Written by the mysterious B. Traven (who also wrote Treasure of the Sierra Madre) and  published in the 1940s MACARIO is set in pre-independence Mexico, a time when there was a strict cast system based on race, practice of Indigenous culture was subject to severe punishment and the Inquisition was in full force… (more)

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This production of Solitude made possible in part by:

American for the Arts
Applied Materials
Arts Council Silicon Valley
Homewood Suites
OCA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Wells Fargo

Teatro Visión is proud to bring the national touring production of Solitude, an original play by Evelina Fernández,  to San José’s Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater, February 9^th -12^th, 2012. Set on the day of the historic Los Angeles’ million immigrants rights march on March 25^th, 2006, Solitude weaves together an emotionally-charged story of secrets, laughter and explosive mambo. When a wealthy Chicano lawyer hosts old friends following a funeral, celebrated in fine Mexican fashion, rancheras are sung, bone-cutting truths are confessed and lives are changed forever.

The plot of Solitude was inspired by the themes in the groundbreaking collection of essays The Labyrinth of Solitude by revered Mexican poet, diplomat and Nobel laureate, Octavio Paz. Solitude which Ms. Fernández created in collaboration with the Latino Theater Company is directed by José Luis Valenzuela and elegantly explores love, death, destiny and family through a contemporary and uniquely Mexican lens.

In Paz’s work, he envisioned his countrymen as hidden behind masks of solitude, torn between concurrent and conflicting indigenous and western cultures. Not fully identifying with either is an experience of isolation. Ms. Fernández moves Paz’s premise into the 21^st Century by setting it in present-day Los Angeles, a city more distinctly Mexican in character than any other large metropolis in the United States. Its Chicanos and Chicanas are at once both Mexican and American, not fully being either.

In addition to the playwright herself, the cast of Solitude includes members of the Latino Theater Company, celebrated cellist Semyon Kobialka and well-known television actor Robert Beltrán as “The Man.” A star of stage and screen, Beltrán played Commander Chakotay for six seasons on Star Trek: Voyager and can be seen as Jerry Flute on the current season of Big Love.

Show Information:  Teatro Visión presents Solitude, by Evelina Fernández, directed by José Luis Valenzuela, produced by Latino Theater Company. The play is performed in English. Recommended for teens and older for mature content.

Dates & Times:  Feb 9^th @8pm*, Feb 10^th, @8pm**, Feb 11^th @2pm* & 8pm and Feb 12^th @ 2pm

                                       *Post-show Q & A      ** Post-show Artists’ Reception

Location: The Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue, San José, CA 95126, free lot parking

Admission: Advance purchase: $10-$25, Walk-up: $15-$35. Please call for group & educator discounts

Tickets & Info:   www.teatrovision.org or 408-294-6621

About Teatro Visión: The San José based Teatro Visión is a 501(c) 3 non-profit and is the only Chicano/Latino Theater Company in the nation to produce annual seasons of plays in a 500-seat theater. Teatro Visión has been celebrating culture, nurturing community and inspiring vision since 1984 and has produced more than 50 plays (presented in both English and Spanish) which have been attended by more than 107,000 people. Teatro Visión is proud to be playing a leading role in the evolution of Chicano/Latino Theater by presenting classics, newer works and world premieres by leading Latino playwrights. Teatro Visión is passionately committed to the premise that art is a powerful tool that can heal, promote identity and stimulate the self-empowerment necessary for people to become effective leaders in improving their lives and their communities. www.teatrovision.org

About the Playwright: Evelina Fernández is a Humanitas finalist and scripted the Latino Theater Company’s famed annual Christmas pageant, La Virgen De Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin, as well as Ovation nominee and GLAAD Award winner Dementia. Several of her other plays also transitioned to film including Luminarias and Premeditation. As an actor she has had recurring roles on several TV series including: Roseanne, Judging Amy, and City of Angels. Ms. Fernández will be an integral creative lead for Teatro Visión’s upcoming community-inspired theatrical spectacle Macario, the first major theatrical event being created specifically for the Mexican Heritage Plaza’s 2012 Día de los Muertos festivities. Macario will be developed with a combination of professional actors, residents of the Mayfair community and students of the School of Art & Culture/Mexican Heritage Theater.

