 We are also live streaming right now on the HowlRound so you can kind of like say hello to everyone. As I said, I'm with The Soul Project. We are very honored to be partnering with the Latinx Playwrights Circle for tonight's event. In case you do not know, The Soul Project is a national initiative dedicated to amplifying Latinx playwrights and partnering with the leading theaters in New York and beyond. I'm so excited to have you guys here. We have four amazing excerpts for four amazing playwrights, mentored by four amazing mentors. We're going to have the excerpts and then we're going to introduce the playwrights and then we're going to go into a very wonderful conversation led by a panel of amazing artists. So this is about two years ago, Guadalisa and I have worked very hard to create open spaces for Latinx artists to submit pages and to work on our plays in an open and friendly environment. We have partnered with over 11 different theaters over the course of the two years and now currently in residency at primary stages. The new 2020 reading of these plays, which I'm very excited about, now please make sure to turn your cell phones off. While this setting is constant in moments, you should experience entrances of surreality from outside, especially the storm. Characters, Yeohannia Silva, older sister, bilingual, first-gen Uruguayan American writing for office. Mercedes Silva, younger sister, first-gen Uruguayan American bilingual musician. Mercedes is sitting on stage, alone on a fallen tree that is quite close to an entrance of a home, as if the house narrowly missed being hit by it. Perhaps the tree devised the audience from the house. Yeohannia comes in. I'm sorry I can't sing. I'll sit up for a while. Mercedes turns her back slowly, maybe walks across the tree trunk away from Yeohannia. This woman is slow, happening over years. Yeohannia watches her go. Mercedes drops out of life. Fourteen years ago, I scribbled translations of myself and the margins of my own mind. Little poems to escape, how comfortable I felt. Musica y letra mamá used to say. Vo sosua letra, merche la música. You two came here together, so you can't have one without the other. Poems are practical. Poems are a dream of a revolution that doesn't move. Page at the number arrives. It's like going back to your own country fully grown. The crystallized moment never measures up if you stay too long. I have a different dialet. Lights rise to reveal the house. An expensive home, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Upstage center, a kitchen. Down right, a dining room. And down left, a living room. In a staircase or nowhere. There's no real divide between the dining area and the living room, which contains shelves full of scholarly books on entertainment, law, D.C. politics, the evolution of hip-hop. I love you, Yeohannia. I love you so much. I love you so much. Mercedes is sitting on the couch, bored. Mercedes, do you think you can have a second table, please? It was good. He should be on his way back home from work. How? You think so? They have root 1 and Bayley's Crossroads. Give me one second. They have root 1 and Bayley's Crossroads. They can go fuck themselves. But of course, Gabe's work is fine. That part of D.C. kind of needs to have electricity. The minion powers to squeeze up on the Virginia side. Except this part of Virginia. Everyone else been charging their phones at Starbucks for six days. The plates. I could use your help with the plates. No one's gonna care about your missing class. Okay? You think they're gonna feel comfortable if you cook on a feast? It's not a feast. Okay, so what qualifies them as a feast, then? When the orderers take up three tables instead of two? I want to let them stay at home. Give them some Latin hospitality. hospitality? Yeah? Plenty of food. Latin hospitality is way easier than whatever you're doing. I'm just offering you to have what you're good at. Just grab some beers. A little asalito, some chips and salsa. What is your obsession with asals? What you're vegetarian enough? No, it's just, it's not really... It's not really sustainable. Sustainable? No! The Indians brought those cows to the river plate, right? They're not native to South America. So this constant asalo stand comparing isn't nationalist at all. Yes, exactly. Listen. You should just throw Jose and Sony down. Give them maybe a quiet room to sleep in. They just want to kick it. Not walking to Southern living magazines. I want to reunite with my high school friends. Oh, wow. High school friends? Just speakers and PDs. Why are you suddenly still against this? I'm not against it. I'm reacting as though you're reconnecting with real people. Jose and I have been hanging out. Not physically hanging out, but Jose's doing some consulting on my campaign. Video calls on organizing? You know. Right. And aren't you paying him to do all that? Of course I'm paying him. Go get the cuts here. I'm just making a point. If you're paying him, where does the hanging out come in? That's the point of this. We talked about this being good for my campaign. So well, convincing him to come on staff. I just don't want to do it the right way. Catch up first. What are you worried about? I don't want to do this as if you guys still have some shit in common. We do have shit in common. Which means you're thinking he can give you the authentic Latino vibe. Authentic Latino? What does that mean? Yes. You want him to help people viral, get the drastic district on your side, maybe even get some national attention, but you can't be like, Jose tweeted about me. So much to the hood. That was such a good idea then. What's the problem now? I mean, well, they get on with you. But now you're being weird. No one wants to get a repred card with nothing in the bag. Is there any health care? Pump it against your face. Pull me in so deep into your constant campaign convo. I didn't even realize I was in it this time. Yeah, but like I said, I'm not interested in being free labor. But then don't offer your opinion so much. Makes me