Two River Theater presents Second Crossing Borders Festival

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RED BANK, NJ- Two River Theater Company announces the lineup of events for its second annual Crossing Borders festival of new plays by Latino writers and free public events, including an outdoor neighborhood party.

Over the course of the four-day festival, which will run June 28-July 1, Two River will present readings of four plays, live music by the Dinastia Hnos Castro mariachi band, Los Mas Valientes, and other local musicians, and conversations with artists and community leaders.

Second Annual Crossing Borders Festival

Two River Theater launched Crossing Borders in 2011 with guest curator Jerry Ruiz, who has returned to program this year’s events with Artistic Director John Dias. Ruiz has recently directed Love Goes to Press for the Mint Theater; Mariela en el Desierto (Mariela in the Desert) by Karen Zacarías for Repertorio Español; and Enfrascada by Tanya Saracho for Clubbed Thumb.

This season, the festival will include a company of writers, directors, and actors who will be in residence at the theater throughout the four-day festival.

Two River’s partners for Crossing Borders include Abraham López, Executive Director of the New Jersey Center for Hispanic Policy, Research, and Development; Marisol Mondaca of Red Bank Regional High School’s The Source youth program; Lis Mery Ramirez, Municipal Alliance Coordinator for the City of Perth Amboy Department of Human Services; Louis Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Monmouth County; community leader Gilda Rogers; and others.

The schedule of events

Thursday, June 28 from 5:30-7:30 pm

OUTDOOR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTY ON THE TWO RIVER THEATER PLAZA

Two River Theater will kick off Crossing Borders with opportunities to meet the artists involved in the festival; live music by the Dinastia Hnos Castro mariachi
band; and food donated by local restaurants including La Chaparrita, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and Surf Taco.

Thursday, June 28 at 7:30 pm

[Note: this play will be read in Spanish on Sunday, July 1 at 3pm]

INTRINGULIS
Written and Performed by Carlo Albán
Directed by Erik Pearson

At the age of seven, Carlo Albán left Ecuador and came to America with his parents and two brothers on a tourist visa -and never left. In public, he was a normal American kid who became a successful child actor on Sesame Street; in private, his family concealed their status as undocumented immigrants, living with the fear of being found out and sent away. In a solo performance interwoven with folk songs, Carlo tells his moving, funny, and engaging story of wanting to belong in the country he calls home.

Carlo Albán was born in Ecuador, grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey, and now lives in New York. He played Carlo on Sesame Street from 1992-1997. He continues to work regularly on film and television, and with theaters in New York and around the country.

Friday, June 29 at 7:30pm
PINKOLANDIA

By Andrea Thome
Directed by Jose Zayas

Two young sisters living in Reagan-era Wisconsin create imaginary worlds to make sense of their Chilean parents’ exile and troubled marriage. One daughter copes by wrestling with the political and cultural issues she’s hearing about, the other by escaping into a world of pure fantasy. Pinkolandia is a deep, inventive play about finding home in a new place. Pinkolandia will be read in English, although some dialogue in the play is spoken in Spanish.

Andrea Thome is a Chilean-Costa Rican, Wisconsin-born, self-described ‘mutt’ who grew up navigating the multiple landscapes and languages that inhabit her plays. She now lives in New York, where she currently co-directs FULANA, a media collective that creates cutting political/cultural parodies (www.fulana.org), and directs the Lark Play Development Center’s U.S.-México Playwright Exchange.

Saturday, June 30 at 3 pm
ENFRASCADA
By Tanya Saracho
Directed by Jerry Ruiz

When Alicia finds out her fiancé’s been cheating on her, her friends convince her to use folk magic to get him back-or at least get back at him. But with each visit to her ‘señoras’-or healers-the spells grow darker and Alicia becomes increasingly obsessed. This sharp ensemble comedy about women’s friendships depicts modern, upwardly mobile Latinas wrestling to reconcile who they’ve become with the culture they’ve come from. Enfrascada will be read in English, although some dialogue in the play is spoken in Spanish.

Tanya Saracho was born in Mexico, spent her adolescence in South Texas, and now lives in Chicago. She is a writer, performer, and director. Her play El Nogalar, are-telling of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard set in present-day Northern Mexico, was read at Two River Theater last summer as part of our first Crossing Borders
festival.

Immediately following the reading of Enfrascada, Two River will host a discussion with artists, community leaders, and members of the audience in the Marion Huber Theater.

Saturday, June 30 at 7:30 pm
ICARUS BURNS

By Christopher Oscar Peña

Directed by Daniella Topol

In the social landscape of the 2008 American presidential election, hope and change are giving rise to dreams. Two brothers work to reconcile desire, ambition, andintegrity. A TV journalist tries to overcome his fear of telling his own story. Anda family of new immigrants attempts to fight a cycle of abuse and make a better life. In this provocative and gripping new play, the lives of six people collide as they struggle to overcome their pasts, stay true to their beliefs, and take care of the people they love. Icarus Burns will be read in English.

Christopher Oscar Peña is a playwright from California, where he was the first of
his immediate family to be born on American soil. Shortly before his birth, his parents emigrated from Honduras, Central America. He now splits his time between New York and Chicago. His work has been developed or seen at The Public Theater, NYU Graduate Acting, INTAR, and many other companies.

Sunday, July 1 at 3 pm

[Note: this play will be read in English on Thursday, June 28 at 7:30pm]

INTRINGULIS
Written and Performed by Carlo Albán
Directed by Erik Pearson
Please see above for additional information about this play.

Sunday, July 1 at 5 pm

CLOSING PARTY

The Crossing Borders festival will close with a party in the Two River Theater lobby, with live music by Los Mas Valientes.

Schedule subject to change; for additional information, visit www.trtc.org.