'A Revolution from the Heart'

Although ¡Viva la Revolución! closed a week ago, we just now caught up with Portland Stage Reviews and its commentary on our Day of the Dead celebration in which its reviewer describes the show as "a production that otherwise grabs by the heartstrings and doesn’t let go. It is important to remember that the solution in any resistance or revolution, is to first win the hearts and minds of the more general populace. And ¡Viva La Revolución! does exactly this, en la perfección." 

Audiences Rave about "la Revolución"

We barely have time to catch our breath after last week’s whirlwind of sold-out performances of ¡Viva la Revolución! before we head into the final week of shows, including our third Wednesday morning matinee for students (and a special offer for the public; see below). We’ve had a lot of fun — and from all the emails and reviews, it looks like you have, too!  Here are some of your comments and reviews …

“We all enjoyed the show very much.  It was even better than last year's.  Very relevant and touching.” – Betty Lavis

“I loved all the different layers of complexity and the music from the revolutionary era. All of our students enjoyed it too … Olga Sanchez is truly gifted.” — Alejandra Favela, Lewis & Clark College

“Para los del Teatro Milagro, Quisiera expresar el gusto de ver la presentación de ¡Viva la Revolución!. It was a great show!! I brought my 85-year-old-mother who knows no Spanish and she loved it too. We will definitely be returning to your theatre.” — Adrienne Jerman

“My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. We were especially impressed with the high quality of the work done by the actors. Each of the characters was believable and communicated their role very well. We definitely plan on attending shows in the future and will pass on the good word about Milagro Theater.” — Philippe Reisberg

“Great show, great experience...consistently a magical night at the theatre. I wish I could bring MORE students.” — Patrick Tangredi, Portland Community College

“A modern-day folk play newly created for Milagro Theatre's Day of the Dead celebration, ¡Viva la Revolución! is a cultural event that has the feel of a production one might see in a village square on market day or in the courtyard of a country church. … ¡Viva la Revolución! is like an ofrenda brought to life in performance. There is respect for the departed, but also plenty of lightheartedness.” — Carol Wells, The Oregonian

“A zippy pace and a spunky, likable ensemble make for an altogether satisfying and engaging performance.” — Rebecca Jacobson, Willamette Week

About the play: Every fall, the dead are commemorated in Portland’s longest-running Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. This year, we honor las adelitas, the women who bravely planted themselves in the line of fire in support of the Mexican revolutionaries. Through corridos and baile folklórico, we share a story of those who fight fearlessly for liberty — both a hundred years ago and still today. Plus, an exhibit of Day of the Dead altars created by local Latino artists will be on display one hour prior to each performance in El Zócalo, a community space adjacent to the theatre lobby.

Remaining performances:

Wednesday Nov. 9, 10:00 A.M. student matinee  — all remaining seats only $16 each!

Thursday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 11, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 12, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2:00 p.m. closing performance

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.milagro.org or call 503-236-7253.

¡Viva la Revolución! is sponsored by Ronni Lacroute, The Oregonian and the Consulate of Mexico in Portland.

Meet the Artist: Maria Moreno Ferrin

Originally from San Antonio Texas, our costume designer and choreographer for ¡Viva la Revolución! Maria Moreno Ferrin has been living in Oregon for the past 25 years. Founder of the Northwest Conservatory of Dance in Hillsboro, Moreno Ferrin has been involved in the arts, theatre and dance since she was a child watching her mother make costumes. With a degree in Math, (yes, math!), she taught high school for several years before deciding teaching math wasn’t for her. As she puts it “theatre is much more fun!” We caught up with Maria Moreno Ferrin as she began preparations for her next show, a production of The Nutcracker at the Northwest Conservatory. 


Susy: How long have you been involved with theatre work?
Maria Moreno Ferrin: I’ve been involved in the theatre ever since I can remember! My mother was a costumer, so I’ve always been around it. As a child I did children’s theatre. I performed in everything from Lady in the Dark, South Pacific, The Music Man; played children’s roles and then I danced then I went on to be in several different companies as a dancer. 