think that you actually want to talk about it. I'm just trying to stay. The gust of wind shakes the house. The lights flicker for a moment. Now Hania looks around. And since it doesn't seem to have noticed, she finishes as quickly as possible and throws herself into a chair. Did you hear back about the apartment? I don't want you to get involved with this. I got it. Are you stressed about being here until you figure things out? No, I'm here. I know staying with us for two weeks feels like a long time, but really it's not. Is it ever optimal to be in someone else's place? A few small tables and some seating. A door to the inside. Dino is reclined on several chairs. A magazine rests on his face shielding his eyes. Suiza enters from the house. She sweeps the courtyard until she comes across Dino. Hey! Dino! I don't know. I already told you a thousand times that you need to look at the door. I can't see it. Do you want me to start charging you for your room? Suiza approaches the stereo and starts to use the phone. Suiza! Do you just want me to play the street music? To dance that... the dance of twerk? Yes, you're just going to make a copy. She opens it. Well, this is California. I see soy de California. No, I just... I have to save money where I can, so that's why I'm staying at Austin. That's okay. I will show you what we have, don't worry. I put you in a room still, I will show you. Dino, please, I will return. Suiza indiscreetly grabs a rag and disinfects and spray off the counter. She exits. Adam takes a tour around the courtyard. Dino has been in with the couch where he watches Adam from. Adam finally spots him. They lock eyes. Dino very slowly raises a hand and wiggles his fingers. Ashesious hello. Dino forces a smile to pretend to read his magazine. Adam looks around, but he keeps stealing glances at Dino. Dino does the same. When Dino steals a glance, Adam quickly digress his gaze somewhere else, and vice versa. They do this for a while. Suiza returns. Okay, come with me. Suiza notices Adam stealing another glance at Dino. Approaching my room. Dino throws the rag at Dino's face. Dino gets stuck in rushes to a mirror. He tries to wipe the hangover off his face. He tells us his hair, checks his teeth. For Nia, California. Okay, I like, I love the bitch. You like to dance? You have a... Captain sprays up Suiza on a nightstand. He takes a seat on the bed and starts to write. A gentle breeze enters through the balcony. It arouses Adam. He places his hand on his crotch. A knot at the door. It was okay. Dino had a tutor growing up, and I watched a lot of people go with the Kardashians. Dino lets himself in. Yo, Suiza puts all the... I like this one because of the balcony. Sometimes sneaking your sleep if I'm sharing a room with someone freaky. Currently, I'm on the other side of the bathroom, so we're sharing. Sorry. In college, I shared a bathroom with 12 other guys. That's so sad. Sorry, are you a long-termer? What? Okay. A long-termer. Someone who stays at a hostel with, you know, like, a long-term for like months at a time. Yes, yeah. That's what I am. Yo, I work here essentially for a room. It's temporary. Yeah, no, no, I get it. I was a long-termer in Spain for a bit. I worked at a cafe. I was right close to the hostel, but sometimes the manager at the hostel would pay for me to plan events or something. I don't plan events. Yo, I welcome the guests. I clean water the plants, you know, whatever other dadeas, suizamesa, chores. So, like, living at home again? Yeah, except mommy beat me less. Did you need something? Yeah. Can I use your cell phone? For why? Man, I just remembered when I needed to call my mother. You don't have your own phone? No, I was stolen. Oh, here? No, I bought that. Yo, I let an Amiga borrow it, but man, some thieves, they wanted a motorbike, so they cut her throat, and they left her in the street, and, you know, I don't know who has it. Okay. Yeah, that's fine. Your son. Dude, mommy, I just wanted to ask you how are you? I hate you too. Yeah, I hate you, I hate you, and you can't call me your mother anymore. I told that mother of yours that she's dead for me. Is that what happened? No, she called us. No, I just need you to send her a message. That mother of yours. No, you son of a bitch, tell that girl that she's dead for me. Oh, man, they're on the computer right now. Colombia. Oh, isn't that right on the border of Venezuela? Well, go for you. Are they refugees? Wait, wait, are you? Yeah. There's a lot of Venezuelans here, but what do you do, Adam? I've been traveling for about a year and a half now. Me too. I do some freelance here and there, and I'm a writer. What are you writing? Well, I want to make some sort of travel and psychopathy for LGBTQ people. I try to go around different cities and find all the fun, gay, funny spots to work in Congress. You always travel alone? I've tried joining up with others, but they just slow me down. What brings you here? I mean, sorry. That's specific. That is so overwhelming and boring. From there I went to Bogotá, but so I came here because I heard there was a hostel in Cueca that, it takes me to Solanos, but because so many of them don't, that's why there's so many here. Now I've been working here for six months, but I get no money, so I have nothing to do, no phone, nothing to distract me when I'm working, so all my time is bored. When there's a bar in Suiza, cooking, which is okay, even though the management, you know, the management hates us, but at least I have a window in my room and I bed the fuck on. That was it. I mean, for sleep. What makes the first move? No one knows. What do you have in mind? The member of the New York region of the literary movement in the 1970s. Federico Garcia Orca, Spanish poet, favorite of the 19th century. Zora Neale Hurston, novelist, died in 1960. The Zora Neale Hurston slowly comes out of the darkness to stand center stage she is dressed in dirty scarlet. Just the right number of vowels and consonants. I can gather up the courage and tell me the definition of fiction. I