Teatro Vivo presents Verano en Vivo August 20 – 30 – 2015

Teatro Vivo will present Verano en Vivo, an intimate 2-weekend bilingual showcase of compelling new works staged by Austin Latino theatre mainstays working alongside up-and-coming visionaries

Los Tequileros by Dolores Diaz, directed by Alexis Arredondo –  One week end only – Aug. 20-23

Two Souls and a Promise and Crossing the Rio by Rupert Reyes directed by Rob Rowland  – One week end only – Aug 27-30

All performances are Thurs – Sat 8 pm Sunday 2 pm

Hosted by the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the company will stage Los Tequileros August 20th – 23rd, a featured drama written by Dolores J. Diaz and directed by Alexis Arredondo, followed on the second weekend, August 27th-30th by 2 Souls & a Promise and Crossing the Rio, two one-act comedies written by Teatro Vivo’s artistic director, Rupert Reyes and directed by up and coming Austin theatre and film artist, Rob Rowland . As Austin’s premier Latino theatre company, Teatro Vivo has crafted a unique theatre experience for this summer’s showcase. By combining the spontaneous energy of workshop-inspired performances with creative minimalist staging methods, the experience will highlight the vibrant characterization and provocative voices of these original scripts that delve into lost histories of the Prohibition era, star-crossed family legacies that float in a realm of magical realism, and the ever-evolving complexities of life and love on the border. The company’s mission to empower emerging voices in Austin’s theatre scene will resonate onstage as these compelling new works open our minds and refresh our imaginations in the midst of our mighty Texas summer.

Los Tequileros by Dolores Diaz, directed by Alexis Arredondo –  One week end only – Aug. 20-23 

Los Tequileros draws on a Mexican folk ballad to recount the deaths of three tequila smugglers at the hands of American law enforcement during Prohibition. The play itself, like the corrido, is lyrical and poetic at times, exploring cultural violence on the border through a story of smuggling and the line between justice and vengeance. Through macho and maternal gazes

it provides a rare look at Mexican American history and identity on the border and sheds light on issues both timely and longstanding. 

Two Souls and a Promise and Crossing the Rio by Rupert Reyes directed by Rob Rowland  –           One week end only –  Aug 27-30All performances are Thurs – Sat 8 pm Sunday 2 pm

Two Souls and A Promise, a bilingual comedy by Rupert Reyes, takes a look at reincarnation, Latino style.  What happens to us when we die?  Do we reincarnate?  Two young lovers make what seems like a silly promise in the moonlight.  That their souls will always try to find each other in their next life times.  If this is the case, this play takes a look at how that might happen and what that can bring into our lives.

Crossing the Rio, inspired by the idea of writing a comedic bilingual farce, Rupert Reyes needed a topic.  How about a border fence that is thousands of miles long, cost billions to build and can be easy crossed at almost any location?  Sounds like a farce from the get go.  Now add two Latino ICE officers are charged with protecting a mile long section.  The fact that these officers are father and son complicated the assignment, not to mention a very special “feature” that the fence now has thanks to Mexican ingenuity.

Tickets available  at http://verano.bpt.me                                                                                                  $10 – students/seniors/teachers/artists $15 regular general admission $20 reserved seating

Each Thursday is “pay what you wish” in person at the theater only. These ickets go on sale 30 minutes before show time on Thursday.

For more information on Teatro Vivo visit our web site teatrovivo.org.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/teatrovivoaustintx

Twitter – @teatrovivotx

This project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Economic Development Department/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future.  Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.