SolTalk

For our Season 3 finale, David and Joey chat with playwright Mara Vélez Meléndez about making her Off-Broadway debut as Sol 7, decolonizing gender, and the queerness of the multiverse. Mara Vélez Meléndez (she/her) is a playwright born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her Off-Broadway debut will take place in 2022 with Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Board Members, produced by Soho Rep in partnership with The Sol Project. She also adapted the upcoming Spotify/Gimlet podcast, Case 63. Mara was a 2020-2021 Playwrights Realm Writing Fellow and is currently a member of Ars Nova’s PlayGroup. Connect with Mara (she/her) Instagram Twitter Connect with David (he/they) Website Instagram Connect with Joey (they/them) Instagram Twitter Follow The Sol Project Website Facebook Instagram Twitter This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) Website Instagram

In this episode, David and Joey chat with Dominic Colón, the inaugural recipient of Donja R. Love and National Queer Theater’s Write it Out! (WIO!) Prize, about the power artists have to shape and shift culture, the importance of prioritizing self-preservation, and the impact of people living with HIV telling their own stories. Dominic Colón is an award-winning writer and actor from the Bronx. Recent plays include Prospect Ave. or The Miseducation of Juni Rodriguez (Rattlestick Theater). His play The War I Know has been developed by the Latinx Playwrights Circle, LAByrinth Theater Company (2021 Barn Series), and SOLFEST (2021). His short play Where Are Our Angels? was a recipient of the 2021 Latinx Playwrights Circle & Pregones/PRTT Greater Good Commission.  Selected directing credits include: The War I Know (LAByrinth), Eduardo Machado’s Marquitas (Rattlestick Theater/Pride Plays), and Episodes 4-6 of The MTA Radio Plays at Rattlestick Theater. Colón’s half-hour television pilot Papi made the inaugural Latinx TV List, a curated list of the 10 most promising pilots created by Latinx writers. He was recently selected to be a part of the inaugural cohort of the Sundance Uprise Grant and is currently a staff writer on the upcoming Netflix series Pink Marine. Connect with Dominc (he/him) https://www.instagram.com/dominiccolon/?hl=en https://twitter.com/DominicColon?s=20&t=LbcDHIkytPdrt8JxNDSGfQ  Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/ Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/  https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/ 

On this episode, David and Joey chat with the newly appointed Co-Artistic Directors of Teatro Vista in Chicago, Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo, about shared leadership, how joy can be your currency, and their incredible 20+ year relationship. Lorena Diaz, a "Made in Chicago" hybrid of Peruvian Indigenous descent and American Latino swagger, has bounced between Chicago's theater and comedy scenes for 15 years. She is familiar to Teatro Vista audiences for portraying Carolina in the company's acclaimed 2018 world premiere The Madres by Stephanie Alison Walker. She subsequently co-directed Teatro Vista's 2019 premiere of Walker's sequel, The Abuelas. Her many other collaborations include work with Jo Cattell and Steppenwolf 1700 (Tumbao, a live radio play), iO Chicago (People in the City), Mike Oquendo Productions, Goodman, Playground Theatre and The Second City. She is most commonly known for her work over six seasons as the snarky Nurse Doris on Dick Wolf's Chicago Med, Fire and PD franchise. Wendy Mateo is a Chicago-based comedian, actor, writer, director and filmmaker. Mateo has been seen throughout the city's stages including Lookingglass Theatre, where she is an artistic associate, Steppenwolf 1700, and Playground Theater. Her directing credits include the 2018 play Not for Sale 2.0 by Guadalis Del Carmen at UrbanTheater Company. On TV she performs in shows like NBC's Chicago PD, as guest star Chicago Med, and as "Ronnie" in Station Eleven on HBO. Aside from her focus on expanding representation in media, Mateo is also an equity, diversity, and inclusion consultant and facilitator with the Nova Collective and her own consulting company, Ina Consulting. Connect with Lorena (she/her) https://www.instagram.com/itslorenadiaz/?hl=en  Connect with Wendy (she/her) https://www.wendymateo.com/ https://www.instagram.com/itswendymateo/?hl=en  Follow Teatro Vista https://www.teatrovista.org/ https://www.facebook.com/TeatroVista/ https://twitter.com/TeatroVista https://www.instagram.com/teatrovista/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TeatroVistaChicago  Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/ Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/