need to do something false today. Care to give me their definition? You're both wrong. Fiction is simply a lie. Imaginary, not real. I'm not saying you can't speak the truth with a lie. Fiction is literally someone handing you a big old pall of dog shit and telling you which seems underhanded I admit. But if a lie is so, so charismatic that you munch on that dog shit like it's your mama's very old apple pie? You enjoyed yourself, didn't you? That's where this story takes place. In a place where they sell dog shit as cake in a historically fictional place on the corner of truth and lies. Cat and corner is the neighborhood known as Puer. Another incredible word. You're about to see a story filled with writers who fall into that neighborhood and queer in other. Some are white. Some are not. Some are renowned. Some are not. You're about to see a story filled with writers who fall... No, that's not true. There are writers taken from different areas, different time periods thrown together in the same world for the purposes of telling this talk to you. You'll see these writers and think of yourself and you'll think to yourself, fail in AP English literature class in high school. I don't know who they are or what they did. It doesn't matter. Eat the dog shit. It's a lie, but it's a truthful one. Because, yes, these writers wouldn't have existed at these ages at the same time with each other. What they all have in common is that they aren't queer. So maybe it's a lie. Isn't it a truth that all of us in queerness and other share a muscle? Some place in between our heart and our groin, a tiny little muscle that throbs in a kind of sad cadence. So, baby, for a night, can we imagine that this tiny little muscle connects them all, pulling them into... from space and time and plotting them right here in the same room for us? Like I said, dog shit. Delicious dog shit. My name is Zora Neale Hurston. Orion. Died January 28, 1960. Died 4. Work unknown. Though my writing gained me some fame after my death, you may know me, but, most likely, you don't. The world goes crazy with lights like we're at a ball. The men dance together, bow, salsa, what have you. A beat encompasses a stage heavy on the face. This is all a passing of time. It changes to a loud contemporary salsa slash rap song. The night's reading has finished, including the critique that followed. Heavy, heavy drinking has been going on since. The chairs have been moved away. The hair bled out from behind a bookcase. Lorca and Miguel are center stage. Miguel is trying to teach Lorca how to move to the hip hop beat. It ain't working. Heavy on the ceiling, let's plan on this badly drunk, too very drunk. Move your hips. A thing. Sexy, huh? Bookcase to center stage. Kevin stays prone and lets him nail-drag it. Swabby, swabby, soft, soft asshole. Lorca runs over to the kitchen and lets a rag in the sink. Miguel drops Kevin up. I'm running, and he's been crying for so long that he keeps tickling. How come your lungs, kid? Greed. The water from him and sets it away. Oh, God, don't say sorry again. My ear drums are gonna pop if I hear that word from you one more time tonight. Oh, no! You say it again? I'd rather punch you in the fucking nose. Stop. I never spent more time on my drawings. Specific panels made me laugh. The six of you in stampede all over it. Look at those pages again and you'll find me babbling on the street corner screaming. Oh, how's that if things were said about? By who? Me. You? James, like the way you open your story. Then proceeded to murder the next ten pages and Oscar. Oscar does not know how to articulate things. Do you hear our drug? Our Lord, when the motherfucker's out, he's out. He's our child. He thinks my story is true tonight. Do you understand anything better? He didn't say anything at all. Nada, he just pasted a look of pure disdain on his face for an hour and refilled his drink every so often. That silence, that gutted me the most. And why did he matter so much? Because he's him. He thinks I'm a horrific writer. So what did you expect? Bobby, I know you're a great writer. Lorca here does, too. But you can't expect people like Oscar or ten to get to know the fuck you have to say. How do you think it works a little bit too off-color for them? He didn't like my story because I'm a spake. Me, hey. What? I wanted to tell him before he officially joined. You were the one to stop me. How do you know? Kevin, these people sometimes have a limited view of things. Okay. Mandela and I have been here for years and Tennessee has never said a kind word about our work. We're changed. This group isn't to help you improve. Being a part of this group is not okay. Those are the same things, aren't they? No. I really know where your body can make more tears. I'm not going to the meeting next month. Hi, Kevin. I just want to be alone now. I need to quit. Let's call it a night. Too much tequila is blowing in everyone's blood right now. That poison? It brings out the worst in everybody. It is time to finish. 2030's female, mixed ethnicity, stepmother to Nancy and Ray, and closer in age to the time and place. The first holiday season after the presidential election of November 8, 2016, San Juan, Texas, the Board of Towns in the Rio Grande Valley. Scene two, Texas Kardashian. Legends of Texas Gun Store, December 23, 2016, morning, lights up on Julie and Nancy taking the story into the story. The TV is on at low volume and we see credits rolling on a morning newscast. The station goes to commercial. It is one of their store commercials. We see women in all shapes and sizes competing in a beauty fashion. The camera cuts to a close-up of Julie, last year's reigning champion, about to give up her crown and embark on her farewell war. Nancy turns up the volume and stops working. Julie buries herself in work. The camera cuts to Julie in a short black dress. Cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. She looks like a Kardashian living in Texas. My year as queen may be over, but I will continue my path of pledge to make our