UrbanTheater G.R.I.N.D

Oh, you thought those were all of our wonderful actors? Think again! Meet Mateo Hurtado, who plays Geraldo Alanis in Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked the following questions so you could get to know them better:

What was your first experience with house music?

My first experience with house music probably happened earlier than I can remember since it was blasting all throughout my youth. But! At a really young age, I do remember loving it, the bass and the rhythms are completely freeing. 

What is your favorite line in the show?

There are plenty to choose from but if I had to pick one it would definitely be: “This [Expletive] doin’ math." 

Do you identify with your character? 

I think there are MC and crowd work qualities that Geraldo depends on for his own momentum and to really engage everyone’s senses at Jenal’s. That type of hype and hoopla is something I gravitate towards as a performer and a person. 

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. Geraldo isn’t technically in any of them, but he does make a profit on all of their battles at Jenal’s. Which could you see yourself auditioning for?

Ha! I would audition for the ALLSTARS perhaps (And not get in). 

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

That’s definitely a toss-up between the first read-through and the designer run. Both were similar yet vastly different moments to really take a leap and perform the task of telling this story. Or in other words, it was wonderful to see different glimpses of this arc, this tale in different phases well before opening night! Especially since this is a new work.  

What are you most excited for people to see in Back in the Day?

For the love of house music and this city that we call Chicago! The music and moves will barely keep you at your seat. Attend immediately. 

What dance move do you think sums up the show or your experience working on the show?

The electric slide! Audiences will have to swing by and see why that’s the case!

You only have two more chances to see  Mateo and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

Say hello to Claudia Quesada! She plays Chalie Ríos in Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked the following questions so you could get to know them better:

What was your first experience with house music?

When I was about 9 in parties in Cuba, I didn’t know the name I just knew I just kept jumping and hyped about it, haha. 

What is your favorite line in the show?

There are a couple of lines that I love, but I think my favorite is Gringo’s line: “Thank you for accepting who I am, with all my crazy.” Because this show has been like that, we are all a big family and everyone is crazy in the most beautiful way and we love and accept each other’s craziness. 

Do you identify with your character?

Ha! This is a funny question because when I first got the role, I didn’t think I identified with Chalie. I was more like a Miss B because she was tough and very direct. That’s more like me. But as I immersed myself into Chalie’s storyline, I started to connect more and more. She was shy but then spoke her mind, and when she was performing she just gave her all no matter what, always behind Gringo’s vision. And I am like that. I am shy. Sometimes I have to use my acting skills to break out of the shell, be social, and interact with people. When I’m acting, that goes away, and I am ready to be exposed, haha. And when I’m doing a show I believe in, I give my all to it and defend it with all my being. So, yes, I do identify with her and I have loved every single chance I’ve had to embodied her.

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. Chalie is a proud ALLSTAR, but which could you see yourself dancing for?

Ha! Tricky, I will base my answer only on dancing style. Gringo forgive me, haha. I would audition for the CULITOS simply for all the booty and shoulder shaking, haha. I teach Zumba and those are the type of moves I use the most. 

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

The warmth from the very beginning. Like I mentioned before, from the getgo it has felt like a huge mixed family. I love coming to play with them. It doesn’t feel like work. The space is welcoming and warm. It is managed and directed by people doing theatre for the love of art and not for a commercial purpose, and it shows. 

Another moment was when Tony announced [the cast] gets a personalized coffee mug and free coffee at all times. Coffee is my spirit animal and so that made me very happy, and because of that, he became my favorite. Ok, don’t tell him though. 

Originally posted by excitementshewrote

What are you most excited for people to see in Back in the Day?

How dance connects us. Despite the differences each person might have, they found music and dancing the source to connect. I think the world needs more of that, we need to listen more, connect and dance, and dance. 

What dance move do you think sums up the show or your experience working on the show?

The hairbrush, hahaha. It is not so common now and is a move that when I see someone doing it, it does take me Back in the Day. You see what I did there? Haha.

(Not technically the dance move, but adorable nonetheless) 

You can see Claudia and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

Hey hey hey! There’s another lovely actor here for you to get to know. Give a real warm welcome to Amy Toruño, our Beatriz “Miss B” Soto in Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked the following questions so you could get to know them better:

What was your first experience with house music? 

This was my mom’s era, so I grew up listening to it at home. 

What is your favorite line in the show?

Eddie’s line “my mother says it’s the devil getting back to the gays.” I think it’s so poignant and of the time. Helps the audience relate to all the queer characters online. 

