the university of texas at austin department of theatre and dance

directed by natalie novacek

EsperanzaRising

adaptation by lynne alvarez

october 3-12, 2014b. iden payne theatre

story by pam munoz ryan

OctOber 3, 9, 10, 11 at 7:30 p.m.OctOber 5, 11, 12 at 2:00 p.m.

b. Iden payne theatreF. LOren WInshIp buILdIng

adaptation by lynne alvarezstory by pam munoz ryan

EsperanzaRising

THIS PRODUCTION WaS CREaTED IN COLLaBORaTION

BY THESE aRTISTS (IN aLPHaBETICaL ORDER):

spencer blank – Music Director • andie day – Costume Designer • yongmin Lee – Scenic Designer patrick Lord – Projection Designer • natalie novacek – Director • selina rosales – DramaturgVictoria solorio – Stage Manager • Joshua streeter – Dramaturgsamantha Zuckerman – Lighting Designer

cast

EsperanzaHortensiaDon Sixto/MailmanRamonaMarielenaMiguelLuisIsabelModestaAlfonsoMartaMariachisEnsemble

Madison PalomoMartinque Duchene-Phillips

Oscar FrancoIzabella Arnold

Sarah CantuNicolas Garza

Max TorrezGenevieve Schroeder-Arce

Jenny De La FuenteHugo Ayala

Estrella GonzalesJulian Arizola, Robert Casillas, Joseph Quintana

Dana Arismendez, Erica Ayala, Ross Bechtold, Rachel Crowell, Matthew Hernandez, Lisa Veronica Martinez, Wesley Sadek,

Arnoldo Treviño Jr., Shanon Weaver, Sean Woods

utexas.edu/FInearts/tad

There will be one 15 minute intermission.

note from the director

Things in Esperanza’s world turn upside down in the blink of an eye. She is ripped away from everyone she knows and everything she loves without warning and without preparation. How will she find her place and sense of purpose without her family? Who is she now? Where does she belong? Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Esperanza has an important and terrifying decision ahead of her; can she return to the home she remembers or make a new home in her new place?

Esperanza’s journey reminds me of the old adage “home is where the heart is.” Even though she is distanced from the physical home where she grew up and from her family, she carries home with her; in her memories, in her heart, and in her stories.

In our production of Esperanza Rising, the physical home structure follows Esperanza on her journey. She may not have a pair of ruby slippers, but once she opens her heart to her new coun-try and the new people she’s met along the way, she’s able to realize that home has been there all along.

This story has been especially powerful to me personally. I am a native Minnesotan and moved to Texas last year to pursue my M.F.A. in Directing. In addition to leaving the place I have lived my whole life, I left my family, my boyfriend, and my little dog too. Just like Esperanza, I am cre-ating a new community with new people. I am finding the place called home within myself.

Whether you are home, have left home, or are looking for home - thank you for joining us today. For the next hour and a half, let’s be home together. There’s no place like it.

—Natalie Novacek

The Department of Theatre and Dance is a world-class educational environment that serves as the ultimate creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre and performance.

note from the dramaturgs

Set in the early 1930s, twenty years after the Mexican Revolution and during the Great Depres-sion, Esperanza Rising tells the story of a young girl who courageously crosses the Mexican border at the delicate age of twelve. Without her mother or father, she begins the journey to find a new home.

During the Mexican Revolution, and for many years after, Mexicans incapable of finding work in their homeland immigrated to the United States. Mexicans became migrant farm laborers in the fields of California. This specific state was a destination for work due to the fact that there were different crops to harvest throughout the year. Life as a migrant farm worker was very difficult, yet numerous Mexicans made the long trek to America in anticipation of a better life.

Migrant camps were not only a place for Mexican immigrants; the Great Depression and the dustbowl displaced American families equally desperate for work. Due to the growing number of farm laborers, owners took advantage of the situation by reducing wages and providing bare minimum accommodations. Some of the workers attempted to form unions and encouraged other laborers to strike for better wages and working conditions. The U.S. Immigration and Natu-ralization Services conducted raids and deported thousands of Mexican laborers, some of whom had become citizens or were born in the United States.