community safe for everyone. I'm Sammy Strong for freedom and you should too. When you're feeling unsafe, call Titian. Nancy turns off the TV and stares at Julie who is now stacking boxes. Uh, these are going to sell by the end of deer season. They're a small company, but they reply fast and ship quickly. Yeah, it's good to support small business. We don't want sector acts right in the world. Uh, I left my laptop in the office. I need to log out of it. There's something. Can you handle the story quickly? Yeah, I thought. We agreed not to run ads like that for a couple months. Or at least until we figure things out. It's an old ad. We bought some more airtime right before your dad passed. It's going to run for a while. Why are we canceling? We need to let people know we're still in business. Isn't everyone around here preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Sales are usually higher. People usually buy the higher priced items. Let's shoot a liquidation commercial. Yeah, people excited about this to come. It's a nice space, and it would be great to start getting contractors in here. You may not agree with what I'm doing, but I want to do it right. Your dad did it right. Did you know we sold a record number of guns when your dad passed? That's insane. They were paying their respects. By buying more guns? I think your dad would appreciate it. They celebrated his life with more guns. They were afraid the store would close. Really? This is Texas. So you're telling me that one of us has to die before we sell more guns? No, that's not what I'm saying. This is exactly why I need to change the mentality around you. Knock it off. I don't notify you today. The liquidation sale? We get people in here fast. No, holidays sometimes get people depressed. I don't want to contribute to the despair of this time of year. Are people more suicidal this time of year? No, I'm following for your trail. I know there are too many guns suicides that can be prevented. Then why make guns wisely available? I'm not getting into this with you. Why not? There's never a good time to talk about this. I'm not going to be able to function if you keep talking like this. Were you suicidal? I'm telling you. Can you open without me? I'll see you in the office. I'm going to grab some boxes and quickly head to the office. You know, Daniel broke off our engagement. I was suicidal. Yogurt and... When I was mad, I was able to tell me I wasn't in trouble. You don't know the whole story. Let me stop some crazy stuff. Do we put some boxes down? I lost everything. I lost everything. I'm lucky I was able to keep my apartment. I haven't exactly had real jobs since. It's not the same. Can you keep this between us? Do you have a passion for bees? Not with honey, but with vinegar? Being in here makes me feel like your dad is still with me. It comforts me and keeps me moving forward. I don't want to see the story changed. But at some point, you have to be fine. That's what I find about Daniel? Daniel is still alive. He's just with someone else. You know, she looks like me. You find an upgraded version, but it's still me. I place it not to judge. We all repeat the same pattern. But we all breathe. We all breathe in our own way. Just because you showed up with your brusky crystal rosary and prayed and shared funny stories that the glory doesn't need. Nine days isn't a lot of time to move on. But we went out of our way to help people say goodbye. And it was all beautiful. But I would argue that now is the time that we really start breathing. We'll take the changes slowly. Why don't you schedule a time shooting commercial? We're making coffee and items that have within reach. We have options, cups, straws, etc. She continues to do so throughout as Julie grows more frustrated. After you spilled your guts, you're still going to be insensitive. What are you talking about? I don't understand you. You come in like a hard ass. Then you show some vulnerability and then you revert back to your old ways. I'm complicated. You know the software. I decided about a coffee shop. Cheap coffee at HEB or Water Burger. There are coffee blends that are so delicately balanced. They actually want to drink them black. We won't make close to what we make selling guns. Everyone knows you start marketing before opening your debt. You will love their guns. What shop? Did you actually think this through? Most people have a cup of coffee upon waiting and give cheap coffee here. I'm not going to support the store in the same way. Excuse me? No one likes to be forced to do anything. Well, I don't like to be healthy but I force myself to do it. Sometimes it's the only way. You know everything. Yeah, because I got out. By destroying a really successful thing here. We added the shooting brain. We started teaching classes. People even paid club dues like they do at a gym. I don't want to train killers. I don't want some sick fuck fantasizing about being around the Cooper in a movie or planning a mass shooting. Guns can be fun. Shooting is just like any other sport. I don't want to set my weapon by this terrible law. I can't see. Listen to yourself. I am. Thank you for reminding me about shooting. I'll add that to the business story. Justice is a no-gown intern. Still will you shoot? It's your core and it helps you with your posture and balance. You don't want your lower back pain due to weak abs. Is this your plea against gun control? I do yoga here. We just love our guns. We could do yoga and guns. Communities share the same interests. So how do I try something new? What is it that you really got? It doesn't exist here. We have a nice community. People are friendly and you get to know everyone quickly. Here, that was your dad's issues. It was like my dad was on the ways. Why did you break up? Did you stand up for pop? It was after Christopher's funeral. Couldn't take the grief when I was going away to college anyway. Christopher? Yeah, his eight-year-old brother. He accidentally choked on a chicken bone. No one knew that I'm Lincoln. I once didn't get