THE PROJECT / EL PROYECTO
The La Paloma Prisoner Project is a theatre project by Raquel Almazán about the reclamation of identity by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in the prison system. The Project includes the world premiere production of the play LA PALOMA PRISONER at Next Door @ New York Theatre Workshop in spring 2020, as well as a series of initiatives aimed at raising awareness of and inciting action towards the end of global mass incarceration. Developed from her longstanding work with incarcerated and impacted communities, the project's programs are designed to uplift the voices and narratives of currently and formerly incarcerated women-identified folx of color.
El proyecto LA PALOMA PRISONER es una obra de Raquel Almazan sobre la recuperacion de la identidad de mujeres que estan, o que han estado, encarceladas dentro del sistema de prisiones. Este proyecto incluye el estreno de la obra LA PALOMA PRISONER en el teatro Next Door @ New York Theatre Workshop en la primavera del 2020, así como una serie de iniciativas dirigidas a crear conciencia e incitar a la acción con el fin de acabar con el encarcelamiento masivo global. Este proyecto ha sido desarrollado a partir de su trabajo de largo tiempo con comunidades encarceladas y afectadas, y los programas correspondientes estan diseñados para realzar las voces y relatos de mujeres actual y previamente encarceladas.
To learn more about the history of the project, click here. Para mas información sobre la historia del proyecto, haga clic aqui.
WHO WE ARE / QUIENES SOMOS
RAQUEL ALMAZÁN
Playwright/Co-Producer
Raquel is a interdisciplinary artist, facilitator and activist. (B.F.A. – Theatre, U of F. /M.F.A. – Playwriting, Columbia University). Her eclectic career spans original multi-media solo performances, playwriting, devising and dramaturgy. She is a practitioner of Butoh Dance and creator/teacher of arts programs for youth/adults, focusing on social justice. Her work has been featured in New York City- including Off-Broadway, throughout the United States and internationally in Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala and Sweden; including several of her plays within the (Latin is America play cycle) writing bi-lingual plays in dedication to each Latin American country. Professional Development residencies with Selected plays include: La Paloma Prisoner (NYTW 2020, workshops: The Signature Theatre, La Mama, The Lark table read, INTAR and Labyrinth Theatre Company, Womens Playwriting International Conference- Stockholm). La Migra Taco Truck (off broadway Theatre Row). Porning the Planet (Dixon Place). Does That Feel Good to you My Lark? (Reading- Bushwick Starr, New Georges) LA NEGRA (Readings -Classical Theatre of Harlem, Lincoln Center, Iati ) CAFÉ (Workshop: Columbia University, Readings -Sol Project, Kennedy Center) The Hopefulness (Reading-Theatre Row Reading-Rising Circle Theatre Company. Artistic Director of La Lucha Arts dedicated to producing her new works. Member of Dramatists Guild and SAG-AFTRA.
ESTEFANÍA FADUL
Director/Co-Producer
Estefanía is a Colombian-American stage director. Recent work includes the world premieres of Christina Quintana’s Azul (Southern Rep) and Scissoring (INTAR), Stefan Ivanov’s The Same Day (Sfumato Theatre, Bulgaria), Preston Max Allen and Jessica Kahkoska’s Agent 355 (Chautauqua Theatre Company, Musical Theatre Factory), Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice (Heritage Theatre Festival), James Anthony Tyler’s Pranayama (Juilliard), and Matthew Paul Olmos’ asi van los fantasmas de méxico (Repertorio Español). Estefanía has developed new plays and musicals off-Broadway and regionally at The Playwrights' Realm, Long Wharf, The Drama League, Artists Repertory Theatre, Milagro, Musical Theatre Factory, LPAC, and Hi-Arts, among others. She is an alumna of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center/NNPN’s National Directors Fellowship, the Foeller Fellowship at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Drama League Directors Project’s Fall Fellowship and TV Directing Fellowship, the Van Lier Fellowship at Repertorio Español, and the NALAC Leadership Institute. She is a member of the New Georges Jam, The Latinx Theatre Commons steering committee, The Civilians’ R&D Group, and the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab. B.A. Vassar College. Member of SDC.
ELIZAGRACE MADRONE
Community Partner Liaison
Elizagrace Madrone is a theater-maker and lyricist based in New York and California. Writer: Exquisite Corpse Company’s Ribbon About A Bomb, the audio-immersive experience Stranger, and Random People Production’s Bufo Boreas. Associate producer: 2019 Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab Week. Dramaturg: Ancient Greek Corn (upcoming, HERE Arts Center), LORDES (Ice Factory), Simulacrum (3LD), Black Garden (Théâtre de l’Opprimé), and Slow Field (TheatreLab). Elizagrace also collaborates with composers to create multi-media performance pieces including Wool Sucker, a band/performance piece with Alex Minier, and strange dissonance, a ongoing collaboration with composer Elsa Nilsson and artist/photographer Bettie Hu.
THEATRICAL PARTNERS / ORGANIZACIONES ASOCIADAS
POETIC THEATER PRODUCTIONS
Community Events Partner
Poetic Theater Productions seeks to define the modern genre of "poetic theater" by connecting and fostering a community of artists who are passionately creating relevant and accessible work and reinvigorating a conscious theater of language. Poetic Theater Productions offers resources and opportunities for poets, playwrights, and theater artists to create new work and see it through to production via educational workshops, developmental readings and performance. PTP seeks out and creates opportunities to connect with communities affected by the issues of topic within our productions through collaborative projects and exchanges of art and ideas.
CITY LORE
Supporting Partner
Founded in 1986, City Lore’s mission is to foster New York City – and America’s – living cultural heritage through education and public programs. We document, present, and advocate for New York City’s grassroots cultures to ensure their living legacy in stories and histories, places and traditions. We work in four cultural domains: urban folklore and history; preservation; arts education; and grassroots poetry traditions. In each of these realms, we see ourselves as furthering cultural equity and modeling a better world with projects as dynamic and diverse as New York City itself.
NEW GEORGES
Member of Supported Productions Program
NEW GEORGES, founded in 1992, serves the largest ongoing working community of women and tgnc theater artists in New York City with career-transforming productions of unusual plays; a diverse slate of programs; and The Room, our workspace for women theater artists, celebrating its 25th birthday this year. Playwrights and directors for whom we were the source of a first production or an early artistic home are now a visible presence in every precinct of the American theater and every corner of our culture (including Heidi Schreck, Anne Kauffman, Marielle Heller, Diana Son, Jenny Schwartz, Sheila Callaghan, Rachel Chavkin, Tracey Scott Wilson, Lee Sunday Evans, Hilary Bettis, Lisa D'Amour). Honors for New Georges, its plays and its people include 3 Obie Awards, the National Theatre Conference Outstanding Theatre Award, The Lilly Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn and Kesselring prizes.