Despite the struggles of migrant work, Esperanza continues to be surrounded by the positive influence of Mexican traditions, customs, and loved ones. Along her journey, Esperanza discov-ers like the phoenix, she too can rise out of the ashes and build a new life. As you watch the play consider your own ancestral roots and what home is to you.

—Selina Rosales and Joshua Streeter

Julian Arizola

headshots

Dana Arismendez

Jenny De La Fuente

Matthew Hernandez

Genevieve Schroeder-Arce

Izabella Arnold

Ross BechtoldMartinique

Duchene-Phillips

Lisa Veronica Martinez

Max Torrez

Sarah Cantu

Oscar Franco

Madison Palomo

Arnoldo Treviño Jr.

Hugo Ayala

Nicolas Garza

Joseph Quintana

Shanon Weaver

Erica Ayala

Rachel Crowell

Estrella Gonzales

Wesley Sadek

Sean Woods

creative team

SPENCER BLaNk (Music Director) has worked at American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz in Austria, Centro Studi Italiani Opera Festival in Italy, and many other per-forming arts centers across the United States. He has played cabarets at Martuni’s and the Octavia Lounge in San Francisco, Washington Savoyards and Signature Theatre in D.C., Ac-tors Cabaret Theatre and The Shedd Institute in Oregon, and The Duplex Cabaret Theatre in New York. He is studying opera coaching at UT’s Butler Opera Center with Kelly Kuo and Kathleen Kelly.

aNDIE DaY (Costume Designer) is a M.F.A. in Theatrical Design candidate. She grew up in Texas and received her under-graduate degree in fashion design from Baylor University. Her design experience is in theatre, dance, television, and film. Before attending graduate school at The University of Texas, Andie worked on the A&E televi-sion series "Longmire," and the TNT series "Dallas." She is a member of the Internation-al Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 484 Chapter.

YONgmIN LEE (Scenic Designer) is a third year M.F.A candidate in scenic design. He began design and art work in 2007 in South Korea. He has designed sets for over 15 productions in film and theatre around Seoul and Busan City in South Korea. At UT Austin, Yongmin was the scenic designer for Dream of Perfect Sleep and Dead Man’s Cell Phone.

PaTRICk LORD (Projection Designer) is a third-year graduate student in inte-grated media design. Previous projection designs include Still Now (Shrewd Produc-tions), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (UT Austin), and the original dance piece Quiver (UT Austin). This spring will also see the launch of his thesis, The 5th Wall Project, bridg-ing projection art with medical care for pediatric patients. He also works as a scenic designer, and examples of his work can be found at patrickwlord.com.

NaTaLIE NOvaCEk (Director) tells raw and daring stories with effortless staging through contemporary, language-driven scripts. She is the artistic director of Loud-mouth Collective, known in her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota for tackling challenging solo performance and engaging small-ensemble theatrical events. Natalie was a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Selection Team Di-recting Fellow. She is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Learn more about Natalie's work at nnovacek.com.

SELINa ROSaLES (Dramaturg) began working with theatre productions as a fresh-man at UT. Most recently, she co-directed Alpha Psi Omega’s fall 2013 production of Noises Off and was the dramaturg for the spring 2014 departmental production of Dead Man’s Cell Phone. As a third-year B.A. Theatre and Dance major with a directing focus, she plans to be involved in more directing projects as well as continue the craft of dramaturgy.

vICTORIa SOLORIO (Stage Manager) is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in Theatre and Dance with a focus in stage management. She has stage manager several notable productions at UT Austin including In the Heights, The Women of Juarez (Cohen New Works Festival present by the University Co-op), The Cataract, and the world premieres of Gabriel Jason Dean’s The Transi-tion of Doodle Pequeño and assistant stage managed Suzan Zeder’s The Edge of Peace.