Joey flies solo this week as they chat with the incomparable Daphne Rubin-Vega about unlocking creativity during the pandemic, finding one’s community, and her upcoming film, ALLSWELL, co-written and co-produced with Elizabeth Rodriguez and Liza Colón-Zayas. Daphne recently wrapped the film ALLSWELL and can be seen in the Netflix release, TICK TICK BOOM, directed by Lin Manuel Miranda, as well as the Warner Bros feature IN THE HEIGHTS, directed by Jon Chu, playing ‘Daniela.’  She shot the Netflix series SOCIAL DISTANCE, produced by Jenji Kohan and Tara Hermann, and SAME STORM, the newest Peter Hedges film, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A staple of the New York theater community, Daphne earned a Tony nomination for her portrayal of ‘Mimi’ in the original cast of RENT, and another for ANNA IN THE TROPICS. Daphne was ‘Luisa Lopez’ on KATY KEENE, the CW spinoff of RIVERDALE and on the Netflix series, TALES OF THE CITY. She starred in the musical, MISS YOU LIKE HELL at The Public Theater, and in the one-woman show EMPANADA LOCA, which was written for her.  She helped adapt the play into the scripted podcast, THE HORROR OF DOLORES ROACH, which is currently in production for Amazon/Blumhouse TV.    Connect with Daphne (she/her) https://www.instagram.com/daphnerubinvega/?hl=en https://twitter.com/daphnerubinvega?s=20    Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/   Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes   Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc   This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/ 

David and Joey chat with creative entrepreneur Ricardo Sebastián about the origin and launch of Arraygency, the beauty in taking ownership of one’s journey, and how meaningful partnerships are a key ingredient to success.      Ricardo Sebastián is a first-generation Mexican-American, a longtime entrepreneur, and community organizer who recently came out as nonbinary. They have dedicated their career to supporting creatives and nonprofit organizations across the US, Canada, Mexico, South America, Paris, London and Australia.    Past clients include Gage John Lazare, Mamma Cuisine, Julius LaCour, Diego Montoya and Habitat for Humanity New York City. Ricardo began managing Jason Rodriguez in 2019 and is taking this next step to spotlight the importance of BIPOC, Queer and Trans representation in all spaces.    Connect with Ricardo (they/them) https://www.ricardoxsebastian.com/  https://www.instagram.com/ricardoxsebastian/    Connect with Arraygency https://www.arraygency.com/  https://www.instagram.com/arraygency/ https://twitter.com/Arraygency_     Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/   Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes   Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc   This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/

This week, David and Joey chat with the wonderful Karen Olivo about the origins of AFECT, the importance of self discovery, and setting up future generations for success in an industry that continues to demand accountability and transparency.   Karen Olivo (she/they) is a multi-hyphenate living/working on the ancestral lands of the Ho-Chunk Nation in Madison, WI. She is most widely known for their acting work that spans the last 25 years on Broadway and TV. In the Spring of 2020, Olivo  co-founded the non-for-profit organization, Artists for Economic Transparency (AFECT), in the efforts to educate the industry and promote discussion regarding entertainment industry structures and how they can be altered to better support underserved communities. www.Afectchange.org    Olivo’s most recent theatrical work is for playing “Satine” in Moulin Rouge, The Musical for which they received their 2nd Tony Award nomination. Olivo is also recognized for their Tony Award winning performance as “Anita” in the acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, a role for which she also earned Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations.    Some of their Broadway theater credits include originating the role of “Vanessa” in the Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights (2008 Astaire Award), starring as “Faith” in the Broadway production of Brooklyn the Musical, and in Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning musical, Rent. Additional world premiere theatre credits include Murder Ballad at the Manhattan Theater Club, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage at 2nd Stage, and The Miracle Brothers directed by Tina Landau at the Vineyard Theatre.   Olivo is also recognized for her many television appearances including a series regular, recurring & guest-starring roles on “Harry’s Law”, “The Good Wife,” “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Conviction,” and “Law & Order.”   As an educator Olivo has worked at Northwestern University, NYU-Tisch, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as working as a visual artist, writer, and vocalist. Their 1st solo album LEAVE was released in 2018.   Connect with Karen (she/they) https://www.instagram.com/karenolivo76/   https://twitter.com/karenolivo?lang=en     Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/  https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/    Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/  https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes    Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html   https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/  https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/  https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc    This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/  https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/ 

