latest and greatest

I wasn't able to make it to last weekend's Teatro Dallas International Fesival. I missed the show I was really looking forward to. The tight cash flow broke my heart.
Teatro de la Rosa's Casa Rio had a good opening. Two more weekends to go at the old Rose Marine Theater. Check it out...it is quite hilarious!

I attended the latest FWAC meeting Monday and met with Lori Thompson from Firehouse Gallery. She mentioned something very, very interesting. She has a collection of old 40's artwork that served as posters for local Mexican bands that played in the Northside area. She wants to do a five year long project to commemorate the musicians and find them or their relatives by displaying them all over town etc. Well when she tried to find old Spanish Newspapers or was it she spoke to our Exective Director who researched the Rose Marine (I swear this wet brain is gonna get worse, its a wonder how I memorize lines). The important detail is that the city never archived these Spanish newspapers. Apparently that part of history didn't deserve to be archived. So Lori wants to force the city to place this story in Fort Worth's history. Those girls at Firehouse are the coolest.

This sorta ties in to my play which is a Tribute to this Golden Age of Mexico which found its height right after WW2. Mexico was doing very well and everyone was celebrating the modern, progressive glamour of the times. Like our 1920's. Mambo took over about the late forties right at the climax of Mexico's American inspired cinema that garnered international acclaim. Yes, anybody who lived then was very proud and regard the time with a strong reverance, a golden splendor. It was all downhill from there. There is no tellin why...

What is amazing is that the Rose Marine has pictures of some of the icons of this time. Cantinflas, known for his brilliant banter, the heroic everyman. There is a photo of Resortes, the great Mambo King of Mexico, among other famous Epoca actors. It all happened here. There used to be this old white man, a former box office attendant, who'd visit from time time last year and would show me his little pictures. One is of his daughter with Resortes. "I knew them all" -he'd say. There might have been such a goldmine of history in these local papers, but not considered worthy enough for the City to handle. It's all memory now, making its way to myth. Three years ago this play found its home in my mind, before the Rose became mine. Now, stronger than ever I feel fate knows more than me. I am happy to follow those stars. The Latino image and historical presence in Fort Worth is undergoing some serious tranformation, thanks to an army of guerilleros culturales.