JOSHUa STREETER (Dramaturg) is a second-year graduate student in the Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities M.F.A. pro-gram. He holds degrees from Millikin University, Emerson College, and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He has worked professionally with numerous theatre companies focused in the development of and presentation of new musical theatre. At UT, Joshua previously served as a dramaturg on In the Heights.

creative team

SamaNTHa ZUCkERmaN (Light-ing Designer) started working in technical theatre in high school in New York City, where she worked with 59E59 Theatres and Guild Hall. She is currently a senior pursu-ing bachelor degrees in both Theatre and

Dance and Art History, and plans to graduate May 2015. Most recently she contributed to Dance Repertory Theatre as assistant light-ing designer, as well as Tennessee Williams One Acts Workshop and Dance Action as lighting designer.

dIrectOr’s cOuncIL

The Department of Theatre and Dance Director’s Council is a premier volunteer group designed to foster strong and collaborative connections between The University of Texas at Austin and the local community by supporting initiatives in marketing, public relations, student recruitment and development. As advocates for the department, this group of alumni, parents and fine arts supporters play a key role in continuing to build a professional theatre and dance training program serving thousands of talented Texans for generations.

2014–2015 dIrectOr’s cOuncIL members:

Carol Smith AdamsFrancesca Brockett and Jim PedicanoBarrett BruceJean CheeverJoanne and Jack CrosbyDee DawsonGary FarmerJoLynn FreeMissy GrimesPam and Edmund McIlhenny

Annie McKinnonDebbie OliverMiriam RelyeaRuss SartainNancy ScanlanMarc SeriffLaura SheffieldKaren SkolnikLeah StolarSharon Watkins

cast

DaNa aRISmENDEZ (Ensemble) pursued her love of acting after high school in San Antonio, Texas. Most recently, she performed in The Women of Juarez and The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). She is continuing her studies at UT and is pursuing a B.A. in Theatre and Dance.

JULIaN aRIZOLa (Mariachi) has extensive mariachi experience in Texas as a clinician, educator, musician and performer. Most recently, he was the musical director for Dallas Children’s Theater’s production of Mariachi Girl, a play by University of Texas at Austin Professor Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, and was the mariachi program director for Round Rock Independent School District. Julian is currently working on transcribing the musical score of the Man of La Mancha into the maria-chi form to premiere next year.

IZaBELLa aRNOLD (Ramona) a third-year student at UT who began perform-ing in middle school in her home country of Bermuda. Most recently, she performed in Round About Player’s Beauty Marks as herself, and in Alpha Psi Omega’s Curiosity Cat as "Halloween." After graduating in May 2016 with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, and B.A. in English, she plans on furthering her studies of theatre in the U.K.

ERICa aYaLa (Ensemble) is a junior in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Most recently she performed in UTNT's Or, the One with Dogs as "Marisol" and Teatro Vivo's Luchadora as "Liesl." She's excited to be a part of this production and hopes to be involved in many more at UT.

HUgO aYaLa (Alfonso) is a fourth-year B.A. candidate with a focus in acting and the-atre for youth. His favorite UT credits include “Wallace” in UT’s Theatre for Young Audiences touring production of And Then Came Tango, “Mark Gilbert/Louie Nash” in The Sparrow, and as an ensemble member in UTNT’s Bacha Bazi (Boy Play). Upon graduation he plans to work

more with youth outreach and engagement through theatre as well as continuing to act.

ROSS BECHTOLD (Ensemble) began performing in middle school in the Houston area. After signing with Houston talent agency Pastorini-Bosby, he began working in a few independent films and music videos while studying theatre at The University of Texas at Austin. After graduating in May with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, he will be moving to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for acting.

SaRaH CaNTU (Marielena) began performing at a young age in the city of Brownsville, Texas. Most recently, she per-formed in The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood as “Sheriff of Nottingham” and finished teaching musical theatre workshops for children back in her hometown at The Camille Playhouse. After graduating in 2016 with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, she plans to join a theatre company and tour around the country.

RaCHEL CROWELL (Ensemble) began performing in high school in Dripping Springs, Texas. Most recently she has performed in The Sparrow and Deja Vu at The University of Texas at Austin. After graduating in May with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, she hopes to move to Chicago to pursue acting and playwriting.