This week, David and Joey chat with actor Reza Salazar about making his Broadway debut this fall in Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s, surviving a COVID diagnosis, and being part of one of the first outdoor productions in New York City after being shut down for over a year.    Reza Salazar will make his Broadway debut this fall in Lynn Nottage's Clyde's at The Hayes Theater. Off-Broadway: Richard II, Oedipus El Rey, Mobile Unit’s Shakespeare: Call and Response and The Tempest (Public Theater), My Mañana Comes (Lortel Award Nomination).  He appeared regionally in the world premiere of Floyd’s by Lynn Nottage (Guthrie Theatre), Sweat (Arena Stage). His TV credits include: “The Accidental Wolf,” (Topic) “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Daredevil,” (Netflix) “The Blacklist,” “Believe,” “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC), "Louie," (FX) "The Knick," (Cinemax). Reza’s film credits include: The Imperialists Are Still Alive, See Girl Run, The Inquisition of Camilo Sanz. Reza is also a musician who has performed in venues such as Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater. Connect with Reza (he/him) https://www.instagram.com/reza.salazar/  https://twitter.com/TheRezaSalazar?s=20   Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/ Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/

Welcome to Season 3 of SolTalk! For our season premiere, David and Joey chat with living legend Luis Alfaro about his recent appointment as one of Center Theatre Group’s newest Associate Artistic Directors, how The Great Pause has become The Great Possibility, and he shares his wisdom for young writers.     Luis Alfaro was born and raised in downtown Los Angeles and is Center Theatre Group’s newest Associate Artistic Director. He is a Chicano writer known for his work in poetry, theatre, short fiction, performance, and journalism. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, popularly known as the ‘genius’ grant; the PEN America/Laura Pels International Foundation Theater Award for a Master Dramatist; United States Artist Fellowship and Ford Foundation’s Art of Change Fellowship, among others.    Luis spent six seasons as the Mellon Playwright-in-Residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (2013-2019); a member of the Playwright’s Ensemble at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre (2013-2020); a resident artist at the Mark Taper Forum (1995-2005); and has been associated with the Ojai Playwrights Conference since 2002. His plays and performances include Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, Mojada, Delano and Body of Faith. Luis spent over two decades in the Los Angeles poetry and performance art communities. He is an Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Southern California (USC). His recent book, The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro, was released by Methuen Drama this past year, and is the winner this year of the prestigious London/Hellenic Prize for 2020.    Connect with Luis (he/him) https://www.instagram.com/theluisalfaro/?hl=en https://twitter.com/LuisAlfaroLA?s=20    Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/   Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes   Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc   This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/irismarcelina/

For our Season 2 finale, producer Sammy Lopez joins us to talk about the recently launched Industry Standard Group, his experiences growing up in LA and going to see shows with his abuelita, and his love for the art of gathering.     Sammy Lopez is a Latinx artist dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices and stories through the arts. He is a producer, director, digital marketer, and social media manager working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and online. He is on the producing and social media team for The Old Vic's A CHRISTMAS CAROL and co-produced BE MORE CHILL on Broadway. With Holtzman-Lopez Productions he is developing the new musicals GUN & POWDER (2020 World Premiere at the Signature Theatre), HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO (In Development), BRADICAL (Zoom Edition now streaming on Broadway On Demand), as well as producing the Syracuse University Lewis Hecker Drama Showcase.    As a social media manager, Sammy is on the team at Marathon Digital representing Broadway productions, regional theatres, and other live entertainment clients in New York City and he is the Chief Media Strategist of 10glo.com, a new website dedicated to promoting artists by removing traditional barriers of entry in theater. In Los Angeles, he spent time developing the social media strategy at Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, the Kirk Douglas Theatre, in addition to working on the LGBTQIA+ Chicano activist/performer Dan Guerrero's acclaimed solo show GAYTINO.    He is a Supporting Teaching Artist with CO/LAB Theater Group, a non-profit organization offering individuals with developmental disabilities a creative and social outlet through theater and he is proud to be on the New 42 Board of Directors, opening new worlds to young people and families at the New Victory Theatre. Lopez is a founding member of The Industry Standard Group (TISG), a multicultural commercial investment and producing organization strategically formed to promote work reflecting diversity and increase the presence of BIPOC investors and producers in the commercial producing arts and entertainment field. Sammy is a graduate of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University.    Connect with The Industry Standard Group https://www.theindustrystandardgroup.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TISG.Fund https://www.instagram.com/tisg_fund/ https://twitter.com/TISG_Fund   Connect with Sammy (he/him) https://www.sammy-lopez.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlopez21/ https://www.instagram.com/shlopez21/ https://twitter.com/shlopez21   Connect with David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/   Connect with Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes   Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/

