HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #57 - Discussion Item65
THE BRIDGE THEATER, w;N 000
P.O. BOX 38-1779.=�
MIAMI, FL 33238-1778
(305) 866-4529
September 9, 1988
Ms. Lori Lutz
Commissioner's Office
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133 .
Dear Ms. Lutz:
This is to let you know that I will not be able to attend the
Commissioners' Meeting on Thursday, September S. but would like to
reschedule for October's meeting.
Please let me know the date and tine of that meeting and the time
limit, if any, on ■y presentation to the Board. Thank you.
Cordially,
J.D. Steel
Executive Director
JDS/ee
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THE BRIDGE THEATER, INC.
P.O. BOX 38-1778
MIAMI, FL 33238-1778"
(305) 866-4529
August 9, 1988
Cesar Odio
City Manager
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
Dear Mr. Odio:
Mr. Perez-Lugones suggested I contact you for an appointment to
address the Miami City Commission regarding The Bridge Theater's
Hispanic Heritage Month production "Raining Backwards" by
Roberto Fernandez. The Ford Foundation, through an initiative
to The Dade Community Foundation, has given us a grant in
recognition of our value as an arts organization and a vehicle
for intercultural good will.
The Bridge Theater's mission is to present works by
Hispanic -American and world class Hispanic writers in English so
they can be shared with non Hispanic audiences.
The Bridge Theater wishes to have as many people from the
community in attendance at the various locations in Dade County
hall performances are free to the public) and would like to
address the commission about our organization, project and goals
and invite the commissioners and all city employees and families
to these events. As part of the Miami Arts Bridge project, The
Dade Community Foundation and the Business Volunteers for the
Arts will be assisting with publicity and a calendar of events
.rill 5e aiiely distributed. The !fridge Theater will also be
senling out press r_leases and pril,-ioting tiis event. tr. is
inpossibl: to have too nuch coverage so pl_ase 3siist by
?er-nitting us to speak at the next co:imissioner' 3 -aeeting.
;or�ii311,y , '
J.J. ateel
Executive Director
JDS/ee
P.S. I am enclosing information on the author and The Bridge
Theater.
C
THE BRIDGE THEATER, INC.
P.O. BOX 38-1778
MIAMI, FL 33238-1778
(305) 866-4529
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Bridge Theater has received a grant from The Dade Community
Foundation, under the Miami Arts Bridge initiative, to produce an
adaptation of "Raining Backwards" by Roberto Fernandez for its Annual
.Hispanic Heritage Library and Park Tour. This funny and goodnat.a,^ed
look at life in Miami focuses on life in Little Havana but will be
enjoyed by all who live in the Miami area. Eileen Engel. hts idaoted
scenes from the book with an eke for their universal qualities. f
you've ever wondered what new rules the City of Coral Gables wilj
come up with or laughed at the reporting style of some (-.;f our lo<tl
media people, you'll want to see "Raining Backwards" ... ar.;. then
read the book.
"Raining Backwards" ,-ill be perfor:red at Peacock Park: _n
Grove on October 14 at 8:00 PM, Bayside - October 15 at ': )) "', %;_st
Dade Regional library - October 19 at 7:30 Pal, Goodlet Park. =ii?; twit
- October 21 at 8:00 PM, the Main librar., on Flagler SCrc(!t - Ocr.,)ber
22 at 3:00 PIM and the Miami Beach library - October 29 dr. 1:70 FJA).
There will be no charge for admission ac aay performance.
Extra funding for this program will he provided by X-Tra Foc)4
Corporation.
For more information, call J.D. Steel at the above number.
Thank you.
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RALINING
BACKWARDS
berto G. Ferndndez
Born in Sagua la Grande, Cuba, Roberto G. Fernandez has
lived in the United States since 1961. Since then he has devel-
oped as a renowned satirist and chronicler of the Cuban com•
munity of Miami in his two novels and his collection of short
fiction: La montana rasa (1985), La villa es un special (1982)
and Cuentos sin rumbo (1975). Ferndndez currently resides in
Tallahassee where he teaches Hispanic literature at Florida
State University.
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G. Fernindez
Born in Sagua la Grande, Cuba, Roberto G. Ferngndez has
lived in the United States since 1961. Since then he has devel-
oped as a renowned satirist and chronicler of the Cuban cdm=:
munity of Miami in his two novels and his collection of short
fiction: La montana rasa (1985), La vida es un special (1992)
and Cuentos sin rumbo (1975). Fernandez currently resides in
Taiiahassee where he teaches Hispanic literature at Florida
State University.
