"Thank you for giving me a safe place to create meaningful work and be completely who I am." -Ensemble Member

Art by Teatro V!da Ensemble Member, Narelle Thomas

Please make checks payable to:

Hispanic Resources, Inc.
We are a 501c3.  Your contribution is tax deductible.

Mail Check or Money Order to:

Teatro Vida
P.O. Box 80722
Springfield, MA  01138-0722

Ensemble members Eilianie Alvelo and Emmy Cepeda performed their original work at UConn, Storrs.  As a result, the campus Latino Cultural Center and students have started a writing club at the university!   

Teatro V!da poets also performed at Westfield University on April 14th.  An honor for us to share the stage with Dr. Manal Hamzeh.  http://www.wsc.ma.edu/gwhp/GWHP-Events.html  Thanks to Dr. Elise Young and the Global Women's History Project for inviting us.

On Saturday, April 16th, our youth ensemble organized and hosted another successful open mic at the Springfield City Library.  Special thanks to librarian Emma Peterson for being on site and lending her generous support.  We appreciate and value our on-going collaboration with the library.

The informal video interview below is courtesy of Marcos Marrero of the Springfield Institute.  Thank you, Marcos.

Recent and Upcoming Events:

Youth Leadership Training (ongoing):  
Learning to plan and run a peer to peer audition;
Planning, producing and hosting your own events and performances;
Developing your on-air radio personality;
Creating audio recordings of your original writing;
Learning time management skills;
Developing peer theater and leadership training;
Writing a Press Release;
Strategic planning for peer to peer recruitment;
Learning interview skills;
Ensemble leaders being trained in civic journalism at Amherstmedia.org (ongoing into 2012)


and more!

Recent Events:
Organized and launched a monthly open mic series:  Ign!te the Mic at the Bing Arts Center:  www.ignitethemic.org

Whatcha Lookin' At?  An anti-bullying performance; preparing for *tour. (scroll down to bottom for special note)  Launched at Weaver High School, East Hartford, CT.

Training with theater director Daniel Jáquez in preparation for performance;

United in Hope event with author, Wally Lamb, ensemble performance of their poem, In Living Memory

Field Trip to Amherst Cinema to see the Race to Nowhere documentary;

Field Trip to Red Door Theater in Feeding Hills to see Teatro V!da ensemble member, Ben Rodriguez perform;

Field Trip to Carbury Gallery at STCC for  art show by war veterans;

Two successful, full house, Teatro V!da Youth produced Open Mic at the Springfield City Library;

Four on-air visits as guests on STCC Radio, with hosts, Raquel Obregon and Marco Dermith;  Teatro V!da youth interviewed and performing their poetry;

Field Trip to Arno Saris Art Gallery, Westfield University;  met with visual artist and poet, Sandra María Esteves; NYC radio personality and musician, Ibrahim Gonzalez, and other artists.  Teatro V!da poet, Narelle Thomas, opened the performance at the invitation of Ms. Esteves;

Field Trip to new Springfield Art Gallery, Artist Square, at Tower Square, downtown Springfield;

All-day recording session at Amherst Media with Teatro VIda Poet, Emmy Cepeda, in preparation for upcoming poetry and music CD's by ensemble poets;
Performance at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, honoring Women's History Month; March 1st, 4:30 p.m.  

Upcoming Events:
Audition with Daniel Jáquez for professional male and female actors 18 and older, Saturday, March 5th 

11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; 1350 Main Street, 7th Floor Downtown Springfield;

Teatro V!da Poets, Carolyn Durán, Eiianie Alvelo, Emmy Cepeda, María Luisa Arroyo and Magdalena Gómez featured on WFCR's Tertulia radio show, with Raquel Obregón, Sunday, March 6th, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. time slot.

Teatro V!da Booth at the Springfield Youth Network, 2011 Youth Empowerment Convention, 
Springfield Technical Community College Gym, April 2nd from 3p.m.-7:30p.m.

Teatro V!da youth open for Fred Ho performance at Amherst Media CD Release Event, Thursday, April 7th, 7 p.m.
Amherst Media Studios, 246 College Street, Amherst, MA  Info:  413.259.3300

Ensemble Member, Eilianie Alvelo, featured in The Vagina Monologues, Friday, April 8, Saturday April 9, (both at 8:00 p.m.) Sunday, April 10th, at 2:00 p.m., Heritage State Park Museum Theater

Performance at Westfield University, April 14th, World Café, 4:00 p.m. (for women and girls)

Open mic:  Springfield City Library, Saturday, April 16th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Community Room
April 26th, Magdalena Gomez panelist at the Lincoln Center Imagination Conversation at the Bing Arts Center;  Moderator, Steven Dahlberg.

April 30th, Holyoke Community College, Literacy Event, Speaking Volumes, interactive theater workshop for children and families, facilitated by Teatro V!da Youth,1:30 - 4:00 p.m.  Other presenters include, Barry Moser and Lesléa Newman.

May 1st, Field trip to see "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" at the Pioneer Valley School of Performing Arts, Directed by Chris Rohmann

May 2nd, ensemble auditions for www.truthopera.org  A folk-opera on the life of Sojourner Truth (update, every youth who auditioned was accepted into the production!

Monday, May 9th, NYC artist, activist and producer, Liz Miranda, will be coming to meet with the youth ensemble and share about her life experiences in the arts and learn about the ensembles experiences.  Sponsored by the Community Foundation of Western Mass.

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., the Bing Arts Center and Teatro V!da present:  Firefly Jam:  Poetry and Music Improvisation.  The event will feature youth members of the Teatro V!da ensemble, Emmy Cepda, Elianie Alvelo, Delmarina López, Gabriel Cifuentes and Teatro V!da Artistic Director, Magdalena Gómez, and their Music Director, Heshima.  Poetry and music improvisations in Spanish and English will create an intimate and fun evening of intergenerational voices celebrating the healing power of arts in every day life.


Sunday, May 22nd, Teatro V!da members will share performance readings of their original work for the www.truthopera.org reception, preceding a Symphony Hall presentation of opera excerpts.  1350 Main Street, One Financial Plaza.  Lobby.  Free and open to the public.

MORE COMING SOON!

Teatro V!da, co-founded in 2007 by Ms. Gómez and the Latino Breakfast Club of Springfield, was the 2010 recipient of the Arts Learning Award for Most Outstanding Theater Arts Collaborative in Massachusetts.


Performances and readings from upcoming anthology:  Bullying:  Beyond the Schoolyard, beginning in September.  (Dates and Places TBA)

*Summer rehearsals for El Primer Cocotaso y la Creación del Mar (The First Upside Your Head and the Creation of the Sea)-a multi-generational cast play with music, on anti-bullying,  for family audiences and children in  grades K-4. (dates and times TBA)

*Ensemble Learning to produce videos, podcast and blog at Amherst Media, beginning in June.

*Youth members responded on their own to community crises:  tornado, hurricane, earthquake and October Nor'easter and organized fundraising, clothing and food drives, etc. on their own and with their schools, churches and community groups.  They made sure to check in with others and make sure everyone was well and safe.  Self-determination growing stronger every day!  We have had to adjust our schedules accordingly, but we keep moving forward. 

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