On December 4, 2016, The Sol Project officially launched its initiative with the opening night of Alligator by Hilary Bettis, in partnership with New Georges. This week, David and Joey catch up with Hilary to chat about what the future of the American Theatre looks like, what it’s like to go from writing for the stage to writing for the screen, and cultural competency when producing stories of underrepresented communities.   Hilary Bettis is a critically-acclaimed playwright whose work has been developed and produced all over the country including, Roundabout Theatre, New Georges, The Sol Project, Miami New Drama, Studio Theatre, Alley Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, La Jolla Playhouse, amongst others. Accolades include, Egerton Foundation New Play Awards, National Endowment for the Arts Grant, and a finalist for the Blackburn Prize, Kendeda Award, Nuestras Voces National Playwriting Competition, American Blues Theater’s Blue Ink Award, amongst others.   In television, Bettis won the 2019 Writer’s Guild of America Award for her work on the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning FX series “The Americans.” She wrote for the Hulu miniseries “The Dropout,” starring Kate McKinnon, and Amazon’s “Rodeo Queens” starring Dakota Johnson and Fred Armisen. She’s an alumni of the Sundance Institute Episodic TV Lab, and is developing projects for AMC, Hulu, and PatMa. She’s a graduate of The Juilliard School. Proud member of The Kilroys and WGAEast.   Follow Hilary (she/her) https://www.hilarybettiswriter.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hilarybettis/ https://twitter.com/HilaryBettis   Follow David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/   Follow Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes   Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc   This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/

This week, David and Joey chat with Helen Hayes Award-winning performance artist Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi to hear about her incredible upbringing by a family of artists, the road that lies ahead for Black and Brown trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people post the 2020 election, and the importance of the role an artist plays in our society. Today’s episode is released in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance.   Dubbed "The Ancient Jazz Priestess of Mother Africa", Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi is a Black, African, Cuban, Indigenous, American Trans performance artist, author (Yemaya’s Daughters, Brew, Wither, Baltimore: A Love Letter, Keeper, Remains: A Gathering Of Bones, Incarnate, For Black Trans Girls Who Gotta Cuss A Mother Fucker Out When Snatching An Edge Ain’t Enough, Solace, Infrastructure Of A Nation).  She is a Helen Hayes nominated actress, author, educator, speech writer and Helen Hayes Award winning Playwright (Klytmnestra: An Epic Slam Poem (2020), For Black Trans Girls…, Ghost/Writer, The Diaz Family Talent Show, Quest of The Reed Marsh Daughter, The Dance of Memories), Advocate, Dramaturg, a 2x Helen Hayes Award nominated choreographer (2016, 2018) and co-editor of the Black Trans Prayer Book. She is the founder of The Inanna D Initiatives, which curates, produces and cultivates events and initiatives designed to center and celebrate the work of TGNC Artists of Color. Considered one of the most prolific artists of our time, she is the first Trans woman of color to be nominated for a Helen Hayes Award (2016) and in DC to publish a work of Fiction (Yemaya’s Daughters (2013).   She is the curator and a co-producer of Long Wharf Theatre’s Black Trans Women At The Center: An Evening of Short Plays. Her radio play, Quest of The Reed Marsh Daughter, can be heard on the Girl Tale’s Podcast, and her play The Diaz Family Talent Show can be read on the Play at Home Website. She was featured as Patra in King Ester and acted as a story consultant for the series. She wrote episode 9 (Refuge) of Round House Theater’s web series Homebound, and was one of the writers for Arena Stage’s short film The 51st State. Follow Lady Dane (she/her) https://www.ladydanefe.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ladydanefe/ https://twitter.com/THELadyDane Follow David (he/they) http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/ Follow Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/ https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/ https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/

Welcome to the second half of our fall season! This week, David and Joey chat with Obie Award-winning actor Liza Colón-Zayas to hear about her legacy with LAByrinth Theater Company, her long-time relationship with playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis, and the importance of visibility and representing the full spectrum of humanity on stage and screen.  Liza Colón-Zayas is an original member of LAByrinth Theater Company. She earned the 2020 Obie, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for her performance in Stephen Adly Guirgis’s critically acclaimed Halfway Bitches Go Straight To Heaven. She has originated roles in eight Guirgis plays including: In Arabia We’d All Be Kings, Our Lady of 121st Street, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and The Little Flower of East Orange - all directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Liza received a Lortel Award for her performance in the Pulitzer-winner Between Riverside and Crazy. She received an HOLA Award for the Pulitzer-winner Water By The Spoonful by Quiara Algeria Hudes as well as Lortel nominations for Living Out, and Mary Jane. Liza toured Europe in The Story of a Soldier and Othello, directed by Peter Sellers. She has a recurring role as Principal Fallow on the Peabody Award-winning series David Makes Man (OWNTV). Follow Liza (she/her) https://www.instagram.com/lizacolonzayas_lcz/  Follow LAByrinth Theater Company https://labtheater.org  https://www.instagram.com/labyrinththeater/  Follow David (he/they) https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/  http://www.davidmendizabal.com/  Follow Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/  https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes  Follow The Sol Project http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html   https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/  https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/  https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc  This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarías (she/they) https://www.iriszdesigns.com/ 