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exploding into the American
cultural maihStr 'tn; ,
Cuando Cuandoto the stars" And in the past hasn't
the U.S. joined the cones line, I-A)uehi the Tnni Lo-
pez album, then mo%ed on heedlessly to something
else" It has and it did. But this time the prospects are
different. Latin influences that were once just a
pinch of spice for most Ameri-
cans are biddine to become a
vital partof the eider culture.
Demogrsphl,_s are the main
r' reason. The number of Hispan-
ics 1n the U.S. has Increased
t �0(7c since 1980. to 19 million.
They account now for about
7.917c of the nation's popula-
tion. Most trace their roots
y back to Mexico (6307o), Puerto
Rico 112%) and Cuba (5%); the
rest to the nations of Central and South America and
the Carihhe;in 11% the near 2000 their numbers are
, N I ;ij nu1h,)n. I5c', of the %rhole
And Ot -111 [-' S Hispanic, Inier
ni.lrr\ '.�Itii I1��11 I ll�j) fllle�, nr��llii�ln_ 'T,i: d,l� .�I'�!I:
.1
�lr,wd ( 1)" 1.
1,I-i.tirri;rr.,' ;.ter, , li�<ife��i1T1iC• l i�c'�reltll� '•'•I�
�'.';'.I.'.1',;_. ,,, ;i r'._,III� .1, 1!1� '..�ili �tl ..,'ll. •�nll'(I
.111,--I Alllell
Paintings and music that
spring from Latin sources
are being filtered through
a north -of -the -border semi-
bility. As in La Bliniba: its
story of Chicano life is told
through myths of imini-
grant strl.16'& and showhiz
martyrdom that were horn
in the U.S.A. IncreaonOv,
WA[.JULY It IWS
too, Hispanic artists atad entertainers are courting the
mass audience in English -..-Many of the nation's La-
tino theaters perform in English only. "I don't want
to he a good Hispanic theater," says Nlax Ferra, Ar-
tistic Director of Manhattan's predominantly Eng-
lish iNTA.R Hispanic American Arts Center. "1 want
to be a veiy goof, American theater." After writing
two'books in Spanish; Novelist, Roberto Fernandez
has just publishes his first-in*1 English, Raining Back-
wards, a comic account; of Cuban life in Miami. "l
did it for the same reason
that Miami Sound Ma-.''
chine sings in English;' he
explains. "1 wanted to .'
reach a wider audience."
he greater visi-
bility of Hispan-
MT
ics in the cultur-
ai I;ind:cape is a
remir,&r (h.it the ni,)t�,, of
1r) till-k t Uif llrt L!t> deep
'lll�r -�(ller �:1n it!(:. C?,pecialk in th:il
the \1,e,1. Nltl,:h -I
1?� t<-rn!iin Alt the \�e,tern �lalC,. Iro)ril I')
1....i,
le,, l,lll 1 1,111:ia�U, 1.!I.I.t
Fe —bear \%fitness to the set-
tlements of the early Fran-
ciscan friars. The first play
on American soil was per-
formed by Spanish colo-
nists in New Mexjco in
1598. Yet in the hilts of New
Mexico and the old mission
towns of the Pacific Coast,
the descendants of Spanish
t7
88-939- 1 ,
12C
e Miami Herald / Friday, May 6. 1989
theater wit .a , mission_
By JUAN CARLO'S COTO
itraldEtt•rW m•nt Writer 4
-.e.•,3 ;._01 `. �t: "i :.' t+
J.D. Steel, co-founder of the
Engel and Steel are pinning the -'
Kendall -based Bridge Theater,
success of their theater on the
speaks of "battles" and "perma- !
"high yuppie concentration" of
nent missions" -when referring to
Kendall. Not only is there more
his organization's work.
disposable income there, they say,
Miami. he says, is a town where
but baby boomers are more apt to
ethnic barriers can be torn down.
"get off the sofa and away from
where being Hispanic doesn't have
the box."
tloe ail of aecond-clasa dtizan-
"IV& not exactly Theatre Raw
ship he
has experienced fa'Newt sa}1a1?'BtMKendaf `
�
York. and Los Angelaa. is going. to be the are —,
So his* theater, indeed. has a In fact. Kendall Is home to two
mission: To be a "bridge" between other theater groups, the Actors
Hispanic and American cultures Repertory Theater'and The'A•ctors•
through En;llsh•language produc- Playhouse. f
tloa of works by Hlspanic•Amer'i• .' I don't think we have any
can or Spanish-speaking play-, competition," Engel says. "We
wrights. complement each other more than
"We're trying to break stereo- • anything else. The more theater
types." says Steel, who was born; there is, the better it is for all of
In ' Ell Paso. ' Tettaa.: •of ;)rflxicau et ;, s�Gr1t...... s►s .wt + ;;
M
American descent. (But tol create
Steel and Engel are finding
�ood theater — that's first and,
plenty of . support from local
oremost." :
groups. Members of the Bridge
Steel and friend Eileen, Engel
Theater's board of directors In -
founded the Bridge Theater in:
clude local Cuban -.American the -
January 1997. They held play l
readlogs on the public library,.
ater notables, among them Miami•'..
until August, when they
actor Ruben Rabasa and Ja
ullo
Gomez, who Is co -producing Ex-'
begicircun
began regular Tuesday night ses•
lions at the Hungry Whale restau-
travagant Triumph..The ,lighting
rant In Kendall.
system for the production chime .