GAYTINO! September 16, 2010, Mexican Heritage Plaza

Teatro Visión opens it’s 27^th season with a September 16^,th 2010 special performance of GAYTINO!, the touching and hilarious father and son journey through decades of Chicano history.  Son of famed composer and singer, Lalo Guerrero, Dan Guerrero’s story of courage and emergence takes us from East L.A. to Broadway musical theater stages and is a celebration of Gay Chicanismo. Teatro Visión co-presents this 75 minute performance at the Mexican Heritage Plaza with the Mexican Heritage Corporation which kicks off its acclaimed Mariachi and Latino cultural arts festival with GAYTINO!

BLESS ME, ULTIMA: the play by Rudolfo Anaya, Directed by Elisa Marina Alvarado, March 17 – April 3, 2011, Mexican Heritage Plaza

First published in 1972, “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya has become the best selling Chicano novel of all time.  Teatro Visión’s West Coast premiere brings Anaya’s stage adaptation to life with it’s first mainstage production. BLESS ME, ULTIMA is a magical coming of age story set on the ‘llanos’ surrounding a small village in New Mexico during World War II.  The novel continues to generate controversy for holding, as a central beloved character, a curandera (traditional healer).

LOL! LATINA ON THE LOOSE!, Created and performed by Mina Olivera, directed by Alberto Barboza,  September 30 – October 2, 2011, Mexican Heritage Plaza

Teatro Visión presents Mina Olivera’s award winning LOL! Latina on the Loose!, a rollicking,  whirlwind trip from Brazil to the United States by way of Switzerland and El Salvador during which a girl becomes a woman.  As much as her  revolutionary parents try to prepare her for the rollercoaster ride of young love, bad boyfriends, discouraging teachers and dreams  of stardom, it the voice of a tough grandmother who helps her land on her feet.  Olivera’s one-woman performance is filled with energy, desire and hope.

Production information contact:  Elisa Marina Alvarado (408) 294-6678

Ticket information: Jess Moreles, (408) 294-6685

All performances will take place at the Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater

1700 Alum Rock Ave.

San José, CA 95116

Please note new Teatro Visión address:

365 So. Market Street,

San José, CA   95113

The Good-for-Nothing Lover is, inspired by a folk love song cycle of the same title from the Ming Dynasty (16th century China) translated in the late fifties by the Bay Area beat poets C. H. Kwock and Vincent McHugh. The project pays homage to both the Beat era and the Ming Dynasty, incorporating a stand up bass and a guqin (traditional Chinese instrument) as well as singing and spoken words in Chinese and English. The Good-for-Nothing Lover will examine states of love and human relations, which are as true today as when the words were first written centuries ago.

Start Date: 2010-05-28
End Date: 2010-05-29

Originally a Teatro Visión-sponsored event running in San José from 1998 to 2003, then relocating to Galería de la Raza for the past six years, the Lunada series has become an important part of the San Francisco-Bay Area literary scene. Still the only regularly occurring bilingual open-mic in the Bay Area, Lunadas hold a special place in the hearts of many. Among the invited poets performing will be Maya Chinchilla, Alejandra Mojica, Milta Ortiz, Manny Martinez, Leticia Hernández, Raquel Gutierrez, Francisco X. Alarcón, Melissa Lozano, Norman Zelaya, and DJ Agana among others. There will be surprises. There will be high emotion. There will be cake!
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2010-05-27

Los Lupeños is honored to have guest master musician and workshop instructor Patricio Hidalgo Beli from San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz. Dancers from Los Lupeños Performing Company collaborate with workshop student dancers and musicians on this artistic journey. In the spotlight, Maestro Hidalgo will perform some of his own compositions — something you should not miss!
Start Time: 14:00
Date: 2010-05-16

Doors open 6:00pm, auction begins promptly at 7:30pm at MACLA (510 South First Street) in downtown San José. $25 advance tickets, $35 at the door. To purchase advance tickets, call (408) 998- 2808 or visit MACLA\’s website.
Date: 2010-05-15

Featuring speakers Louie Rocha Jr., Salvador Bustamante and Rev. Deacon Sal Alvarez, M.S.W. Moderated by Adriana Cabrera-Garcia, with a performance by Conjunto Libertad and photos by David Bacon. Sponsored by Teatro Visión and MAIZ.

Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2010-05-12
End Time: 20:00