What are your earliest memories of the theatre?
Mostly being plopped in the audience and watching things I didn’t understand… and getting really upset in high school about having to go back and do Romeo & Juliet when I had seen it costumed and seen directors interpret it so many times! You know, I wanted to read something else [she laughs].


I know you are dancer and a performer. Have you also always made costumes as well?
Yes, I started making costumes again when my son went to school. I didn’t like the way the costumes were being made for their productions. Then I started to get involved as a costume designer for the ballet because I also didn’t like the costumes they were using. So yes I’ve always been a costume designer as well.


What do you like best about your work?
Probably the diversity of it -- it’s not monotonous, it’s never dull. There’s never a dull moment and you are always trying to fix something in a short time and on a budget. 


How long have you been collaborating with Miracle Theatre Group?
I think this is my fourth show. I’ve always done the Día de los Muertos and a few others. It just happened to be that I do the Día de los muertos shows. For ¡Viva la Revolución! I made the costumes. The challenge was to make the costumes reflecting that period of time but still making them fun. I also did some of the choreography. I know a variety of Mexican folkloric dances since I once worked with Amelia Hernandez’s Ballet Folklorico for about two years in Mexico City. Those were my crazy years!


What are some of the projects you are working on now ?
Well I founded the Northwest Conservatory of Dance in Hillsboro. We are doing The Nutcracker in a few weeks. This is our fourth year of doing The Nutcracker. We have also been doing all of the fairy tales. This year we are doing Sleeping Beauty, we did Cinderella last year. We are actually thinking of doing Swan Lake next year. Between the Northwest Conservatory of Dance and my outside costuming projects I keep myself busy!

El Hispanic News: Miracle Theatre stretches Day of the Dead into 3-week celebration

Read about our Day of the Dead celebration, ¡Viva la Revolución!, in the current issue of El Hispanic News!

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Our Community Altar for Día de los Muertos

Janet Bradley

Day of the Dead ... in Portland this means so much to just a handful of people.  For several years now Olga and I have built a community altar in the lobby of the theatre.  It is seen by many, but just a few actually know about the time and attention that go into the details.  For the actual building of the altar, there are all the specifics of water, rum, salt, ash, flowers, cinnamon, marigolds, bells, candies, crosses and calaveras.  But the bigger decisions start in the office staff meeting of who should be in the top spot of the altar.  As the years pass, we continue to make room for so many more people we knew who have joined the spirits.  The first year it was Ruben Sierra, our patron saint of Milagro. Then Jim Cuevas.  Next it was my mom and my best friend; then Tim’s dad, Jose’s mom, then Tim’s mom.  Every year the altar seems to get smaller and smaller as we crowd the photos of our loved ones and friends around glasses of tequila and marigolds.  This year we honor Janet Bradley, co-founder of Tears of Joy Theatre.  Janet was the first people to “show me the ropes” as I made my way to booking conferences to start up Teatro Milagro and the first person to always flash a smile when you were uncertain of who your friends were in a room full of strangers.  I am very honored to have included myself as one of her friends and hopefully her spirit will rejoice with the ofredas that we have made for her. --Danel Malan

Meet the Artist: Brenda Valentín-Bravo

Have you visited our Day of the Dead Altar Exhibit yet? If you have you might have noticed the muertos-themed brightly colored paintings by the young Oregonian artist Brenda Valentín-Bravo. La joven artista from Woodburn, Valentín-Bravo is a self-taught painter with family roots in San Jeronimo Purechecuaro, Michoacán. Her work expresses the duality and playfulness of death in the Mexican culture and reflects the influence of her Purépecha Indigenous background. Valentín-Bravo has been painting her world with brilliant colors since she could hold a pencil. We talked to this talented young artist about what influences her work for a Miracle Insider exclusive!

Susy: Can you tell us a little about the works you are currently exhibiting at the Miracle Theatre? 
Valentín-Bravo: The paintings I’m showing are a gathering, a collection of my times in Mexico and of my indigenous roots. I feel proud and blessed, and I pour all of who I am and where I come from into my paintings. The paintings I am displaying, like most of my work, for me might represent hard times or things that might not always seems bright and beautiful, yet I can’t help but find beauty in what surrounds me. Even those things that others might see as grotesque have a beauty… a beauty that in my work is transformed into bright vibrant colors. I cannot help but embrace it.