In this episode leading up to the 2020 Presidential Election, David and Joey sit down with directors Estefanía Fadul and Galia Backal to discuss their collaboration on Carla’s Quince, an immersive virtual experience that uses theatricality to empower Latinx voters in the U.S. to use their vote to create the change they want to see in their communities.   Estefanía Fadul (she/her) is an NYC-based Colombian-American director and producer of new work. Recent: Carla’s Quince created with The Voting Project, Noelle Viñas’ Zoom Intervention (Weston Playhouse, NYTimes Critics Pick), Christina Quintana’s Azul (Southern Rep) and Scissoring (INTAR), Stefan Ivanov’s The Same Day (Sfumato Theatre, Bulgaria), and Preston Max Allen and Jessica Kahkoska’s Agent 355 (Chautauqua, NYSAF). Estefanía is the inaugural recipient of New York Stage and Film’s Pfaelzer Award, an alumna of the Drama League’s Fall Fellowship and TV Directing Fellowship, O’Neill/NNPN National Directors Fellowship, Foeller Fellowship at Williamstown, Van Lier Fellowship at Repertorio Español, and NALAC Leadership Institute. She is a co-leader of the New Georges Jam, and a member of the Latinx Theatre Commons steering committee, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and SDC. B.A. Vassar College. www.estefaniafadul.com   Galia Backal (she/her) has acted as director and creator for collaborative works including A Very Girly Story (EAT), One Day Older (Theatre Row), Silence (The Tank), Nightcap (Match:Lit Theatre Company), and If I Dare (Layton Studios). Galia is a cohort member of the 2020 – 2021 Roundabout Directors Group, The Civilians 2020 - 2021 R & D Group. She has worked with The Sol Project, The Drama League, Samuel French, Atlantic Theater Company, The Broadway League, Theatre for a New Audience, The Tank, and LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. Recent productions include Inútil by Alisha Espinosa (Teatro LATEA), Canciones Project Workshop by Beto O’Byrne (The Sol Project), The End Of Incorporated Filth by Chloe Hayat (The Chain Theater), West Side Story (Bay View Music Festival), Latch by Tom Mularz (Samuel French OOB Festival), Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph (Schaeberle), and July 7, 1994 by Donald Margulies (Schaeberle). www.galiabackal.com    RESOURCES Voto Latino: https://votolatino.org/  Mobilize LatinX Voters in Georgia: https://www.latinosfordemocracy.net/  Help Returning Citizens in Florida Pay Fines & Fees: https://wegotthevote.org/finesandfees/    Follow Carla’s Quince https://www.carlasquince.com/about-the-show https://www.facebook.com/carlasquince https://www.instagram.com/the_voting_project/   #TheVotingProject #VotoConCarla #CarlasQuince   Follow Estefania (she/her) https://www.instagram.com/ekf603/   Follow Galia (she/her) https://www.instagram.com/gbackal/   Follow David (he/they) https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/ http://www.davidmendizabal.com/   Follow Joey (they/them) https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/

This week, David and Joey kiki with star of screen and stage Robin de Jesús about his role as Emory in The Boys in the Band, figuring out how to age gracefully like Jane Fonda, and never losing the will power to stay curious.    Robin de Jesús is a three-time Tony Award nominated actor. He received his first major role in the 2003 cult-classic film, Camp. He has since gone on to perform in various Broadway productions including: Rent, In The Heights (for which he received his first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical), La Cage Aux Folles (his second nomination), Wicked, and The Boys in the Band (for which he received his third nomination). Additional theater credits include the Paper Mill Playhouse's productions of Grease and Godspell, the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ's production of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, the St. Louis Muny production of Aladdin as the title character, and the off-Broadway productions of Malpractice Makes Perfect, Zorba Musicals in Mufti, Patti Issues, Domesticated, and Homos or Everyone in America. Robin can also be seen in various feature films and television projects such as Gun Hill Road (2011), Hair Brained (2013), How to Make it in America (2010) and in the recurring role of "Jose Silva" on Law & Order: SVU. He can be seen in the newly released Netflix film adaptation of The Boys in the Band (2020), produced by Ryan Murphy, where he reprises his Tony award-nominated role. He is currently in production for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of Tick Tick Boom.   Follow Robin on Instagram Follow Robin on Twitter    Follow David on Instagram  Learn more about David Follow Joey on Instagram Follow Joey on Twitter    Learn more about The Sol Project Follow The Sol Project on Facebook  Follow The Sol Project on Instagram Follow The Sol Project on Twitter  This episode was mixed and edited by Iris Zacarias

