����vlog

COMING UP IN A BIT. THANK YOU. ZANE. WELL, LAST NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME, A SPANISH SPEAKING THEATER TROUPE HIT THE STAGE AT THE STONER THEATER HERE IN DES MOINES. ����vlog ALYSSA GOMEZ GOT A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THEIR REHEARSALS AND SHARES THE MISSION BEHIND THE GROUP IN A BRAND NEW PROJECT COMMUNITY. GABRIEL FUENTES IS SETTING THE STAGE FOR A FIRST OF ITS KIND THEATER PROJECT, PROYECTO ECOS MIGRANTES IS DES MOINES FIRST EVER SPANISH SPEAKING THEATER PROGRAM. I ALWAYS SAY THAT THEATER IS THE THE ACTIVITY THAT MAKES MY HEART HAPPY. IT’S SO INTO OUR NATURE AS HUMAN BEINGS, AND I ALSO WANTED TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE, AND IN THIS CASE, FOR ADULTS, LATINAS. FUENTES IS AN ACTRESS HERSELF. SHE STUDIED HOW TO USE THEATER AS A SOCIAL TOOL TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION. I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY LATINAS IN IN THESE SPACES, IN FILM, IN THEATER. AND I WAS WONDERING, WHERE ARE THEY? SO SHE’S TAKING HER PASSION AND COMBINING IT WITH HER OTHER LOVE, SPANISH LA PRIMERA. FUENTES IS A MIGRANT FROM BOLIVIA. HER MISSION TO GIVE SPANISH SPEAKING THEATER A SPOTLIGHT IN IOWA IS GAINING ATTENTION. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I’VE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT SINCE I’VE LIVED IN THE US. ROCIO IS FROM MEXICO, AND SHE SAYS THAT BEING PART OF THIS TROUPE IS HELPING HER RECONNECT WITH HER ROOTS WHILE ALSO MAKING NEW CONNECTIONS IN HER COMMUNITY. I LOVE IT, I LOVE SPANISH, MY MOTHER LANGUAGE. IT’S LIKE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. IN YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT. AND IN THIS CLASSROOM, EVERYONE PLAYS A ROLE REGARDLESS OF EXPERIENCE. ALL FUENTES ASKS FOR IS A SIX WEEK COMMITMENT AND AN OPEN MIND. AFTER A WHILE, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. LIKE KELLY, WHO’S NEVER STEPPED FOOT ONTO A STAGE BUT COULDN’T MISS THIS CURTAIN CALL. YOU GET A ROLE ALL OF A SUDDEN AND YOU’RE LIKE, OKAY, NOW YOU’RE GOING TO DANCE AROUND AND AND RUN AROUND AND PLAY AND PRETEND YOU’RE THIS BOXER OR JUST A CLOWN OR WHATEVER THAT IS, AND AND HAVE FUN WITH IT. I NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS I WOULD BE PERFORMING ON STAGE. I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TRY TO DO THINGS THAT THEY NEVER TRIED BEFORE. AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM, THE CURTAINS ARE RAISED AND THE ACTORS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT STONER THEATER, GIVING THE COMMUNITY A FRONT ROW SEAT TO SOMETHING NEW. AND MAYBE EVEN MAKING A CONNECTION THAT THEY MAY HAVE NEVER HAD OTHERWISE. SPEAKING ANOTHER LANGUAGE IS JUST LEARNING FROM ANOTHER CULTURE. LEARNING FROM YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND JUST TRYING TO BE MORE EMPATHETIC. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE ACTORS. IN DES MOINES, ALYSSA GOMEZ ����vlog EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. AND ANOTHER UNUSUAL THING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS THAT ALL ACTORS WERE PAID FOR THEIR TIME AND DEDICATION. THAT WAS FUNDED BY FUENTES. DONATIONS ALSO HELP COVER SOME OF THE COSTS TO PUT ON THE PLAY. IF YOU’D LIKE TO CHECK OUT MORE INFORMATION OR DONATE