What are some of the influences that inspire your work? 
There are so many things, but in a word life itself is what inspires me. It’s funny because my paintings are constantly filled with what might be considered death or día de los muertos imagery so you would think that they are about death, in a sense they are but death is also part of life. Life is what influences me, my family, the feeling of love, even of broken heartedness… different emotions and events. It’s hard to explain in words for me.

Are there other artists whose work has influenced you? 
Yes, there are several artists whose work I deeply admire and whose work fills me with emotions. Of course Frida Kahlo would be at the top of that list. The way she transformed her pain into art, how she could take such dark subject matter and in a sense pour herself onto a canvas using a palette of bright colors. I also love the work of Georgia O’Keeffe, especially her flower paintings. Finally, I love the work of Arturo Rivera, a painter whose work is very dark but in which I find so much beauty.

Were there other artists in your family? 
I am Perúpecha and am connected here to a large network of Perúpechas, people from my mother’s town in Michoacán. I remember growing up with my mother making figurines out of straw, what we call artesanias or folk-art in Mexico. She would make intricate mobiles with them, we still have some hanging in our house here. She would also make the traditional traje clothing used by women in our town. I have uncles and aunts in San Jeronimo that make other artesanias and they say I have an uncle who paints and who is famous, he travels around the world with his work. Also traveling to our town, seeing all of the color in the skirts and clothing, the buildings, the markets, I think that is where the art comes from in my family.

What is your favorite artistic medium? 
I feel most comfortable using acrylics but I want to learn new mediums. I am self-taught so I sometimes feel like I might not have the academic art fundamentals. However, I want to expand my artistic palette. I feel that art and artists need to be flexible, willing to learn, always ready to explore new horizons. Can you tell us what you are currently working on? I am working with the boys and girls club as their art instructor. I love working with kids because they have so much imagination. They see so much potential in things we might otherwise discard. I am collaborating in the exhibit for the ofrendas at Miracle and I continue to paint. It’s something that is part of my life, something I feel empty without, so I paint.

Our free exhibit of Day of the Dead altars and artwork continues to be open one hour prior to each performance of ¡Viva la Revolución! through Nov. 13 at El Centro Milagro (525 SE Stark St., Portland, Oregon). For more information, visit our website at www.milagro.org. 

En las noticias de Univision Portland: ¡Viva la Revolución!

Mira las noticias de Univision Portland para aprender más sobre nuestra celebración del Día de los Muertos ...

Review of '¡Viva la Revolución' by Dan Shea of Veterans for Peace

Check out this review of our Día de los Muertos show ¡Viva la Revolución! by Dan Shea of Veterans for Peace.

 

Video streaming by Ustream

Review: 'An altogether satisfying and engaging performance'

Artwork by Analee Fuentes

Check out the review of "¡Viva La Revolución!" from the Willamette Week:

Midway through Miracle Theatre’s original, bilingual Day of the Dead celebration, the characters read aloud a manifesto proclaiming their revolutionary aims. Ludovico, the master of a Mexican hacienda, reads first, and the rest of the cast repeats each line. This call-and-response evokes the so-called “people’s mic” of the Occupy Wall Street protests, where the ban on sound amplification has led demonstrators to devise a novel communication strategy: After someone speaks, others shout back the same words. But ¡Viva la Revolución!, set during the Mexican Revolution, does not only draw inspiration from the Occupy protests—the Arab Spring also echoes through the production, which pays tribute to activist women from both the past and the present. Part history lesson, part song-and-dance revue, part idealistic call to arms, the show occasionally turns melodramatic or contrived, but a zippy pace and a spunky, likable ensemble make for an altogether satisfying and engaging performance.

