The lazy days of summer are nothing of the kind at Milagro: we continue working to bring you more great ways to celebrate or learn about Latino art and culture. This July, the nationally recognized director, writer and performing artist Lakin Valdez returns to Portland with an innovative workshop.
Join Lakin Valdez, writer and director of Milagro Tour’s next production for this unique opportunity. Created from authentic stories from los líderes del movimiento, “Searching for Aztlán” will focus on the roles that women have played in the history of Chicanismo and los MEChistAs and into the future of Latinidad. Join us in exploring the physical, cognitive, and spiritual processes
of developing an ensemble-based approach to theatre making that will be applied to the creation of the play, so share your heart, mind and body — and gain
insight into this unique Chican@ theatre methodology. Monday July 28th from 6:30 – 8:30pm Only $30 per person! Limited enrollment. e-mail malan@milagro.org for RSVP
“The Vibrant Being/Theatre of the Sphere Workshop ©” is a theatrical and motivational workshop designed to enhance the natural learning and communicative abilities of each individual. Physical, emotional and mental exercises designed to unlock both individual and group awareness will draw parallels to other world systems of meditation and movement. Among the many learning outcomes of this workshop, three ancient Mayan precepts are key and central: 1) In Lak’ Ech, which means You are my other self-if I love and respect you, I love and respect myself; 2) Menyah, which is the Mayan work ethic, meaning To Believe is to Create, to Do with Love and Pain; and 3) K’ukulkan AKA Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent or Enlightened Being of the Americas, as the Link between Popular Art and Spirituality.
The ball (bol) will be the anchoring device in the workshop. Through the use of the ball, literally and metaphorically as a symbol, the workshop participant will come to identify and understand the associative holistic qualities of the body, heart and mind. Through theatrical group exercises, participants will discover how to effectively channel the complexity and depth of their experience into the fabric of their lives.
WORKSHOP MATERIALS: please bring your own soccer ball, and be prepared to move and explore the space with your body and mind.
You will need:
• Soccer Ball
• Journal and writing utensils
• Movement Attire: e.g. sweat pants, yoga pants, T-shirts, dance shoes (leather soles) or bare feet (no socks)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Lakin Valdez, director, writer, and performing artist, was born and raised in the extended family of El Teatro Campesino. He served as the company’s Associate Artistic Director from the years 2000 to 2005. Since 2004, Lakin has written, directed and performed in more than a dozen plays, culminating in work that reflects the rich history and vibrant culture of the Latino/Chicano community. His body of work has been described as “Powerful” (L.A. Times), “Consummately engaging” (Variety), to “Hauntingly intense” (San Francisco Chronicle). He is the recipient of two NPN Creation Fund Awards, a Zellerbach Award and NEA Access to Excellence Award for his generative work.