SCRATCH NIGHT
DESTINOS- 6TH CHICAGO LATINO THEATER FESTIVAL
SCRATCH NIGHT
DESTINOS- 6th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival
by Various Chicago Latine Artists
October 1
70 min/ Ages +14
In Collaboration with
SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 7PM
Steppenwolf Theatre - 1700 Space
1650 N. Halsted St. Chicago. IL. 60614
Scratch Night highlights original, contemporary, visual and physical theater works in progress by different Chicago artists to give them the opportunity to perform 10 minutes of original material in front of an audience to help with its development. This special all-Latine edition is curated by Alice da Cunha & Raquel Torre in collaboration with Chicago Latino Theater Alliance for Destinos festival.
Check out CLATA's website to find out more about Destino's, Chicago International Theater Festival and check out their amazing programming.
We are accepting submissions for our next Scratch Night during the winter of 2024.
DESTINOS SCRATCH NIGHT LINEUP
"Divide & Conquer...Worker Bee's Unite!" By WorkersTEATRO (Jasmin Cardenas, Isaura Martinez, Hermelinda Pruseño, Angelica Amaro, Patricia Cross and Senyah Haynes)
“The Audition / La Audición” by Changosnakedog and Friends (Created & directed by Otto Anzures Dadda, Performed by Otto Anzures Dadda & Mellanie Gonzalez, Gustavo Cortiñas).
“Family Violence” by Angel Khaytyan
"Demons at the Bay" by Daughter Boy (Camilla Frontain & Felipe Carrasco)
“The Break-up: Brainworm’s” by Chio's Puppetry (Created by Rocio "Chio" Cabrera and Owen O’Leary, performed by Gwendolyn Madrigal & Alonso Galue).
"A Window with No Home" by Isabella Diaz
DIVIDE & CONQUER... WORKERS BEE'S UNITE
"Divide & Conquer... Worker Bee's Unite!" is a piece of street theater originally created to communicate across language and cultures. Leaning into the physicalization of bees and dogs to show the hierarchy present in Temp Offices all over Chicago. The way Latino and Black workers are often treated and discriminated against which has been documented by journalists and labor studies. Today, in the midst of a migrant crisis, we attempt to add on to the next phase of the worker struggle right here in Chicago. WorkersTEATRO... Humanizing the Politics of Labor
WorkersTEATRO
is an independent group of working people, Chicagoans who collaborate using theater to amplify their stories. Deeply rooted in body work, presence and connection, members of WorkersTEATRO explore their working experiences of discrimination and exploitation using theater, storytelling, and other artistic forms of expression for the purpose of education, liberation, and change. In fighting for workers rights, our work is sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English, but always speaks to the human experience. WorkersTEATRO... Humanizing the Politics of Labor
For more information about WorkersTEATRO, please contact Jasmin Cardenas at WorkersTEATRO@gmail.com
DEMONS AT THE BAY
Through a journey of light and shadow, a man encounters the final obstacle in his quest for freedom: his own demons. If he does not make the proper tribute, it will mean his death. What could he possibly offer to but his demons at bay?
Daughter Boy
Daughter Boy is a performance duo made up of Camilla Frontain and Felipe Carrasco. After meeting in graduate school, they found themselves drawn to collaboration with each other, diving further into their shared curiosities, practice, and love for acting and story-telling. With a belief in self-expression and reflection, they work to unlock the individual voice in aim to serve the collective whole.
About Felipe: Felipe Carrasco is a Chicago-based actor, collaborator, and educator who has been seen on various stages around Chicago. He has a keen interest in the crossovers between acting and athletics, working to examine how these two disciplines inform one another.
About Camilla: Camilla Frontain is a globe-trotting artist who recently returned from a year of teaching in Bulgaria. Her fascination lies in the crossroads between acting, photography (camfrontain.com), and education. She just moved to Chicago and is eager to continue the work!