On this episode, David and Joey celebrate the launch of La Gente: The Latinx Theatre Design Network with three of its organizing members: Ana Maria Aburto, Regina Garcia, and Tanya Orellana. They talk about the origins of the network, the call for V.E.A. (visibility, engagement, and advocacy), and the abolition of unpaid/underpaid work.   Follow La Gente on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagentenetwork/  Add your name to the La Gente directory: https://bit.ly/3iU9wCg Donate to La Gente: https://gf.me/u/yu9tj9    Follow Ana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anamariaaburto/  Learn more about Ana: https://anamariaaburto.com/  Follow Regina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasnenas7.garcia/  Learn more about Regina: https://www.garciaportfolio.com/  Follow Tanya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanyaorellanadesign/  Learn more about Tanya: https://tanyaorellana.com/   Follow David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_daveed/ Learn more about David: http://www.davidmendizabal.com/ Follow Joey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mxjoeyreyes/ Follow Joey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mxjoeyreyes    Learn more about The Sol Project: http://www.solproject.org/about-us.html  Follow The Sol Project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solprojectnyc/  Follow The Sol Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solprojectnyc/  Follow The Sol Project on Twitter: https://twitter.com/solprojectnyc 

Welcome to the fall 2020 season of SolTalk! In this episode, Sol Project Associate Artistic Director David Mendizábal and Associate Producer Joey Reyes chat with director Lileana Blain-Cruz about some of her most recent projects, being a theatre artist in the time of sheltering-in-place, and what it means to create a safe rehearsal space.  Lileana Blain-Cruz (she/her) is a director from New York City and Miami and was recently announced as resident director at Lincoln Center Theater. She is a recipient of a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award and an Obie Award for Marys Seacole at LCT3. Recent projects include Anatomy of a Suicide at The Atlantic Theater Company, Fefu and Her Friends at Theater For a New Audience, Girls at Yale Repertory Theater, Faust at Opera Omaha, and The House That Will Not Stand at New York Theater Workshop.  She was a member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, an Allen Lee Hughes Directing Fellow at Arena Stage, and a Usual Suspect of New York Theater Workshop. She was awarded a 2018 United States Artist Fellowship and the Josephine Abady Award from the League of Professional Theater Women.   She received her BA from Princeton and her MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama, where she received both the Julian Milton Kaufman Memorial Prize and the Pierre-Andre Salim Prize for her leadership and directing. Upcoming projects include Dreaming Zenzille at St. Louis Repertory Theater and McCarter, and The Listeners, a new opera by Missy Mazzoli which will premiere at Opera Norway and Opera Philadelphia. Learn more at www.lileanablaincruz.com.  David Mendizábal (he/him) is an NYC based director, designer, one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of The Movement Theatre Company, and Associate Artistic Director of The Sol Project. Learn more about David and his work at www.davidmendizabal.com.   Joey Reyes (they/them) is a queer and non-binary grandchild of a Mexican immigrant, born and raised in Southern California with six younger siblings. In addition to being The Sol Project's Associate Producer, they also serve as the Executive Assistant and Line Producer at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. Follow them on IG & Twitter at @mxjoeyreyes. Follow us on Facebook at The Sol Project and Instagram and Twitter at @solprojectnyc!