there in time. We found out about it in math class the next day and we were all just sort of numb. So why... a coffee shop? In the store. Ben and his family went to... it was an accident. You can't control everything. The prevention is key. Nothing is certain. Your dad always said that. Must be lonely. The community we've built here. Couples and families take shooting lessons together and I love talking some afterwards. I know we're making a difference in people's lives and empowering them. Want to get out of this shuttle? Let's continue with a potential count. Nancy exits just as rain arrives. The two sisters look at each other and pull out a nod, but don't say a word. Julie is so human, but we can't control her quickly. What's going on? She doesn't get this. I think we've really lost our chance to save a little path from which. I forget it. Things will eventually be okay. They always are. We just have to keep reminding ourselves. Julie notices Nancy has forgotten her notebook. She forgot her first notebook. Reagan picks it up and starts looking through. Leave that alone. Maybe she'll never find it. There's no need to piss her off further. She might start blowing out fire. How far we can go? Please. Don't. I can't take much more. I'm rolling with the punches. Having my own fun has to do. She haunts herself looking for a hiding spot and places it behind someone else. Julie is deep in thought. She'll never look here. This is not over. Julie stares at her and crosses into conversation with me. Scene 3 Hymen Cruz Cruz home December 24, 2016. Christmas Eve mid-afternoon. She is in the cruise home a tasteful version of the gun shop with less money. It is not decorated for the holidays. She's been sitting on the couch for hours drinking beer and watching old home videos and store commercials projected on the screen. We see Hymen Cruz in a much younger rage standing outside of the gun store. As the commercial plays, Reagan recites the lines as if she's Hymen and her younger self. Safety is our top priority to reach our safety. We follow the NRA's guidelines. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. My daddy talking about safety has yours. And the best. The DC area has experience of losing power in my house in a poor start of the suburbs like going into the DC to a really nice brown stone and being like, oh man, all my food is rotting and I'm in this very weird place and what are these class differences and how is power distributed across my own metropolitan area. So a lot of what the play is about is about a female politician who's a Latina running the office for the first time and exploring those class differences and also some of those things that she doesn't even know about herself in her own community. And that's something that I'm still exploring through poetry. What it means to be twice a refugee, once from your home country and then again from your family and I'm excited to keep working on this. Yeah, that's been kind of lonely. And the play comes from being a Maricón in the country. For me I've had some like not great experiences with this play. The play for me is just rattling about what it means to be a brown queer person writing stories in a world that is predominantly not any of those things. So I'm really grateful to keep working on this play with a safe room because this room is already pretty bad at being a healthy productive writer. Woo! All my life and I always thought it was weird they were always there I never quite connected to them slowly as I was growing up I was like oh, not every play is like pro-gun and in fact my family is as many families are white divided on every issue. This is no different, this is like a really strong in my family and I just want to continue a conversation. I was initially just really scared to put it out there but I dedicated it to my dad my dad passed away a little over five years ago and I think he would be proud of me for bringing the conversation up but I just want to really continue it and have productive conversations about it. Instagram we also have an open group along with the Intensive Sunday going from January on it's an open group with the Google Form submit 15 to 20 pages and we'll work with everybody for figuring out Latinx stories we'll go on to the panel discussion and I'd love to have arts by creating liberated spaces that uplift, heal and encourage and my next project is Balisticalve an LGBTQ plus center healing and co-working space with evening performances, events and other pop-ups in Chapinero Bogota, Colombia for the Latinx theater conference in the revolution it's dark especially after my time working at equity association as a diversity and inclusion coordinator your act and your life in that moment for me after working at equity I decided that I wanted to investigate more as to what my role was and is I'm a triple citizen so I hold citizenship here in the US in Colombia and Ecuador and I went I traveled this year specifically for six months in those countries really trying to figure out what that means being a triple citizen what you know not just privileges but also responsibilities and beyond and I think the project that I'm working on now Balistica is you know in lineage of that and of that travel and that experience that I had so for me I think that's really where I'm at in my role in the revolution it's about taking resources here and bringing them there uplifting artists there connecting with people there especially Colombia on November 21st they started protests and I've been talking to my team there already talking with them how they're doing and how everybody's involved and like thinking about how Balistica will be a space where people will be able to gather and organize and meet and you know prepare for March or meet after March figure out what it is that we're doing yeah and so for me that's where I'm at and I say that to say something similar to maybe what you're going through and what you might reflect on in terms of really thinking about the privileges you may have I have being