Breath of Fire Presents Latina Ensemble in partnership with The City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency present MY BARRIO DRAMATIC NATURE SERIES.
Set in the beautiful natural surroundings of Santiago Creek and Watershed Center Amphitheatre. Each performance is paired with an art-making workshop inspired by the plays led by local artist and arts educator Diana Markessinis. Continue reading
CAFE CON DRAMA Presents MY TIA LOCA’S LIFE OF CRIME
written by Roy Conboy
directed by Laurie Woolery
FREE! Saturday, June 25 @ 7pm
Breath of Fire Latina Theater
310 W 5th Street (2nd Floor) Santa Ana, Ca 92701
(Above El Curtido Restaurant , entrance off of 5th street. 5th Street is a one way street)
As the story is told by Tia Loca’s nephew Memo, the Fountain Valley police come to arrest her, and after considerable trouble they haul her away to the station where she’s interrogated by Officer Ortega. The interrogation leads to the story of Loca’s rebellion against her lowly female status in a violent family, and her ill-fated romance with an Anglo boy from San Francisco. That romance leads to a lost child, a long quest to find it, and a fight for this woman’s place in the world.
Sponsored by
305 E. 4th St., Suite 200
Santa Ana, CA 92701
P. (714) 547-6100
F. (714) 547-6102
www.downtown-santaana.com
and
Eibar Coffee Company
#B, 320 N. French St
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 925-0445
Café con Drama Reading Series is presented by Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble And proudly sponsored by Downtown Inc., and Eibar Coffee Company. BOFLTE believes that this play-reading series is an ideal vehicle for increasing the community’s access and connection to the dramatic arts and for the continual development of local and national artists and playwrights. www.breathoffire.org
FREE Financial Aid Workshop
Sunday, January 30, 2011 / 10:00am – 1:00pm
Reserve your spot today by emailing debra@breathoffire.org
Eibar Coffee
320 French Street, Unit B (near the corner of Fourth & French)
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Google Directions: http://tinyurl.com/4pwznag
Click here to download the event flyer.
Sponsored by: Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble
“Supporting the Work and Enriching the Lives of Latinas in the Performing Arts.”
The Mexican OC
FREE Excerpt Reading from “The Mexican OC”
Part of ‘Gustavo Arellano’s Awesome Lecture Series!’
Thursday, January 27 @ 6:30pm
A partial reading of The Mexican OC, the acclaimed 2006 play that dramatizes some of the key moments in Orange County Mexican history. Afterward, Cal State Fullerton drama professor Melissa Hidalgo will sit down with some of the cast members to discuss the play.
With Alejandra Navarro, Lucilla Gonzalez-Borik, Sara Guerrero and Elizabeth I. Szekeresh
Fullerton Public Library – Hunt Branch
201 S. Basque Ave
Fullerton, CA 92833
Google Directions: http://tinyurl.com/4byglnk
Hunt Branch Phone: (714) 738-3122
Read more about the series in OC WEEKLY: http://tinyurl.com/47h8wdf
Sponsored by: Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble
Elizabeth I. Szekeresh
Managing Director
Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble
www.breathoffire.org
“Supporting the Work and Enriching the Lives of Latinas in the Performing Arts.”
There was a very good turnout at this evening’s meeting of the Santa Ana Arts Forum. There were representatives there from the California Arts Alliance; El Sol (an arts charter school); the SAUSD; the Kidseum; the Bowers Museum; Cal State Fullerton; the O.C. Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center; the Nomads, a new Theater group; the Breath of Fire Latina Theater ensemble; AVASA, representing the Santora Building/Artists Village; and the Wooden Floor, which used to be called the St. Joseph’s Ballet Center. The meeting was held at the Wooden Floor.
The meeting was moderated by Cindy Nelson, who works at the Santa Ana City Manager’s office; and Gaby Lomeli, who is the City of Santa Ana’s arts liaison.
The only media member there, in addition to myself, was Adam Elmahrek, of the Voice of OC.
CSUF Professor Mike McGee spoke about how much his arts students are in demand in industry, particularly in animation, and he also said that curators are in big demand. One of his former students, who curates at the Bowers, was there as well. (If you have not been to the Bowers to check out their new Ben Franklin exhibit you are really missing out!)
In general the meeting was an opportunity to network. But some of the artists who were there also had a lot to say about current issues affecting them. Many independent artists, actors and speakers were also there. Some spoke about the need for funding and jobs. Others spoke about the importance of helping to keep Santa Ana’s kids out of trouble.
It was great to hear about the success the folks at the Wooden Floor are having. Many of their students are going on to Ive League colleges – some are going to be doctors, others are opting to be architects or engineers. Only one attends a private school. The rest are public school students!
Nelson fielded a few tough questions, including a query about whether or not developer Mike Harrah has to provide a certain number of spaces for galleries at the Santora Building. No, he doesn’t, said Nelson, who verified that he is a private owner and the city has no such arrangement with him.
One of the AVASA members asked Nelson if the City of Santa Ana could post information making it easier to figure out the parking situation in the Artists Village. Nelson agreed to look into that. I think that is a good idea!
I am not sure what is in store for this Forum in the future, but I did learn a few things tonight and it was nice to meet many of our local arts leaders. Santa Ana has a lot of talented people working hard to advance the arts in our city!
My colleague, Sean Mill, recently extended an invitation to the editor of a local news and entertainment publication to go on a ride-along with Mayor Miguel Pulido, to see some of the great positive things that are happening in Santa Ana. The editor’s response? No, he said, because Mayor Pulido has not yet visited the editor’s girlfriend’s local store. How petty can you get?
Orange Juice blogger Gabriel San Roman topped that yesterday in a truly ridiculous post wherein he slammed the entire Santa Ana City Council because they did not attend a fundraiser for the Breath of Fire theater ensemble. According to San Roman, the Council was invited, in person, to attend the event, but they did not.
Is this guy serious? The City of Santa Ana provides a community calendar, where such events receive free publicity. Events are also featured on the front page of the City’s website. The City of Santa Ana also sends out a regular email newsletter, called Celebrate Santa Ana, that touts such events.
Councilwoman Michele Martinez also promotes these events in her monthly newsletter and on her blog. So does Mayor Pulido, on his blog, and Councilman Sal Tinajero, on his blog.
The reality is that our Council Members and our Mayor are busy people. Most of them have kids. All of them have jobs to do and many of them already serve on numerous charitable boards and civic commissions. Must they attend every event that San Roman wants them to attend, or risk getting ripped?
Expecting our local elected officials to spend all of their free time attending meetings and events is unreasonable. These folks serve our City on a part-time basis. They should be allowed to spend their free time doing whatever they want to.
Latino activists used to complain because the Santa Ana City Council was full of non-Latinos. Now we have an all-Latino City Council and their critics are still unhappy. Nothing will ever please them…