THE AUDITION
Labios (an acclaimed producer from Chicago) is about to stage his next work in one of the best theaters on the loop, it will be a success.But to achieve it he needs an exceptional cast, with unique talents and aptitudes. Despite all his experience and years on stage, Labios does not know how to possess these skills.It will be necessary to wait until, miraculously, an unknown talent appears, it will be necessary to have an audition.
Changosnakedog and Friends
ChangoSnakeDog & Friends is a family friendly live music band, where the real rock stars are puppets that sing original songs in Spanish and English. Uplifting rhythms, great solos, and catchy melodies geared towards children and families, to promote cultural diversity, equity, and respect, as well as care for our environment, friendship, and love!
The director and producer Otto Anzures Dadda is a Mexican immigrant with more than 20 years of experience performing, composing, and producing music spectacles, and cultural festivals in México.
The members of ChangoSnakeDog & Friends are professional musicians and theatrical performers, with rich experience in the field of education. Working with children in Chicago and in México, with Mayan, Spanish, and English speakers. Teaching Mexican and Latin American music and culture, and promoting cultural diversity, equity, and respect, while bringing joy to children through music and other artistic expressions.
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THE BREAK-UP: BRAINWORMS
Chio's Puppetry
Rocio "Chio" Cabrera is a Chicago based Latina puppet artist. Chio grew up in Cicero and Humboldt Park. She creates original works of puppet theater with an emphasis on magical realism, the blending of the fantastical, unusual, and fun with characters grounded in our universe. As a Mexican American, she tries to incorporate elements of Mexican absurdist humor into her americanized story telling.
Through the blending of magic and reality, we can reflect and talk about love, justice, and human rights. Puppetry brings children and families to imaginative worlds where truths and values are easier to identify and connect with. Chio's puppetry is educational, wholesome and always leads to new conversations.
Her piece "The Breakup" was created by Chio and Owen O'Leary. The Scratch Night 2023 adaptation is performed by Wendy Madrigal and Alonso Galue. Chio directed the piece with the help of her Assistant Director and frequent collaborator, Jacob Coz.
FAMILY VIOLENCE
Family Violence is an exploration of themes that are unshakable from my everyday consciousness. These themes include embodied violence, gender and sexuality, and home and the way that these all intersect.
My guiding questions during this creation process were:
-How are routine everyday violence’s manifested within our bodies/movements and in our bodily responses to others?
-How are our ceaseless quest’s for home all colored by our unique individual experiences with family and generational healing?
Angel Khaytyan
Angel Khaytyan, from Boston MA, is a Puerto Rican-Armenian contemporary movement artist and a current cast member of DanceWorks Chicago. Angel’s primary artistic mediums include dance/choreography, set design, and the performance of everyday life. They attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts on a full-tuition scholarship where they received a BFA in Dance. While at NYU they performed works by Stephen Petronio and Camille A Brown and worked with various choreographers including Rena Butler, David Dorfman, and Dwight Rhoden.
A WINDOW WITH NO HOME
"A Window With No Home" is a piece that follows the journey of a body detached from its soul. Trapped on either sides of their world—being forced to cope with their new reality or explore how to depart from this limbo state.
Music: The Beatles, Juana Molina, and Gustavo Santaolalla.
Isabella Diaz
Isabella Diaz is a mover and groover from, and based, in Chicago. Beginning as a gymnast from an early age, they went on to study dance at Western Michigan University and has recently merged into the world of circus arts. Their interest in physical theater was sparked while working with Pilobolus Dance Theatre, and they try to incorporate that same sense of play and exploration in their works today. As a circus artist, their disciplines include Chinese pole, hoop diving, and generalist/acrobat; all of which are thanks to their time spent with The 7 Fingers contemporary circus. They feel so lucky that their obsession with hobbies, and arts & crafts have led them to what will be presented today. Bella would like to thank Destinos, Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance, and The Physical Theatre Festival Chicago for making this night happen.
Credits: The window structure is crafted by Carlos Gonzalez.