here and being a citizen here also thinking about being a citizen there or what I can do in these kind of middle grounds but yeah it's really about supporting folks there and I think you know beyond just saying that we're focused here thinking about the larger picture as well and even you know maybe thinking about donating to groups organizations on the ground there whether that is Balistica which you totally can donate I have a lot of information on that but also other groups like Runas and Resistance it's a group of each one you know people on Turtle Island North America supporting indigenous people there in Ecuador areas yeah and also thinking about ways we can hire artists there or figure out how to pay artists there I know Wing Space just had a workshop on the One Visa the artist travel visa here and knowing that you know there are ways that we can support financially in that your dollar goes so much further over there because three times I think the Colombian peso right now is like $3,500 that's where I'm at which is not like that others in and I think for me as an artist I think a lot about you know Simone's quote about an artist's rights about or works on is a reflection of the time and I think right now we're living in especially as a child with a diaspora whether it's African diaspora or just being aware of everything that's going on in other parts outside of the US it can be very daunting and overwhelming so I kind of focused the last few years in creating space and trying to bring the community together and I think that that's we're more powerful when we're together like there's a lot of differences there's a lot of things within our community that we need to work on yes and we're much stronger together and that doesn't mean one voice because we can also have our own individual voices but I think really rallying together whether it's spaces like this or finding other ways that we can contribute to our communities outside of the US or within I think that's really important so I really do see myself and maybe that's my Virgo in the beginning I've been thinking a lot about spaces and what I mean by that is as a casting director here in New York City there are two casting directors of color who are part of the CSA which is the Casting Society of America and there are 100 CSA working casting directors in New York City 98 of them are white I am one of those two and the data sorry I'm such a shipper so you're going to hear it abysmal it's when we look at Actors Equity when we look at APAC the Asian American Arts Coalition reports which every year they release on diversity all across New York when we look at the Dramatist Guild annual diversity reports we see that Latinx representation all across the board is less than 5% in New York City and across the country so in New York City between 2016 2017 the numbers of representation for Latinx actors on stages Broadway and off-Broadway were 5.1% the year prior was a little bit higher it was 7% I think you can probably attribute it to Gloria Estefan's but the three years before that we were stuck consecutively for three years in a row at 3% 8.6% of the population here and across the country we will be 25% in 2040 what I look at is the power of imagining my parents when they came to this country from Mexico to Los Angeles I take that with me when I enter new spaces because nothing to me seems as difficult as entering a new country that is a tremendous challenge not having the language not having the resources and for me being one of the two in this school in New York City I am motivated, I am charged I am determined to get those numbers up to 10% right? in the next five years because that's how I can get other people in the room too I feel like there was a period of time in my life where I felt like my job or my role was to like fix the American theater I came in today and I was like I joked I was going to say this but I feel like my job was to like actually just let it fixate it on itself I feel like in the work that I do both at Soul Project and at the movement theater company and even in my own personal rooms that I would be invited into is actually about and I think some of the clerics mentioned it are creating these spaces in which artists of color and Latinx artists can come in and be themselves and almost undo the damage of the field that is placed under mind, body, heart and spirit and so I do feel like my role is to create these rooms to create these spaces so that people can walk in as their authentic selves not have to feel like they are defending themselves and in a lot of ways I have placed myself in both of these rooms and I'm a part of at the front of the line really fighting that fighting to try and allow and create these opportunities for us to walk in as ourselves and not have to defend our spot that we were invited to so I do feel like right now I'm like 68 go ahead because when you're joking we'll be here and a army ready ready for those opportunities and affirmed and healed and not broken anymore so I guess my role is to help us heal and come together like you said the needle forward and the thing that I keep coming back to is that with each part of my job and each conversation that I have and all of these connections it's about creating space for change as possible and that's what this is tonight tonight's theater state of emergency so we've already spoken on it a little bit but really thinking about the work that we've seen tonight and thinking about what you've already heard what you already expressed think that the real state of this emergency is and also what disinformation looks like you know I when I hear things like when you talk about it I love that your statements right at the at the most most core we're talking about jobs right and so I think for me I think about sustainability right and I think about sustainability as an artist and I think about like state of emergency for me is I mean it's not even actors actually put it out on their reports which you can access on the website it's the first