The Sol Project's Founder and Artistic Director, Jacob Padrón, sits down with two Latinx actors currently on Broadway: Irene Sofia Lucio who plays Patricia in Jeremy O. Harris's Slave Play and Arturo Luis Soria who plays Jason #2 in Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance. They discuss their experience making their Broadway debuts, bringing their whole selves into the roles they play, and the importance of recognizing and learning about the legacy of Latinx artists that have come before us. Arturo Luís Soria is currently making his Broadway debut at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre as Young Man 8 & Jason #2 in Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance through June 7th, 2020. He is a recent graduate from the acting program at Yale School of Drama, where, in addition to performing, he also produced two of his own plays at the Yale Cabaret. His solo show, Ni Mi Madre, has been featured at festivals in Chicago, as a one-night only event at Barrow Street Theater, at Yale Cabaret, and in the inaugural year of Ken Davenport’s Rave Theater Festival. In 2015, it received the Luso-American Scholarship at the DisQuiet International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Hilton Als of The New Yorker likened Arturo to “a young Al Pacino” for his portrayal of the fast-talking, sassy, Puerto Rican, snap queen, Tano, in the World Premiere of Hit The Wall by Ike Holter at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and then off-Broadway at Barrow Street Theatre. Arturo can also be seen recurring on season 2 of the Netflix series Insatiable. He received his BFA in acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University.  Irene Sofia Lucio is currently on Broadway at the Golden Theatre as Patricia in Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play. Broadway: Wit. Off-Broadway: Slave Play, Love and Information (NYTW), Orange Julius (Rattlestick), Undertaking (BAM), King Liz (Second Stage), We Play for the Gods (Women’s Project). Regional credits: Yale Rep, Studio Theatre D.C., and Cal Shakes, among others. Television: “The Americans,” “Bartlett,” “Madam Secretary,” “Gossip Girl,” and “Casi casi.” Lucio co-created the web series “BUTS” (NBC Short Film Festival winner). A Princeton and YSD graduate, she is originally from Puerto Rico. Jacob Padrón is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sol Project. In addition to his work on The Sol Project, Padrón is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. He is also on faculty at Yale School of Drama where he teaches artistic producing in the graduate theater management program. Originally from Gilroy, California, Padrón is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University (BA) and Yale School of Drama (MFA). Follow us on Facebook at The Sol Project and Instagram and Twitter at @solprojectnyc!

The Sol Project’s Associate Artistic Director, David Mendizábal, and Producing Assistant, Joey Reyes, interview artists and activists, Guadalís Del Carmen and John Peña. They discuss anti-blackness (both within and outside POC communities), decolonizing the self, and centering pleasure in activism. Currently based in NYC, Guadalís Del Carmen was born and raised in Chicago. She's an Ars Nova Resident Artist and a Dramatist Guild member. Her plays include Bees and Honey (The Kilroys List 2019), Not For Sale (UrbanTheater Commission/World Premier 2018, Jeff Award Nominee for Best New Play 2019), My Father's Keeper (Steppenwolf Theater's The Mix List 2018, The Kilroys Honorable Mention 2019), Daughters of the Rebellion previously titled Tolstoy's Daughters (Montclair State University New Works Initiative 2018-2019, The Kilroys Honorable Mention 2017, 50 Playwrights Project Best Unproduced Latin@ Plays 2017), A Shero's Journey (Yale Theater Magazine Issue 49, Parsnip Ship Plays Season 4), Blowout (Aguijón Theater, 2013).  Guadalís has been part of the One Minute Play Festival in Chicago and multiple times in NYC and is a Seattle Public Theatre’s 2017 Emerald Prize nominee. She’s an artistic associate of Black Lives Black Words, through which she has written two of her ten minute plays, Blue Wall of Silence and Racial Science. Guadalís is currently Co-Artistic Director of NYC Latinx Playwrights Circle. John Peña is an Afro-Latinx Creative Activist from Washington Heights. Combining his passion for queer art, cultural awareness, and community growth; John has founded the Reina Project. Reina Project taps from the wealth of QPOC Talent in NYC to produce spaces that center their narratives, bodies, and liberation through art. Through this John has been able to cultivate a variety of experiences in NYC from an art installation in the Bronx, to a panel at FlameCon 2019, and more. Partnering with countless community members, local orgs, and national platforms, John hopes to continue to display the beauty of QPOC autonomy, art, and liberation. David (daveed) Mendizábal is an NYC based director, designer, one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of The Movement Theatre Company, and Associate Artistic Director of The Sol Project. Learn more about David and his work at www.davidmendizabal.com.  Joey Reyes serves as the Producing Assistant of The Sol Project and Executive Assistant at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. They have worked as a producer, administrator, and facilitator on the east coast since late 2017. IG & Twitter: @joeykangarooooo. Follow us on Facebook at The Sol Project and Instagram and Twitter at @solprojectnyc!