Meet the Artist: Alberto Romero Navarro

Alberto Romero

One of the young performers getting great reviews in our ¡Viva la Revolución! show is Alberto Romero Navarro. A native of beautiful Michoacan, Mexico, and an Oregonian at heart, 23-yea- old Romero Navarro has spent half his life here in the Portland area. His performance as Carmelo Delgadillo del Campo is engaging, as Carol Wells wrote in The Oregonian. The presence of Romero Navarro as the sweet, resolute, driven and hardworking Carmelo  takes over the stage. If you are a regular Miracle patron you might also recognize Romero Navarro from previous Miracle shows including Entre Villa y una mujer desnuda as well as an appearance in the pastorela of last year's Posada Milagro. We caught Alberto between shows to give you this Miracle Insider exclusive!

Alberto with Amber Mitchell

Susy: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Alberto: I am originally from Michoacan, Mexico. I have lots of dreams and goals. I have always been drawn to acting, since I was a little boy. I remember dreaming of being on stage and on television.

What role does the art of acting play in your life?
Acting for me is a passion. I love to be on stage, to give life to a new character, to transform myself and through it convey a message to the audience. I love theatre, it allows me to learn and to share with other actors. This is really important to me, the sharing experience between actors and the audience.

Alberto with Amber Mitchell and Nelda Reyes

What has been your experience on ¡Viva la Revolución!?
At the beginning it was a bit challenging because we created the story as a cast with the director. I learned so much in the process, from other actors, from our collaboration. In the end it was this collaboration that helped us develop the story line and the show you now see when you come to ¡Viva la Revolución!

What stands out about your character, Carmelo Delgadillo del Campo?
I love that he is humble, that he enjoys learning, but also to have fun in his daily life. I enjoy playing him because I also feel he is not too different form who I am, from how many people are, driven, hard-working, ready to take on the world with a positive attitude.

Alberto Romero

What other projects are you working on outside of the Miracle?
I have a radio show online twice a week, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I am also working on a made-for-the-Internet show, as well as a production with Oregon’s Children’s Theatre. All of these different projects are helping me gain the tools necessary to continue to develop my acting skills. In the end that is my goal, to become a better and better actor.

Interview by Susy Chávez; production photos by Russell Young

Opening Night of "¡Viva la Revolución!"

Opening Night of "¡Viva la Revolución!", a set on Flickr.

Check out some snapshots from last Friday's opening night of our Día de los Muertos celebration, "¡Viva la Revolución!"

'Viva la Revolucion!' review: Milagro Theatre celebrates revolutionary women

by Carol Wells, The Oregonian
October 22, 2011


A modern-day folk play newly created for Milagro Theatre's Day of the Dead celebration, "¡Viva la Revolución!" is a cultural event that has the feel of a production one might see in a village square on market day or in the courtyard of a country church.


The story, which seeks to recognize the largely unsung women of the Mexican Revolution, is set mainly in the home of an upper-class family: a mother, father, daughter, her love interest, their American houseguest, and a servant. What makes each of these characters especially noteworthy, however, is that the faces that top their last-century costumes are made up like skulls, complete with bone-white skin and blacked-out eye sockets.


Poised and gracious, the wife Constanza (Nurys Herrera) provides a good balance for her blustery, no-nonsense husband Ludovico (Enrique E. Andrade). One feels for Ludovico, living-dead or otherwise, because he appears to be isolated in his own household. His daughter (played with humor and spunk by Cristina Cano) is learning to shoot a gun in order to join the revolutionary forces. His servant (the engaging Alberto Romero) is busy planning how to run the hacienda once Ludovico is no longer its master, and his wife is suspiciously familiar with the incendiary writings of Hermila Galindo, a feminist, suffragist and critic of the Catholic church.


Throughout the run of the play, the Milagro Theatre hosts a display of "ofrendas" in its lobby and in the adjoining community space. These pay tribute to similar altars created in some Mexican homes in celebration of the Day of the Dead. Offered up are incense, candles, food, rosaries, perhaps the favorite alcoholic drink and cigarette of the departed. They are simultaneously respectful and whimsical, somber and colorful.


"¡Viva la Revolución!" is like an ofrenda brought to life in performance. There is respect for the departed, but also plenty of lightheartedness plus bits and pieces of oddness. There are sweet dances (thanks to choreographer Maria Ferrin) and songs, some in keeping with the story, like "La Cucaracha," which is associated with the revolution. Other songs, like "Sister Suffragette" from the "Mary Poppins" movie, or the 1960s country standard "Green, Green Grass of Home," are peculiarly placed, though the latter does showcase the pretty voice of Amber Mitchell as Susan, the family's young American houseguest.