report they released in 2017 I believe in 2017 and it's the first one that they've done but their conclusion literally says that there is active discrimination bias in hiring like that is the conclusion right so like I look at that and I go how can we not ring the bell and say if playwrights aren't getting jobs if 80% of the theater is being written and directed by white Caucasian often times men I believe it's 70% Caucasian men who are still majority playwrights and directors and then we're employing 5% of Latinx actors and with that it fluctuates for black and African American actors that number dropped 4 points in the last year so the diversity problem is actually getting worse so I think about happiness and I think about sustainability and I think about putting food in your belly I think about living in this city which like as an outsider coming in I'm like it is so expensive let's get it and then I think about jobs at it's core and for me the emergency right now that I wish everybody would see and I know you do is where are these opportunities where are these jobs at the core we are still practicing our artistry that's our commitment to our art but in terms of actually having a paycheck yeah that's the part that for me is actually is a red flag right now yeah I think the name especially for me I a lot of times feel like and I know you said let American theater expeciecate but I feel right now American theater because it's like where the largest community in the city Dominicans are the largest community where are the Dominican playwrights where are the Dominican playwrights I don't see it ever and people look at me like oh Dominicans that's right and honestly generally feels like choking and when I look at the numbers out of 23 off Broadway houses in the last 10 years 36 playwrights have been produced and when you talk about the house and you talk about sustainability and you talk about being able to live in a city like New York City I mean even this is a separate issue but fair wage is another thing and I think I think it's important that we have the community and we have the community and we have the people and we have the community and we have the members there, that's part of the role that we have and what we do and what we energize and what we lift and that's really important that the theater I think he described and this is a separate issue but fair wage is thing that actors... reports is that us Latinos, the Latinx folks, we don't negotiate our value. And the data is there that when you're offered a contract, either if it's directly offered to you because you're going to present yourself or your agent, we are the ones that don't negotiate above minimum. So out of all the folks, out of Asian, Native, Pacific Islanders, Black, African American, yeah, all across the board, in place of musical theaters. So on average, just put the numbers out there, on average, actors negotiate about $92 weekly above minimum, weekly minimum. And Latinx folks are falling short between $20 to $57 on that weekly. So that's an extra $300 to $400 in your pockets that you are missing. Because we are, you know, we're only percent of 5% across the stages. When we are handed a contract, we should not receive it with gratitude. We should receive it and say yes and I'm going to negotiate $92 to $100 additionally a week because that is the national average. What is the national average? What's the number? $92. Additionally, above minimum, weekly. So for me, this conversation, Latinx theater, state of emergency, I think for me, what's really bubbling up is thinking about the marriage of white supremacy and capitalism. And that's New York City, the place here, the US globally Latin American country, the US historically the relationship there currently to this day and in the future I'm sure has been involved and I really think that it is that tie of white supremacy and capitalism that keeps kind of budding in. When you talk about within our community addressing our anti-blackness, addressing how we need to be doing work internally as well. And so for me that is part of the state of emergency. I think a big thing for me going to Colombia and being in Latin America is thinking about all of a sudden when you're in a place again where people of color, it's not the same. People are whites there. People are mestizas like me. People are, yeah, like there's these racial categories that you're putting that are just totally different and thinking about how things actually are worse in some ways and resource wise as well. So yeah, I guess what I'm trying to say overall is that for me like the state of emergency is thinking about people like dying and people needing water and people fighting for liberation. So yeah, I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say but this is where my mind is at at this point and I welcome other folks who are with me in this stage to connect and everyone has a role in the revolution. I don't really remember all the other strong questions on this. Next speaker, state of emergency. Yeah, I don't know. I think everyone has brought up such incredible incredible points that are even like one in my mind. You know, I do feel sometimes like, I don't know, sometimes I feel like I'm like, okay, I'm like freaking out about theater. Do you know? I'm like... You're just the rest of the world out there. You know what I mean? And then I get overwhelmed by it. But then I think sort of, and I think sort of what the points that you're bringing up like it is, it's like that constantly be written, constantly reminding myself of both my position here and in a position of incredible privilege of being able to do what I do and then also reminding myself of my position within a more global sphere. And then like, freaking out. You know, taking a shot and being like, ah, that's the emergency. I don't know. But I also, I do keep thinking about, I mean we talked a little about this idea of coming together and seeing these movements that are happening across the world in Latin American countries