The theater's first full produc';
from a community theater In
Lion, The Extravagant Triumph of �
Homestead, and the production's
Jesus Christ, Karl Marx and Wfl- :1
master carpenter Is Max Grimm of
Ifam Shakespeare._ a play by I the Live Bait and Tackle Cheap
Spanish • writer and dllmrtsaker, �' T1}eater. Group In Mani Beach.
Fernando Arrabal, premieres to-
But Stee! 'and Engel do their
night at the restaurant.
part, too. Last Sunday afternoon,
Extravagant Triumph is a comic,
Steel found himself making trips
bizarre and bawdy look at a
to Builders Square, in the rain, for
megalomaniac Latin American dic•
wooden planks to (finish the set.
tctor, a subject that should strike
'And in addition to his adminlstra.
some chords in bicultural South
tive and construction duties, he's
Florida.
taken on the role of Tailarin's
"It could be controversial," En-
Minister of the interior for thli
gel says. "It's bound to offend
production.
somebody. It says that a lot of the
Engel is ear, actress.
ess, but she I
polltical despots of the world are
" pays the bills" circulation
basically sexually repressed."
Engel won't say whether •
manager for a local trade publica• 1.
mthe bearded, cigar -smoking
tion. As the business person In the
Bridge Theater, she ' 'says the
main character, represents Cuban
leader Fidel Castro, but Steel
smartest thing she ever. did ,was
I
slipped ont.., calling him "the
write a • five-year plan for the
Castro character."
For the future, Engel would like
project.
donations It helps with dions a d
on _
'
to see the theater cross cultures
, .,
grants, she said. .:: •� r •,!,.:..
from the other direction as well.
You can't ask people; 40'. hs p
Her goal Is to produce the tradi•
you it you don'C%know,! In;t�
tlonal American play Life with
specific way, whats.you. want,to
Father and set it in Cuba in the
19fu►s.TUN
IXTIAV"ANY t'atwww i a us
CMRtaT, Ktiab IWARx AND WS"I&M M�AU-r
sitARat opm of I t•MaMs The 1
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idll irNtar•awN•r: MvrM M : st /q.ss
a�tar aHaa�; Nr renary
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torship in the Fernando Arrabal play? F. Daryl
THEATRE Gilley, in a Carbonell -worthy performance, #
stars as Tallorin, the bearded, cigar -chomping, 1
REVIEW khaki -clad Supreme Commander. A merciless,
outwardly homophobic Castro clone, Tallorin
WORMWAIMIRM1III @I 1 - harbors a closeted secret — Garapito Merari
The 17_# ,agant Triurnplr Of (Richard Bergeson in an equally good and
Jesus Christ, Karl Marx And Wil-
liarn Shakespeare
The fuel production of the season at
Miami's The Bridge Theatre is the irreverent.
comedy The Euravagaru Triumph Of Jesus
Christ, Karl Marx And William Shakespeare.
An outrageous absurdist farce in two acts, the
show is a ran -stop rib -tickler that explodes
through conventional mores. Director Peter
Haig gives his cast minimal focus, then allows
their instinctual abilities to flow freely through
their hilarious performances.
Who could possibly imagine that drag
queers, extra -terrestrials, cross -dressers, sado-
masochists, ego -maniacs and revolutionaries
would converge upon a banana republic dicta -
totally off-the-wall performance), a gay lxxly-
building truisvcstitc who lives, literally, in the
dictator's closet oblivious even to the )Minister
of the Interior Ioga Pavillon (1.D. Strcl a ho is
also hysterically funny).
_. When a 21st century extra -terrestrial (play
fully portrayal by Marc Cameron) arrives to
tell Tallorin that he will die three times, tic
dictator scoffs. But a pair of revolulion:uics
(Kim Ostrenko who is wonderful and Carmen
Lopez who is not) have other ideas. The plot
twists sharply and hilariously to its surprising
conclusion.
The Extravagant Triumph Of Jesse Christ,
Karl Marx And William Shakespeare is a tri-
umphant success for the fledgling theatre. Well
cast and directed, the comedy is flush with the
promise of The Bridge's vision.
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