Recipient of the Arts Alliance 2010 Outstanding Arts Collaborative in the Field of Theater Award
for the State of Massachusetts
We Activate:
Leadership. Literacy. Love for Learning.
Civic Engagement Through the Arts Across Generations for All People.
Training and Venue for New Voices and New Works.
High Expectations and the Tools to Meet Them.
~Creative Discovery Builds Character~
We don't need reality TV
we create our own reality.
It's that simple.
"The Teatro V!da performance was electric, and what is more, the achievement went well beyond the realm of provocative entertainment. Teatro V!da presents a new model for community education and development. The result was a dynamic, fluid, multi-voiced performance in which the audience was challenged to see themselves as empowered agents of change. It is a rare performance that brings together educators, artists, business people, families, and activists from eastern and western Massachusetts, reaching into NYC and as far north as Maine. It is a unique brand of theater that can inspire and charge that diverse audience with the task of moving forward together."
~Dr. Stephanie Athey, Lasell College, Newton, MA.
"I've learned more in one cycle of Teatro V!da
than I learned from years of training with other theater programs.
I've learned to be present, not presentational."
-E. Thompson, ensemble member
"It was easy for me to get good grades in school, but what I've learned from Teatro V!da in a few months is more than I learned in the last five years of living and anything else I've done. I am learning what it means to be a professional artist and a thinking person. I am dedicating myself to this work. " E. Cepeda, Ensemble Member
Our stage manager, Diego Angarita-Horowitz edited the two videos below; productions of Amherst Community Television. Below you can see some clips of ensemble rehearsals. Our rehearsal spaces are provided through the generosity the Greater Springfield YMCA and Samuel D. Plotkin Associates, also of Springfield.
Teatro V!da is honored to collaborate with Mr. Gary Bernice and the
High School of Science and Technology Concert Band
HSST International Fair and Benefit for Haiti at the Alumni Club
Below is a video created by the Springfield Republican. Artistic Director, Magdalena Gomez speaks about our vision for Teatro V!da. We thank the Springfield Republican for supporting our work and vision.
| Angels Among Us: Magdalena Gomez |
Below is our first anti-bullying PSA, a tribute to the memory and teachings of Howard Zinn.
"Teatro V!da is the best thing that will ever happen to you."
-C. Rosario, founding ensemble member
"Teatro V!da helps you find your voice. It is the safest place I've ever been." Yolanda S.
“Think Springfield youth are lost? Think again.” ~El Pueblo Latino
"Once again, I left the Springfield Museums transported by the beauty of your creations- the videos, the music, the dancing, and most of all the raw, fierce honesty of the performance pieces and how much it liberates us all to hear them." ~Jennifer Fasulo, NYC Activist and Filmmaker
"I don’t have the words to express how wonderful and how beautiful the performance from Teatro V!da was. My wife and I went away very impressed with the performance. It was a pleasure been part of that day. Thank you for the wonderful work that you do in our community. I am very proud of you."
~Bobby Visael Rodriguez, Chief Diversity Officer, Baystate Health
Lorena Garay, Teatro V!da Artistic Associate