Do you identify with your character?

I love Miss B. She doesn’t take no for an answer and she was a pioneer of her time. I also left everything behind to pursue my career. 

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. Miss B’s an ALLSTAR, but which would you join?

I learned some of the IMPORTED TASTE choreography and loved it. I like the Jazz infusion and technique it requires.

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

The Puerto Rican Day Parade! I felt like J-Lo. It was the happiest day of my life (although I think most people say that about their weddings). I felt like a local celebrity and loved the party afterward. Eating tacos off of paper plates, dancing, kids running around… I felt “en familia.” 

What dance move do you think sums up the show or your experience working on the show?

My movement for Miss B is very strong. Lots of throwing punches and firm steps. That definitely helped me embody her. I loved finding that in the original choreography. How she moves vs how I move. It’s a marathon. Very arm heavy, the kids in the 80s really knew how to party!

You can see Amy and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

Here’s another chance to get to know one of our lovely cast members. Give the warmest welcome to Nicolas Del Valle Jr, otherwise known as Leach Solís in Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked the following questions so you could get to know them better:

What was your first experience with house music?

My first experience with house music was an old school CD my mama had in her car by “Mario Smokin Diaz”. I believe she had both Volume 1 & 2. We’d jam out to it occasionally but mami didn’t like us listening to it too much, so my sister and I would tell her we’d want to wait in the car when she ran errands so we can blast the CD while she was gone, and keep a lookout when she came back to eject and play the radio. That mix HITS, and is my standard for Chicago house music.

What is your favorite line in the show?

Not a line, but the song “Your love is a lifesaver” hits a sweet spot for me. Theatre communities have much to do for reasons why I’m still alive. The compassion I receive from the team reassures my existence in such validating ways. Y’alls love really be my lifesaver.

Do you identify with your character?

I heavyweight identify with Leach. Earlier in the rehearsal process, Miranda was discussing Leach’s gender identity and good reputation with me, stating that Leach would cross-dress but since they knew the bangers people couldn’t tell him shit. I have a similar attitude; my father was a Latin Kings leader and even in my feminine gender expression I ironically feel the spirit of machismo protecting me when I’m dressed in all pink in any hood of Chicago.

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. While Leech is apart of the CULITOS, which could you see in?

I definitely was cast as a Culito because I am a full-fledged Culito in another generation. Maybe a Culito reincarnation. I love everything from their dance style, costume theatrics, and their amazing energy. I feel like the best crowds are when many Culitos show out, they truly bring the party everywhere they go.

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

My favorite experience working with Urban Theatre is the Puerto Rican Parade. Being a part of the parade was an incredible experience, I grew up by Humboldt & Wabansia going to the parade every year. And this year it felt exactly how it did when I’m with my family. Except better because I was actually in the parade this time!

What are you most excited for people to see in Back in the Day?

I’m excited for people to see Chicago culture. Queer, black and brown Chicago culture. Like no other! Racial and queer tension is still existent in 2019, and I can only imagine the amount of tension and segregation that exists in the 1980s, but what we see in this show is the spaces that can be utopian compared to a textbook description of 1980s in Chicago. We play the unrecorded history. 

What dance move do you think sums up the show or your experience working on the show?

I love shaking my ass. My mama blessed me with thick thighs and a nice lil booty. Getting to reclaim my booty and the ways it could move has been so fun and liberating! It’s also a great “go-to” move, when in doubt, shake dat ass!

You can see Nicolas and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

What’s this? Another talented actor blessing your feed? Meet Larry Trice! They play Jose “Gringo” Echevarría in Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked the following questions so you could get to know them better.

What was your first experience with house music?

My first experience with house music was my mother waking me up on a Saturday morning to help her clean with some house mix. 

What is your favorite line in the show?

People are going to expect me to say one of my own, but it’s actually Troy’s line after Belmont Rocks: “Yeah I’m Black and beautiful and I got your banana right here.”

Do you identify with your character?

I absolutely identify with most of El Gringo. I helped start and choreographed for a dance group in high school and hold ridiculously high standards for my own performances. I also am regularly referred to as the mom of my friend group, that’s what connected me to the role so quickly. I always try to make sure my friends are doing what’s best for them.

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. Gringo starts the ALLSTARS, but which could you see yourself in?

I hope the ALLSTARS don’t get upset about this, but with my own personal style and training, I would absolutely be on IMPORTED TASTE.