JENNY DE La FUENTE (Modesta) began acting in high school in Mexico City. Most recently, she performed in The Sparrow as “Joyce,” The Women of Juarez as “Woman” and Some Girls as “Lindsay.” She is a junior at The University of Texas at Austin and plans to continue acting.

maRTINIqUE DUCHENE-PHILLIPS

(Hortensia) has been acting in Austin for the past 15 years. She graduated from The Univer-sity of Texas at Austin with a B.F.A. in Theatre Studies. Most recently, she performed in Pinkolandia as "Camila" with Salvage Vanguard Theater, in Pulga Time Machine as part of the Mexcentrics Sketch Troupe with Teatro Vivo,

cast

and Old Broads as "The Aide." She is excited to be back on the stage at The University of Texas.

OSCaR FRaNCO (Don Sixto/Mailman) is a recent UT graduate (B.F.A Theatre Studies, 2014). Some of his favorite projects have been as co-director of Spring Awakening through UT’s Alpha Psi Omega, stage manager/design-er of “Thomas Was Alone: A Play Adaptation” and dramaturg of “Cielito Lindo” through Teatro Vivo. He has worked in schools as a teacher and director in the Rio Grande Valley, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth. Oscar is the fine arts teacher at KIPP Austin: Comunidad (K-4).

NICOLaS gaRZa (Miguel) is a third-year B.F.A. Theatre Studies major who spent the summer performing at SeaWorld San Antonio. Nick was recently seen in In the Heights as “Piragua Guy.” Other credits include “Georg” in Alpha Psi Omega’s Spring Awakening and work-shops of American Stage Theatre Company’s Section 60 and Tony Award winners Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann’s Untitled Zombie Musical. After graduation, Nick plans to pursue a career in musical theatre and theatre education.

ESTRELLa gONZaLES (Marta) be-gan performing in middle school in the Austin area. Most recently she performed in These Things Happen as “E” and Still Now as a Butoh dancer. After graduating in December with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance, she plans to pursue acting professionally.

maTTHEW HERNaNDEZ (Ensemble) began performing in church and high school the-atre productions in Hondo, Texas. He was most recently in the ensemble of the department’s production of In the Heights. Matthew also serves as the public relations officer of Alpha Psi Omega (co-ed theatre fraternity/honor society). After graduating in 2017 with a theatre degree from UT Austin, he hopes to help disadvantaged high-school artists reach their full potential.

LISa vERONICa maRTINEZ

(Ensemble) began acting and performing in

musicals in her late high school years. Most recently, she performed in Our Country’s Good as “Shitty Meg” and Teatro Vivo’s produc-tion of Quincea-what? as “Rosa.” Although she loves performing, she is pursuing a B.F.A. Theatre Studies degree and hopes to teach in her hometown once she graduates.

maDISON PaLOmO (Esperanza) began performing at South Middle School in Edinburg, Texas. Since then she has performed in various school and community productions. She was last seen as “Carla” in In the Heights (UT Austin). She is currently a sophomore in the B.F.A. acting program and is excited and grateful to be doing what she loves.

JOSEPH qUINTaNa (Mariachi) completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in performance with The University of Texas at El Paso and The University of Texas at Austin. Most recent credits include “Male Chorus” in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia and In the Heights as “Kevin Rosario.”

WESLEY SaDEk (Ensemble) began acting in junior high while living in Indonesia. This will be his first appearance on the UT stage after transferring from the University of North Texas. After getting his B.A. in Theatre and Dance he plans on working with local act-ing companies before moving to New York.

gENEvIEvE SCHROEDER-aRCE

(Isabel) is eight years old and a 3rd grader at KIPP Austin Comunidad. Her favorite activities are acting, singing, dancing, playing piano, gym-nastics and drawing. She speaks and reads in English and Spanish. Genevieve has performed in a rendition of Frozen at KidsActing, a work-shop production of War Games, and the Wizard of Oz. Genevieve was also in a national iPhone 5 commercial. Genevieve hopes to someday study the weather, marine biology or theatre.

max TORREZ (Luis) was most recently seen in the City Theatre's production of Psycho Beach Party (“Star Cat”). His other

cast

past credits include In the Heights (“Sonny”), Fiddler on the Roof (“Perchik”) and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (“Bromden”). Max is a second-year B.F.A. Acting student and will graduate in 2017.

aRNOLDO TREvINO JR. (Ensemble) is currently a third-year B.A. Theatre and Dance student, with a focus in acting at The University of Texas at Austin. Arnold was most recently seen as “Verna Cumberlind” in Under-belly Theatre’s production of Church of The Passionate Cat, “Hamlet” as a part of an under-graduate acting production of Hamlet and as “The Librarian” in Abe Koogler’s Advance Man.

