‘Cuba and His Teddy Bear’ - Testimonial #1 - Epifanio Velez from La Plena Restaurant

Epifanio came to see the show on Sunday, November 22, 2009 and was very moved. The testimonial is in Spanish, but you could tell the emotion in his eyes.

For more information on La Plena Restaurant in Humboldt Park visit: http://bit.ly/5C5VUf

For tickets to see the Midwest Premiere and Jeff Recommended ‘Cuba and His Teddy Bear’ go to: I want to see Cuba!

‘Cuba’ is a co-production with the PEOPLE*S THEATER of Chicago, written by Rienaldo Povod and directed by Marilyn Camacho.

-UrbanTheater Company (UTC)
FROM the STREETS to the STAGE

Recorded on the set of ‘Cuba and His Teddy Bear’ by Ivan Vega

Chicago Free Press review By Brian Kirst

Cuba and His Teddy Bear -review by Al Bresloff

Recommended

“This is a powerful story filled with powerful performances…Each part of the puzzle helps to complete the picture that the playwright wanted us to see, and this cast does it to perfection.”

Curtain Call for a Latino Voice in Chicago Theater

by Allision Clark (Graduate Student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism)

Dance and art are more well- known in Latino communities, two Latino plays took center stage in Chicago this week.

This week marked the Midwest premier of “Cuba and his Teddy Bear” in Humboldt Park, and the end run of “The House on Mango Street” at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Lakeview.

The Chicago-based UrbanTheater Company (UTC) and People’s Theater of Chicago (PTC) brought Puerto Rican playwright Reinaldo Povod’s edgy play, “Cuba and his Teddy Bear” to Humboldt Park Friday night. Marilyn Camacho, co-founder and co-Artistic Director of the UrbanTheater Company, said she chose this play for her directing debut because the themes and characters speak strongly to her Puerto Rican background.

Since Humboldt Park lacks a theater, Camacho, a native Chicagoan, decided it was time to bring this play to Chicago’s Puerto Rican community so that residents could hear their voices represented through a live performance.

Saturday morning Camacho was notified that the play was “Jeff Recommended,” meaning that at least one aspect of the show was deemed outstanding opening night according to a Joseph Jefferson Committee judge. For Latino theater, “I think it’s a huge step forward,” Camcho said.

Batey Urbano, a small, urban space at 2620 W. Division St., fulfilled Camacho’s desire to bring the audience into the dark, dysfunctional world of a drug- dealing father named Cuba and his teenage son, Teddy. Camacho said she wanted to dig deeper into the façade of drug and alcohol abuse stereotypes in Latino culture and show the characters’ emotions and humanity. Samuel Vega, a member of the Batey Urbano collective, said the organization has previously housed UrbanTheater Company plays and is delighted the Midwest premier of “Cuba” is in Humboldt Park.

La Casa Norte,  another Humboldt Park organization, also supports the arrival of “Cuba”. “It’s great that theater came to the neighborhood. I hope there’s more theater in the future,” said Sol Flores, executive director of La Casa Norte.

Directing “Cuba and his Teddy Bear” has allowed Camacho to get the underrepresented Latino voice into a neighborhood that has little theater. “It’s about strengthening those ties with other Latino theater companies and supporting each other,” she said.

Camacho wants theater to thrive in the neighborhood, especially since many Humboldt Park residents have never been to a play, so she is offering a $5 discount on tickets for those who bring in a “Cuba” poster they got from the neighborhood.

“They have to see it because it’s their voice being represented and it’s about them,” she said. Some audience members were so moved by her play and said, they have never seen anything like it, because it was so powerful,” according to Camacho.

Sunday Steppenwolf Theatre,1650 N. Halsted, ran the last show of “The House on Mango Street”. The play ran from Oct. 13- Nov. 8 including a one- week extension due to its popularity. The play is based on Mexican- American Sandra Cisneros’ novel that shares the same name and is based in Chicago . Director Hallie Gordon, 43, and Adaptor Tanya Saracho, 33, explored the themes of identity, coming into womanhood and what it feels like to be a minority.