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

My favorite moment was when Raquel [Torre], our co-director, separated the groups and had us come up with our own choreography. Each group knew our styles well enough to come up with great stuff that was distinct but fit with the rest of the show. 

What are you most excited for people to see in Back in the Day?

I’m excited for people to see a forgotten story. This is a story that only people from the time truly know. I’m glad that others are getting the chance to experience this pocket of time in Chicago history.

What dance move do you think sums up the show or your experience working on the show?

The arm explosions that the ALLSTARS perform during the auditions sequence and during the transition into the final dance. We do different variations on that all over the place.

You can see Larry and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

Give a big “Hey!!” to Breon Arzel, who plays Troy Clark in our production of Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked him the following questions so you could get to know him better.

What was your first experience with house music?

I’m from Detroit, so house and underground music are an integral stitch in the fabric of the city. Although a different sound, it’s been a part of every school dance, family reunion, and social gathering. My first experience with Chicago house wasn’t until I moved here in 2013. It was in a club, and I was like, “Oh, this is y'all house? That’s cute.”

What is your favorite line in the show?

Oooh, that’s difficult… I have two: "That high kick has me flying higher than Debbie Allen” and “Watch out for that bus, bitch”

Do you identify with your character?

I do. The dancing, the extravagance, and extra-ness. I’ve always wanted to make people laugh.

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. Troy reps IMPORTED TASTE, but which of these could you see yourself apart of?

Imported Taste, definitely. They were the bougie group (and more trained).

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

Vibing with Miranda [Gonzalez, playwright and Artistic Director of UTC], Ivan [Vega, Executive Director of UTC], and the UTC staff. Their perspective and mission for art and theater, I really appreciate. Also, being a company of the people, and for the people, is dope. And I’m brushing up on my Spanish?

What are you most excited for people to see in Back in the Day?

Just being engrossed in an era: my era.

What dance move do you think sums up the show or your experience working on the show?

The high-kick… duh 😉

You can see Beron and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

Say hello to Christopher Sylvie! He plays Shane Ruiz in our production of Back in the Day: An 80′s House Music Dancesical. We asked him the following questions so you could get to know him better.

What was your first experience with house music?

I think through my parents and my older brothers. They were definitely of that era and liked to have a good time.

What is your favorite line in the show?

Miss B saying, “Let me know if you want to see these Jedi powers.”

Do you identify with your character?

At first, I didn’t think I had anything in common with Shane and found it quite difficult tapping into that character, but after being in his shoes I found that we have more in common than I would had thought. He just wants to have a good time and find the people that love him. Shane is always up for a party and I think that’s why he follows Leach [Solís] around. He is the first person who takes him under his wing and says, “hey you can be apart of my crew.” This is what makes him most happy because his family life is rough, which is where a lot of his more dark side comes from.

The show follows the ALLSTARS and their frenemies, the CULITOS and IMPORTED TASTE. Your character reps the CULITOS, but which could you see yourself in?

Oh, I feel so conflicted by this question. It’s kinda like choosing which Hogwarts house you belong to. I really identify with the ALLSTARS because they are kind of like the underdogs, but I definitely see a bit of CULITOS in me too because they know how to have a good time. I think CULITOS for sure.

What has been your favorite moment working with UTC on this production?

Definitely, the friends I made. The rehearsal process was definitely a safe space for us and I love that we all hang out after shows and rehearsals. It feels like family and I love that aspect of the show the most.

What are you most excited for people to see in Back in the Day?

I am most excited for people to see the relationships between the characters. These characters all know each other in some type of way and have interesting backstories. It’s like a web, which is typical for young characters like this.

What dance move do you think sums up the show?

Definitely the California shake. The CULITOS do a lot of shaking.

Originally posted by the-beautiful-1

You can see Christopher and the rest of the cast at Back in the Day now until August 3rd! http://bit.ly/utcbackintheday

Hi everyone!

My name is Ana. I’m a Puerto Rican Chicago-native (Humboldt Park born and raised if you want to get specific) home for the summer. I just finished up my junior year abroad in Australia and will be starting my final year of undergrad at Connecticut College in the fall.

I’m an English and theater double major with a concentration in race and ethnicity. Through my studies and time abroad, I’ve done work in nearly every area of theater production from acting and stage managing to designing and production managing. Post-graduation, I hope to pursue playwriting and stage management.

This summer I’m interning with UTC, working on a couple of cool projects. One of those being, writing here on the G.R.I.N.D. about this incredible experience. You can also find me working at the Chopin Theater as front of house staff during Back in the Day: An 80’s House Music Dancesical performances, where I’m getting access to one of the most fun and engaging pieces of theater I’ve ever seen as well as an amazing group of talented people.

