Do you have a defining moment that led to your career in Physical Theatre?
I come from a family whose main interests are in math and sciences. While both are now retired, my dad was an engineer, and my mom was a CPA. I received an awesome education at home, but it wasn’t arts related, at all.
I remember two moments when I encountered theatre. In 9th grade, I took an elective theatre class. Then, in 10th grade, I saw a show that was a Puerto Rican classic. I kept thinking that I really liked theatre, even though it wasn’t a popular area of study in Puerto Rico. I put my interest in theatre aside and started undergraduate studies in Engineering.
Once in a college philosophy class, a fellow student mentioned being in a play and invited the class to come. I thought, “oh, there’s theatre here.” I went to the play and was more or less recruited by the teachers, because they were looking for more students to take their classes. I got into theatre but was just doing it for fun. Then one of my theatre groups gained an opportunity to travel and perform in the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic, people took note of and commended the way I was performing in a distinct, highly physical style. That moment in the DR, I was out of my comfort zone and the recognition I received was the push I needed. It was then that I, an engineering student, thought: “Oh shoot, maybe my path isn’t engineering after all.” From there I started crafting how to lie to my parents and pursue a different degree.
What brought you to Charlotte and what keep you here?
We were based in Portland, OR, and I was working with physical theatre shows and traveling circuses, touring all over the country and abroad. When we had our first child, my wife said, “no more touring”. I couldn’t bear traveling for three months at a time.
Teaching acting at the college level is a tough job, with lot of classes and almost no pay. Since I already had my master’s degree, I decided to go on the market to assess whether teaching was an option for me. Plus, my wife and I were looking to move closer to Miami because we have family there and it’s a hub for traveling to Puerto Rico. Among my job offers, UNC Charlotte was the closest to Miami and within driving distance. So here we are!
The first year living in Charlotte was complicated. I was unfamiliar with the region and its politics. During my time growing up in Puerto Rico, I learned very little about the States. Even though Puerto Ricans are American citizens, we are more in tune with happenings in Latin America. The American South has an extreme environment, and it took time to adapt. This is my 10th year, and soon Charlotte will be the place I have lived the longest.
What’s your happy place and why?
I love being with my wife, kids and family. I have two young daughters, so there are three girls in the house. I am outnumbered in a marvelous, gorgeous and loving way. I just love it. And when my parents, brother and his family come to visit, I am happy.
I also love being in the classroom with my students. I try to be the faculty member who mentors students throughout their time on campus and into their careers. I’m here for all students. As a Latinx faculty member, I know representation matters so quite frankly I try specially to make myself available to our Black and Brown kids.
Creative spaces, like the studio, make me happy too. I am thankful that I have worked hard in life and have reached a point in my career where I can I choose what I want to do—the shows with Nouveau Sud, for example. As creatives and performers, we all study. We ask questions. We think through and deconstruct things. We go deeper. We acknowledge that the themes we portray are hard ones and that most people wouldn’t produce them for fear of repercussions in terms of funding. Yes, we need funds to create our shows, but it is truer to who we are to speak directly. Nouveau Sud was primarily created from ideas coming from underrepresented voices. We are Black, Brown and Asian. If we don’t do it who will? That’s the way I think about it. To be able to be in a space where we can be that free is also another happy spot.
So, it is my family, my work with students, and my work with artists at Nouveau Sud that make me happy.
Tell me more about Nouveau Sud and what’s on the horizon.
When I got to Charlotte, I saw two big issues: lack of circus and lack of representation on the stage. It was a matter of access.
Through ASC’s “McColl Award,” I submitted a grant proposal to go into communities to teach workshops on circus and ultimately to bring people together through the acrobatic language. The idea went from workshops on neighborhood streets, to mainstage shows with Blumenthal, to the opening ceremony for the Kimpton Hotel, to gala events at the Gantt and other venues. Now we are doing five mainstage shows as professionals. Nouveau Sud’s most recent show La Bestia was about migration, spotlighting the stories and journeys of Central American migrants’ coming to the United States. We are currently working to tour with the show and hope to be in Chicago by the summer. We also are thinking about another program around safety and gun violence, particularly in light of the 2019 campus shooting at UNC Charlotte and the neighborhood shooting this month in Raleigh. As a society, we must do better.
Nouveau Sud is an initiative that was born in Charlotte. We started in 2014 in the streets and now we’re on our way to a national tour. We have always said it’s “for, about and from Charlotte.” Marginalized communities and people of color are a significant part of our community, yet we don’t see this on the stage. Members of Nouveau Sud are proud about bringing representation to the stage, unapologetically.
In the wake of the pandemic have you emerged with new views or goals?
Yes, I personally needed that pause. At the same time, I lament that we lost people that we shouldn’t have and that things weren’t addressed as quickly as could have been. In my case, the shutdown allowed me to reflect on many things. Why do I do what I do?
It brought me closer to my family in a world where we live in a vortex, where everything is moving at a million miles per hour. It’s particularly demanding when you are an artist challenging the system and a professor challenging the academic system. I barely had time to see my kids. The pandemic slowed down things, and I will cherish that time for the rest of life. I sometimes secretly wish we were all still confined home together.
The pandemic brought attention to global actions and concepts. It brought the world closer together. I sometimes say we live in multiple worlds. It can feel smaller because of the Internet. During the slow down, I was able to reach out to people everywhere and became aware of certain dynamics I didn’t know before and to find what we have in common. It was a reassuring.
During the pandemic, more people came to value the arts and how artists and performers can reach various audiences. I am thankful that my work is live, which can create a sense of community. Today there is renewed recognition of the power of community and being physically present with each other.