Framing the family's story is the story of Najwa (Nelda Reyes), which widens the scope of the play's tribute to include women of all revolutions, especially those occurring today.


Director Olga Sanchez does partly succeed in her intention to have the play celebrate the achievements of revolutionary women, but because of the talent of her cast, particularly the two principals, the play perhaps winds up moving us for an entirely different reason. What makes the most impact is the family struggle: a father who is basically a decent man, but an unquestioning one, trying to absorb the awful fact that his daughter has rejected the values he holds dear. The woman we ultimately most remember is the loving wife, gently nudging her husband toward the realization of the injustice those values represent.


The dialogue is in English and Spanish. For non-native speakers, I would suggest a basic level of proficiency (for example, one year of high-school Spanish) for maximum enjoyment of the production.

Photo of the Day: October 24, 2011

October 24, 2011, a photo by Miracle Theatre Group on Flickr.

Actress Amber Mitchell reviews lines backstage of a dress rehearsal for Miracle Theatre Group's 2011 Day of the Dead celebration "¡Viva la Revolución!". Photo by Russell Young

Photo of the Day: October 22, 2011

October 22, 2011, a photo by Miracle Theatre Group on Flickr.

Backstage before a preview, photographer Russell Young captures a moment with Nurys Herrera, an actress in our Day of the Dead show "¡Viva la Revolución!"

Laughing at Death

Thanks to the wonders of social media, our office today was full of chuckles as we shared the link to this very humorous — and all too familiar — encounter with Día de los Muertos shared in the New Yorker.

Happy opening night, everyone! ¡Viva la Revolución!

Photo of the Day: October 21, 2011

October 21, 2011, a photo by Miracle Theatre Group on Flickr.

Backstage before a dress rehearsal of "¡Viva la Revolución!", actor Noah Dunham finds a moment of contemplation. Photo by Russell Young

The Oregonian: "Miracle Theatre celebrates the Day of the Dead with a show of female strength"

"Miracle Theatre's annual celebration of the Day of the Dead has its roots in ancient Meso-American rituals to honor ancestors, and in ongoing Mexican traditions of altars and offerings for deceased loved ones. But just as the holiday celebrates life as well as death, it honors the past by inviting it into the present. ..."

Read the whole story online at OregonLive.com

Photo of the Day: October 20, 2011

Zapata Altar, a photo by Miracle Theatre Group on Flickr.

This altar, dedicated to Emiliano Zapata, was created by local Latino artists as part of Miracle Theatre Group's 2011 Day of the Dead celebration.

In the News: Portland Observer Shares Altar Exhibit

The Portland Observer published a brief article about our exhibit of Día de los Muertos altars, which is free and open to the public one hour prior to each performance of ¡Viva la Revolución!

Warriors for Change!

The past week, we've welcomed guest audiences to watch our dress rehearsal pre-previews, including educators from the Portland area middle schools, high schools and colleges, students from University of Portland and Mt. Hood Community College, and friends from Veterans for Peace. It's always scary to put a show up in front of an audience but this show is particularly unnerving because we're still in the process of creating it. The actors and stage manager have received new pages, notes, and a sheet or two of line changes daily! Kudos to the whole team for responding superbly, embracing the changes (which they often create) to create a stronger show every day.

One reason we welcome early audiences is so that we can get some feedback on our work while we're still in rehearsal. For example, one danger that goes along with making a show about revolution especially during a year of intense activity is that our story might be too didactic or preachy. Peppered with references to global and local events, including own Occupy Portland, Occupy Wall Street, and Occupy the World movements, we run the risk of sounding like a one very long slogan!

In our post-play conversations with our audiences over the past few runs, the word is good! They enjoy the references to real-world events and the integration of the present into a story from the past. Looks like all the singing, dancing, altar building and bilingual encounters with dead ancestors provides plenty of balance!

Opening night is this Friday, which means we have two more days of polishing our show before its big launch. Thank heavens our team's approach to change is: Bring it!