The Sol Project's Founder and Artistic Director, Jacob Padrón, sits down with two Latinx actors currently on Broadway: Irene Sofia Lucio who plays Patricia in Jeremy O. Harris's Slave Play and Arturo Luis Soria who plays Jason #2 in Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance. They discuss their experience making their Broadway debuts, bringing their whole selves into the roles they play, and the importance of recognizing and learning about the legacy of Latinx artists that have come before us. Arturo Luís Soria is currently making his Broadway debut at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre as Young Man 8 & Jason #2 in Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance through June 7th, 2020. He is a recent graduate from the acting program at Yale School of Drama, where, in addition to performing, he also produced two of his own plays at the Yale Cabaret. His solo show, Ni Mi Madre, has been featured at festivals in Chicago, as a one-night only event at Barrow Street Theater, at Yale Cabaret, and in the inaugural year of Ken Davenport’s Rave Theater Festival. In 2015, it received the Luso-American Scholarship at the DisQuiet International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Hilton Als of The New Yorker likened Arturo to “a young Al Pacino” for his portrayal of the fast-talking, sassy, Puerto Rican, snap queen, Tano, in the World Premiere of Hit The Wall by Ike Holter at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and then off-Broadway at Barrow Street Theatre. Arturo can also be seen recurring on season 2 of the Netflix series Insatiable. He received his BFA in acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University.  Irene Sofia Lucio is currently on Broadway at the Golden Theatre as Patricia in Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play. Broadway: Wit. Off-Broadway: Slave Play, Love and Information (NYTW), Orange Julius (Rattlestick), Undertaking (BAM), King Liz (Second Stage), We Play for the Gods (Women’s Project). Regional credits: Yale Rep, Studio Theatre D.C., and Cal Shakes, among others. Television: “The Americans,” “Bartlett,” “Madam Secretary,” “Gossip Girl,” and “Casi casi.” Lucio co-created the web series “BUTS” (NBC Short Film Festival winner). A Princeton and YSD graduate, she is originally from Puerto Rico. Jacob Padrón is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Sol Project. In addition to his work on The Sol Project, Padrón is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. He is also on faculty at Yale School of Drama where he teaches artistic producing in the graduate theater management program. Originally from Gilroy, California, Padrón is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University (BA) and Yale School of Drama (MFA). Follow us on Facebook at The Sol Project and Instagram and Twitter at @solprojectnyc!

The Sol Project’s Associate Artistic Director, David Mendizábal, and Producing Assistant, Joey Reyes, interview artists and activists, Guadalís Del Carmen and John Peña. They discuss anti-blackness (both within and outside POC communities), decolonizing the self, and centering pleasure in activism. Currently based in NYC, Guadalís Del Carmen was born and raised in Chicago. She's an Ars Nova Resident Artist and a Dramatist Guild member. Her plays include Bees and Honey (The Kilroys List 2019), Not For Sale (UrbanTheater Commission/World Premier 2018, Jeff Award Nominee for Best New Play 2019), My Father's Keeper (Steppenwolf Theater's The Mix List 2018, The Kilroys Honorable Mention 2019), Daughters of the Rebellion previously titled Tolstoy's Daughters (Montclair State University New Works Initiative 2018-2019, The Kilroys Honorable Mention 2017, 50 Playwrights Project Best Unproduced Latin@ Plays 2017), A Shero's Journey (Yale Theater Magazine Issue 49, Parsnip Ship Plays Season 4), Blowout (Aguijón Theater, 2013).  Guadalís has been part of the One Minute Play Festival in Chicago and multiple times in NYC and is a Seattle Public Theatre’s 2017 Emerald Prize nominee. She’s an artistic associate of Black Lives Black Words, through which she has written two of her ten minute plays, Blue Wall of Silence and Racial Science. Guadalís is currently Co-Artistic Director of NYC Latinx Playwrights Circle. John Peña is an Afro-Latinx Creative Activist from Washington Heights. Combining his passion for queer art, cultural awareness, and community growth; John has founded the Reina Project. Reina Project taps from the wealth of QPOC Talent in NYC to produce spaces that center their narratives, bodies, and liberation through art. Through this John has been able to cultivate a variety of experiences in NYC from an art installation in the Bronx, to a panel at FlameCon 2019, and more. Partnering with countless community members, local orgs, and national platforms, John hopes to continue to display the beauty of QPOC autonomy, art, and liberation. David (daveed) Mendizábal is an NYC based director, designer, one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of The Movement Theatre Company, and Associate Artistic Director of The Sol Project. Learn more about David and his work at www.davidmendizabal.com.  Joey Reyes serves as the Producing Assistant of The Sol Project and Executive Assistant at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. They have worked as a producer, administrator, and facilitator on the east coast since late 2017. IG & Twitter: @joeykangarooooo. Follow us on Facebook at The Sol Project and Instagram and Twitter at @solprojectnyc!