Though I am genuinely and thoroughly enjoying myself with this work, it is not what I am most excited about this summer. I am working with UTC and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center to research Puerto Rico, the nationalist party, and Isabel Rosado for a play I am writing as my senior capstone and thesis. This has exposed me to all kinds of texts, plays, and people that are both inspiring and lighting a flame within me. I can’t wait to share it all with you 😊

In the last months, UrbanTheater Company has become a home to me. A place with good food right down the block (shout out Guerrero’s, a staple), great art, and amazing people. When I first met with Ivan to discuss coming on staff, he immediately mentioned that one of Urban’s main goal is to make their members feel at home. Ivan, you have succeeded. Not only do I feel comfortable talking to and joking with all the staff members, but I feel I am appreciated and my opinion is valued. I think this is especially telling because I am a non-Spanish speaker in a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood and organization. While the theater does gear their shows toward the Latinx experience, they also work hard to include others, like me. I have learned some more Spanish while working on the Ashes of Light production, though I’ll admit, the bad words are the ones I know best. Everyone was patient with explaining to me what phrases meant in general and in the context of the play. Additionally, this is the first production of Ashes of Light in English, so Urban does community uniting  and teaching about the Latinx experience on a larger scale as well. While leaving, one patron said, “Different culture, but you told my story” and that sums up my experience at UrbanTheater Company this semester. We come from different backgrounds, but they welcomed me, and more than that, encouraged me on my writing and theater journey.

I think the volunteer aspect of many of the staff member’s roles really highlights how dedicated to theater and the arts they are, a quality I wish to emulate. Their dedication and passion shows through the hours they put in, the care they give to the show, and the atmosphere they create for patrons, many of which the staff know by name. Theater simply cannot be created without community, and Urban  the best example. Sunday, May 13^th is out last Ashes of Light show and my last day at Urban. I’m graduating with a bachelor’s degree May 20^th so it’s goodbye to Urban, and to Chicago, for now, but they have set a wonderful example of what I should strive for. I hope to continue to be a part of caring staffs that come together to create wonderful, impactful art like Ashes of Light. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t had other artists constantly supporting me along my journey and I see that fostering feeling in Urban every day.

                                                        …..

A huge thing Urban has made me think about more deeply is my own culture. I am white, but I am also Persian. I wasn’t raised Persian because my dad pretty much dismissed my grandmother’s culture and immigration, but that doesn’t mean I have to. For a few years I’ve been struggling with whether it’s appropriate to call myself Persian since I look white and was raised so, but seeing this show so fully own its culture on top of my general experience in Chicago as a diverse accepting place has helped me realize my culture is my culture. My ancestors are mine and no one can tell me I’m not “Persian enough” to learn about it. For the first time I am writing a Persian character that shares much of my grandma’s story, and I’m very excited about it. More excited than I expected. I’m excited to learn the clothing, the dishes, and the language. Urban has taught me it’s more than okay to explore that and that it’s never too late to claim one’s culture.

I hope that every experience I have always changes the course of my life, because if it doesn’t, then I wasn’t paying enough attention. Urban has done this. It has helped me realize that working at a theater isn’t out of my reach. Before, I thought I was really only useful to theaters as a playwright. Urban taught me that isn’t true. I am useful to theaters in many ways, and working or volunteering at a theater will also help my writing.

The biggest way Urban has helped change my life is that it was a big contributing factor in my deciding I want to move to Chicago. Before starting this program, I thought I could never live in Chicago. I’m not a country girl, but Chicago is huge and fast paced, and my experience with it was really impersonal. People walked by each other like the other wasn’t alive. They were in a hurry to get somewhere, anywhere, and no one slowed down for any reason. I saw Chicago as a gray slab of cement, unforgiving. But I realize now that those issues mostly exist downtown, along Michigan Avenue, which is where I was mostly passing through to get from my University in Indiana to my home in Wisconsin. The rest of Chicago is not like this. In fact, for such a big city, it manages to feel small. Urban brought a sense of home to the city for me. A welcoming to an unsure stranger. And the rest of the city confirmed these feelings. Chicago is a wonderful diverse place with much to offer that I didn’t see before. Now that I do, I can imagine myself living here, going to theater productions, and taking the CTA every day. I’ve got some post-graduation things I have to take care of, but see you soon Chicago. You’ve been the realest.