where people are truly coming together to make change and imagining like, what would that look like in a community that like for so long, like I have not truly felt a part of and has only been very recently that I have felt a part of a community that like I have been identified into and only recently, really in the last decade, really started to identify myself as a part of and wondering what would the revolution be if there was that ability to find that commonality to really begin to, not even begin, to do the work of examining our own anti-Latin or misogyny in our communities and our homophobia, transphobia. Like there's so many issues that came up in so many of the plays that were really like moving and there was one play that was like identity is not a platform. I'm like, what are you doing? I'm doing a conversation with myself and in the position of my own position and just like rattling this idea of, and not this sort of like, yay, we're all holding hands, we're together. But like, what does it mean to actually recognize like the power of literally this room, even just like looking out and being like, oh my gosh, like look at this room and what would it be to see this room everywhere, always in the American theater and what would that taste like? This play where he's had some traumatic unsavory moments. I'm excited when I found out that it would be part of the intent, the mentorship. But as we've had our open rooms where folks can come in and bring pages, Oscar and I have heard the same thing from other playwrights. That is incredibly sad to know that you as a playwright, in the most basic thing, taking identity out of it, as a playwright can't come to a space that's supposed to be for playwrights and feels safe to bring something that comes from inside of you and feels like whatever you're bringing, oh that's wrong, all this work, we don't understand it, doesn't make sense, that's not what people talk, that's not what people sound, that's not who people are supposed to look like. And to understand the trauma that that does to you on a psychological level, like, you know, so it comforts me in a way to know that having something like the Latinx playwright service, that playwrights can come and just bring the work and not feel like they're going to be judged. You can say five million words in Spanish, it's totally fine. You know what I mean? Or say five million words in Creole, in French, in Portuguese, in Quechua, all the languages that inhabit Latin America, like that to me is incredibly powerful. So I would love to see more. And I think the point of the collective imagination, right, is the collective Latinx intersectional imagination, right? When we start thinking about queerness, when we start thinking about blackness, when we start thinking about, you know, even Asian, Latino, it's like, it is intersectionality exists on all spectrums, right? And so what I love about that is that what you're saying is that we have to, I think what I'm hearing is that we have to confront our own whiteness, right? Or a relationship to it, and then do something about it, right? Because, or decentralize it, right? Because in these rooms, that's what's happening, right? In my casting sessions, what I try to do is like confront it, identify it, decentralize it, right? Even by just changing the person that's sitting in the chair, right? So like, yeah, that's powerful, and we can imagine it together. So I think that this all kind of, it stems from this idea that, and something that I talk a lot about, is that you can't actually create something until you've imagined it. And so just us all being here tonight imagining what that is, and actually putting it into practice, like this is us doing the work. And so we do have to wrap up this conversation. But I do want to invite the audience as you're thinking about these plays, thinking about this conversation, and as you're going home tonight, I want you to think about what is your role, and what does transformation mean? At 7 o'clock, after I go to this PRTT on West 47, the sole project is hosting our annual holiday party. And it is great for all to come. So please come and enjoy the discount code for Batcha playing at PRTT on Thursday evening If you type in S-O-L-T-N-O, we'll all theater night out in all caps. You will get a discount for tickets that night. What? Those tickets are awesome. We wanted to have you guys here to send the numbers, and the numbers are abysmal, like you said, and horrible. But there are strengthening numbers, knowing that this is what we have to face. The numbers are not going to change by themselves. We're going to change them. And we're going to change them in settings like this where we can get together and build a community. This is only a sliver of the community. So I have a few suggestions for you guys to take with you. If you may expand the viewpoint of your artistry, take business classes. Come for free at the Brooklyn Public Library. Educate yourself. Take space to quote Sozi. Build companies. Support each other. Once you have those companies, collaborate with each other. Next time singnyc.com. And then whenever those companies and those projects that you build are great or are suffering, please celebrate each other. Please celebrate your work. Don't be afraid to apply for grants for your work. What's the words that they can say? No, we've heard that before. Learn about development management. Take that admin position. And for the love of God, if you can, join a board of directors. You don't need much to join a board of directors. You need work. And don't ever underestimate your work. So as a community here, one thing we can do is grow. So on your way out, please make sure that you introduce yourself, that you talk to each other and you learn from each other and learn a little bit from each other, but that we all see each other's faces so that this continues and repeats. Because this is how it happens. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you again to our incredible panelists, our playwrights.