Certain factors influenced why Gordon and Saracho chose this play. This year marks the novel’s 25^th anniversary, and Mayor Daley announced it as the choice for the One Book, One Chicago program in April. Gordon tries to direct plays that represent her audience. Since Chicago’s population is a quarter Latino, she felt it was time to do a Latino piece.

Gordon said the audience was a diverse mix that included students on field trips from various parts of the city and suburbs and Latina leaders from Chicago organizations. “It feels like a melting pot in the audience in a really, really good way,” Gordon said.

Saracho said it was an honor to write the play, which is based on a ubiquitous novel that speaks to many Latinos. “For Latina women like me, how often do we get written for and get a dedicated space on a stage, and on this stage?” She added, “If you look at it from the Latino point of view, it is us. And it is so important that it is on this stage, this adaptation of this particular book”.

After seeing her play performed by the talented Latino cast, Saracho said, “We can do these kinds of productions,”

Saracho believes that Latino culture traditionally does not have much theater, but she also believes the success of “The House on Mango Street” proves that Latinos are ready to have their culture and stories represented on stage.

“Cuba and his Teddy Bear” will run until Dec. 13.

Photo by Allision Clark

Beyond The Pedway interview by Tim Jahn with Ivan Vega and Marilyn Camacho, both Co-Founders and Artistic Directors of UrbanTheater Company (UTC).

UTC is currently producing ‘Cuba and His Teddy Bear’ in collaboration with the People*s Theater of Chicago directed by Marilyn Camacho and written by Rienaldo Povod.

FROM the STREETS to the STAGE

Meet the cast of ‘Cuba and His Teddy Bear’ written by Rienaldo Povod, directed by Marilyn Camacho

Cuba and His Teddy Bear, Reinaldo Povod’s explosive drama about the relationship between a small time drug dealer and his son, receives its Midwest premiere in a co-production by UrbanTheater Company and PEOPLE*S THEATER of Chicago. Cuba and His Teddy Bear, with its themes of redemption, accountability and forgiveness, had a sold out world premiere in 1986 at New York’s Public Theatre, moving thereafter to Broadway. The Joseph Papp-produced drama starred Robert DeNiro, Ralph Macchio and Burt Young, each making his Broadway debut.

UrbanTheater Company/PEOPLE*S THEATER of Chicago production features: Madrid St. Angelo (Jeff Nominee, Best Supporting Actor, “Passage to India”); Ivan Vega (After Dark Award Winner, Best Actor, “Eulogy for a Small Time Thief”); Hank Hilbert (“Eulogy for a Small Time Thief”); Christian Blackburn; Erynn MacKenzie; Kamal Hans (“Merchant on Venice” “Passagge to India”); and Julian Martinez (Caravaggio,” “Merchant on Venice’)

About UrbanTheater Company: UTC is an ensemble of ethnically diverse artists and performers with roots in the Latino community. UTC is committed to the creation and exploration of urban-inspired works that convey, illuminate and empathize with the human experience. Its motto is, “From the Streets to the Stage.”

About The PEOPLE*S THEATER of Chicago: PTC serves the LGBT community of Chicago by presenting, promoting and preserving the legacies of LGBT playwrights and performers.  Its focus is on raising awareness pertaining to LGBT issues, both social and political.

Show opens November 6th! For Tix & Info: http://bit.ly/NN7Rc

Photos by Anthony Aicardi

Cuba and His Teddy Bear - Official Poster

UrbanTheater Company and People*s Theater of Chicago present the official poster for the upcoming collaboration written by Rienaldo Povodo and directed by Marilyn Camacho.

Poster design by Cindy Hardy

Photos by Anthony Aicardi

For tickets & info visit: http://bit.ly/NN7Rc

Proyecto Latina: Ruby Yo! @ 35th St. Cafe

Join Proyecto Latina on Monday, September 21st @ 7 p.m. as we make our way to McKinley Park to the 35th Street Cafe to host our featured presenter, Marilyn Camacho a.k.a Ruby Yo!, hear your work on the open mic, and see what emerges from the chisme box!

