produced several of  Alfaro’s works including “Electricidad” and “Black Butterfly” at the Taper, “St. Jude” at the Douglas and, in 2020, Alfaro brought his trilogy of Greek plays, “Mojada,” “Electricidad” and “Oedipus El Rey,” to Center Theatre Group’s Digital Stage as part of the series Live From the KDT.

“It’s also important to me for Luis to help nurture our next wave of playwrights and consider how we more deeply invest in our Los Angeles community,” said Ritchie. “Luis brings a rich history and understanding of Center Theatre Group and of this great city and its many exciting voices. It’s been an honor working with Luis in various capacities over the years.”

Alfaro is a Chicano writer known for his work in poetry, theatre, short stories, performance and journalism. Luis spent six seasons as the Playwright-in-Residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 2013–2019. Luis spent over two decades in the Los Angeles poetry community and toured for ten years as a performance artist. He is a tenured professor at USC. His play anthology, “The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro,” was released from Methuen Press and is the winner of this year’s London Hellenic Prize. Luis was a participant in Center Theatre Group’s 2018/19 L.A. Writers’ Workshop and is also a member of the CTG Creative Collective, a dozen inspiring, innovative and highly collaborative artists shaping the contours of the theatrical landscape of the future.

The post Luis Alfaro Joins CTG as Newest Associate Artistic Director first appeared on .

Casting for the multi-camera, virtually produced reading of Luis Alfaro’s Electricidad, the first play in The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro premieres November 6, 2020 with Oedipus El Rey and Mojada to follow.  The production is presented as part of the Live from the KDT series on Center Theatre Group’s Digital Stage in partnership with The Getty. 

The readings will premiere on successive Fridays at 5 pm Pacific with Electricidad on Nov. 6, Oedipus El Rey on Nov. 13 and Mojada on Nov. 20. Each reading will be available on demand until January 20, 2021.

Directed by Laurie Woolery, the cast of Electricidad will include Esperanza America, Sal Lopez, Sandra Marquez, Alma Martinez, Catalina Maynard, Sarita Ocón, Gabriela Ortega, Rose Portillo, Geoff Rivas and Eddie Ruiz. Additional casting will be announced.

Transplanting themes of the ancient Greek tragedies into the streets of Los Angeles, The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro gives voice to the concerns of the Chicano and wider Latino/a communities. From performances around the world, including celebrated runs at the Mark Taper Forum, Public Theater, Getty Villa and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alfaro’s electric adaptations question the role that citizens and community play in social issues facing us all today. All three readings will be free to the public and performed in English with Spanish captioning available.

Alfaro is a Chicano writer known for his work in poetry, theatre, short stories, performance and journalism. He spent six seasons as the Playwright-in-Residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 2013–2019. He was a member of the Playwright’s Ensemble at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre from 2013 to 2020. Alfaro is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. He was recently awarded the PEN America/Laura Pels International Foundation Theater Award for a Master Dramatist, the United States Artist Fellowship and the Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship.

For more information, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/DigitalStage.

Photo Credit: Luis Alfaro

The post Casting for ‘Electricidad,’ First of ‘The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro’ Is Announced first appeared on .

By Elia Esparza

The Magic Theatre in San Francisco, under the leadership of Loretta Greco, Artistic Director and Kevin Nelson, General Manager, announced they are ready for the 10th Anniversary Legacy Revival of Luis Alfaro’s Oedipus el Rey, the company’s final production for its 2018-2019 season.

Cast as “Oedipus” is Philadelphia born up-and-coming actor, Esteban Carmona, and he is ready to hit the stage on May 29, 2019, for opening night. Carmona’s performing arts passion began at a young age, where at 6-years old, his violin and piano lessons set the precedent to where he’s at today. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Montclair State University. His impressive TV role as Julito in HBO’s The Deuce demonstrates he is a skilled thespian.

Latin Heat caught up with Carmona to talk about being Oedipus:

LH: What has your experience been so far working on such an important play by Luis Alfaro?

Esteban Carmona: It is like running a physical and emotional marathon every day. This play takes so much raw honesty, that by the end of rehearsals, I feel ripped open in the best way possible. Oedipus’ complexity and vulnerability make him a force, which requires me to meet the role with the same strength and power that Oedipus grows to harness. It’s a challenge for sure, but it makes me more and more excited to tell Luis’ story. 

LH: How does your character differ from that of the original Greek classic play?

EC: Luis Alfaro was able to take a classic Greek Tragedy, and turn it into a digestible yet politically charged contemporary play. The only difference between both characters is how they were raised. Luis’ Oedipus spent most of his life in prison. He’s afraid of the outside world because “life behind bars” is all he knows. Outside, he has nothing. What keeps him driven is his pride, which just like the greek play, becomes his own demise. I find it very interesting that even though each character has an almost opposite upbringing, one being born into royalty while the other born in prison, they still end up with the same fate. 

LH: How has it been working with Luis Alfaro and the Magic Theatre’s artistic team? (Kevin Nelson and Loretta Greco)

EC: Luis and Loretta trust each other so much, it’s amazing to watch. Kevin has been nothing but supportive and communicative throughout the process and I couldn’t be more grateful. Loretta takes the time to delve into the life and history of not only the play but each character. She works with the actors in a well-balanced give-and-take of ideas. All I can really say is, I’m absolutely honored to be able to work with a director whose passion for the project is palpable. She’s like an executive chef that carefully plates each ingredient in a dish, while taking the time to communicate its importance to every other chef involved (my brother’s a chef so that’s the best way for me to describe it.

LH: What’s next for you?

EC: There are a couple of things brewing, but nothing I can reveal quite yet. I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see.

Thank you, Esteban!

Esteban Carmona is repped by The Luedtke Agency and Jonathan White PR (Publicist).

Follow Esteban on social media:
Instagram: @Esteban_Carmona_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Esteban.Emilio.Carmona/

The post Esteban Carmona’s Insight On Luis Alfaro’s “Oedipus El Rey” Role at Magic Theatre in SF first appeared on .