SHaNON WEavER (Ensemble) was last seen as “Charlie” in Samuel D. Hunter’s

The Whale with A Chick & A Dude Productions (Austin Critics’ Table Award Nominee, Best Actor—Drama,) and as “Inspector Hubbard” in the UT production of Dial “M” for Murder. He is a senior at UT (playwriting focus), a gradu-ate of AMDA in NYC (1997), co-artistic director of A Chick & A Dude Productions, and a core member of Hyde Park Theatre.

SEaN WOODS (Ensemble) began performing in high school in the Fort Worth area and attended Birdville High School. Most recently, he performed in Seussical as "Wickersham brother” and Curtains as "Harv Fremont." After graduating in May with B.A. in Theatre and Dance in 2017, he plans to move to New York to pursue a career in acting and low wage restaurant jobs.

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october 10-19, 2014

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prOpertIes superVIsOrREBECCA SWITZER

prOpertIes assIstant superVIsOrRIKKI PEREZ

prOp masterR. SWITZER

prOp shOp graduate assIstantYONGMIN LEE

prOp artIsanKIARA MCGEE

prOp stOck managerVICTORIA SOLORIO

prOps admInIstratIVe assIstantVICTORIA SOLORIO

prOps cOnstructIOn creWJADA CADENAROSEANNE CARREONJASMINE GROFFCHRIS MONTALVOMELLINETTE PALLARESESTHER PERALEZKINSEY SCHACKLEFORD

scenery/prOps creWJOSH COLEJADON HATLEYCHRIS MONTALVOKEVIN POOLE

cOstume shOp superVIsOrPATRICIA M. RISSER

drapersBETTY CHLYSTEKSARAH LANKENAU

1st handsJAQUELINE LANDSMENALISON REIDROXANNE ROHMANNKELSY VIDIC

stItchersALISON REIDKELLY RUIZ

cOstume shOp prOJect managerDARCY WEBERG

cOstume prOductIOn creW chIeFsJUSTIN COLLINSKRISTIN WOMBLE

WIg and makeup specIaLIstALLISON LOWERY

WIg and makeup assIstantKATIE BASKERVILLE

WardrObe creW superVIsOrJAQUILINE LANDSMEN

WardrObe creWVICTOR BALLADARESDONALD BONACCITY CLARKROSALIND FAIRESNICHOLETTE GRECOADRIENNE GREENBLATTHANNAH HOLUBVICTORIA JOHNSONPATRICIA KELLYKATHERINE LOZANOMARYMAR MARTINEZSNEHA MEHTAJOSSINA NICHOLSONLILLY STAFFORDALLISON WOJTOWECZ

cOstume craFts superVIsOrTANYA OLALDE

cOstume craFt assIstantERICA HOHN

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cOstume stOck managerANDIE DAY

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LIght bOard OperatOrBRENNA STURDIVANT

audIO superVIsOrMICHAEL MALAK

audIO bOard OperatOrARIBA ITRAT

Integrated medIa engIneerMATTHEW SMITH

medIa bOard OperatOrKEVIN JACAMAN

medIa creWROBERT DI DONATONATHAN JACKSONEMILY VIALPANDO

dIrectIng adVIsOrSARAH RASMUSSEN

stage management adVIsOrRUSTY CLOYES

cOstume desIgn adVIsOrSUSAN MICKEY

cOstume technOLOgy adVIsOrJAMES GLAVAN

LIghtIng desIgn adVIsOrMICHELLE HABECK

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dramaturg adVIsOrANDREW CARLSON

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phOtOgrapherLAWRENCE PEART

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crew