Marilyn Camacho is hip-hop femcee, singer, and songwriter Ruby Yo! Her music is a mix of hip-hop, R&B, and Latin soul that rings familiar to her Puerto Rican roots. As Ruby Yo!, Camacho strives to fill the current void in hip-hop music, and ensure that the woman’s voice is truly heard and represented in a respectable fashion that’s true to the art form and its original purpose. You can catch Ruby Yo! performing at several open mics and events around the city. Check out Ruby Yo’s! online: myspace and facebook. *

35th Street Café
1735 W. 35th Street Chicago, IL 60609

*Marilyn Camacho’s second artistic identity is as an actress, director, writer, co-founder and co-artistic director of UrbanTheater Company (UTC) in Chicago. UTC is a multi-cultural theater company rooted in the Latino community that is committed to the creation and exploration of urban-inspired works that convey, illuminate and empathize with the human experience. In UTC’s 5 year history, she has either acted in or produced a number of UTC’s shows, such as Short Eyes, The Sun Always Shines for the Cool, Runaways, and most recently Broken Thread. She is ecstatic about her current official directorial debut, directing UrbanTheater’s/People’s Theater co-production of Cuba and His Teddy Bear, which will run at the Batey Urbano in Humboldt Park’s Paseo Boricua this upcoming fall.

Will’s Corner: The Inner Workings of a Well-Oiled Machine

Hey all,

I am wondering if we can do this meeting as a conference call on Friday eve. I just got back into Chicago after a major delay and I need to pack my moving truck and head to NYC at 3 in the morning. I am packing the truck by myself and I need all the time I can get. What do we think? Some things to think about: Our benefit is less than a month away, how is casting for Cuba?, UCC (Urban Christmas Carol), Elayne Letraunik and UTC. These are the things that stand out to me, anything else from anybody else? Lets meet at 7pm Chicago time via SKYPE. I am sorry for the inconvenience but this delay could not be helped.

Sincerely,

Nikkieli DeMone
Co-Artistic Director
UrbanTheater Company

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What time can we do a conference call where everyone can be on board? My schedule is open. This Friday evening I will be unavailable after 8pm. I could make 7pm, but it will be from my cell, not Skype. Is there someone who could host the call in order for all of us to be on? We have 26 days before Rooftop Blitz. What can we possible do with that amount of time and still make sure that get people there for some end of summer fun and maybe make a little money?

I look forward to us talking and putting our words into action.

Until Soon.

Ivan Vega
Co-Artistic Director
UrbanTheater Company—————————————————————————————————————

I work fri evening, but can probably slip out for a few minutes for the conf call. I can three way someone on the call, but can’t host skype..

Marilyn Camacho
Co-Artistic Director
UrbanTheater Company
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
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Hey guys, don’t sweat it.  I had the meeting with myself and I really got a lot done!  Some of my new initiatives were spectacular, and the number of old business items closed out were legion.

On the next meeting front, once this meeting ended I was actually able to finish the page and a half of items pending.  When I discussed with me the option of delegating some of the stuff out to you guys, I brought up the argument that you folks are already overloaded and I made a motion that I table the item.  The motion passed unanimously with no abstentions.

On the round table discussion on the upcoming year I brought up the two performances pending, Cuba and UCC.  In discussion I came to the consensus that I am handling both projects well, as far as my duties are concerned.  I brought up to me that I am still waiting for my draft of UCC, but I reminded me that Nik would be sending it to me soon.  Once I tabled that item, I reminded myself that things are really looking up.  I agreed.

Hope these meeting notes have helped keep the few of you who couldn’t attend up to date, but I told me that on occasion one or two members may have things that cannot be put off.  I also agreed.  It just made sense to me when I mentioned it to me.

So, me, myself and I concluded the gathering and I went my separate ways.  I, myself and me look forward to catching up with you all at the next meeting.

Williams Hayashi
Business Relations
UrbanTheater Company

(Photo via Striatic)