THEATRE + COMEDY

Talento Bilingüe de Houston (TBH) presents ¡Amigo!-gritó la Muerte, an Original Day of the Dead multimedia theatrical production by Grupo Anima Productions. The performance incorporates photography, video and musical elements all conceptualized and created by the company members. ¡Amigo! - gritó la Muerte will be performed completely in Spanish with English surtitles.

Houston audiences will ring in their Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations this 2011 season with the premiere of an original performance piece, ¡Amigo! - gritó la Muerte, written and directed by Carlos Jesús García. Presented as part of Talento Bilingüe de Houston’s 2011-12 Season, Grupo Anima Productions (GAP) premieres its first stage production ¡Amigo! - gritó la Muerte on Wednesday, November 2 and runs through November 6, 2011.

What happens to spirits as they depart their afterlife dwellings and arrive to the realm of the living? This farcical original work explores the universal theme of Death as a comedy troupe director prepares his altar and summons old friends for dinner to share his loneliness during the Day of the Dead celebrations.

Rooted in indigenous Pre-Hispanic traditions, Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, evolved with the Catholic traditions and is presently celebrated in Mexico and the U.S., with varying traditions in other Latin American, European and some Asian cultures. ¡Amigo! - gritó la Muerte, takes its title from celebrated Cuban poet, journalist and political activist Nicolas Guillén’s poem Iba yo por un camino. Guillén, whose work has been translated into over 30 languages, has been nominated numerous times for the Nobel Peace Prize for literature and is regarded as a national poet of Cuba.

¡Amigo! - gritó la Muerte, is an exploration of the universal theme of Death and blends personal, cultural and historical elements.

“This collaborative creative process led the company members through many spirited conversations and they used what came organically— art disciplines and various spiritual, cultural, and experiential journeys.” The unique approach to penning the farce was not accidental, but deeply rooted in how the group came together. “We come from all walks of life,” shares Amira Gongora Executive Director (GAP). Some in the group have a performance background, but most in the cast have never been on stage before. “What we all shared was a passion for sharing our ‘anima’, or spirit, and for exploring ways to coax out the creative spark inside each of us, as we celebrate the tradition of Dia de Los Muertos.”

Guided by Garcia’s expert hand, even those without acting experience dove right into the process. “I’m not an actress,” shares company member Irma Martinez “but when Amira (Gongora) invited me to join the group shortly after the death of my sister—I felt this would be a good way to act out my grief, thoughts and fear of death. We are learning a lot and not just about the art of acting, but about ourselves, too.”

Carlos Jesús García Rojas, native of Holguín, Cuba, is an accomplished poet, playwright, actor and director. Garcia was a Professor at the prestigious Institute of Superior Fine Arts (ISA) in the School of Audiovisual Communications Department, as well as Faculty member at the José de la Luz y Caballero Pedagogical University. In 2003, he was titled Honorary Professor by the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education. Outside of his academic endeavors, García has executed various workshops and lectures and given numerous poetry recitals, lectures and theatrical performances in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United States. In 2010, he was guest artist at the International Writers Congress in Veracruz, and has received numerous literary and theatrical awards at both Cuban and international festivals. Currently residing in Houston, he is a theater professor and resident writer at Talento Bilingüe de Houston (TBH) and the Artistic Director of Grupo Anima Productions.

Grupo Anima Productions is a multidisciplinary collective producing socially engaged artistic projects. Through the collective artistic production method, we develop the creative self and use that expression as a tool to educate and encourage social consciousness in the artist, individual, and the community at large.

Photo credits – Renee Rodriguez.