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Washington, DC – Paso Nuevo and participants of GALA’s Summer Youth Program are proud to present They Tried to Bury Us; They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds / Quisieron enterrarnos; pero se les olvidó que somos semillas, an evening of original works, on Friday, August 5, 2016 at 8 pm at the GALA Theatre, 3333 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. Performed in English, the presentation is directed by Quique Avilés, José Carrasquillo, Daniel Esquivel, and Matthew Vaky, and is in collaboration with the Theater Lab School of Dramatic Arts. The program contains strong language and is not recommended for children. Admission is free.
Through poetry, music, dance, and scenes, They Tried to Bury Us; They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds speaks to an array of issues that the youth believe are crucial to their lives---from addressing internal identity conflicts to confronting the school-to-prison pipeline to being “Latino enough”.
“Given the present political discourse about race relations, minorities, undocumented immigrants, and the phenomena of Donald Trump,” states Quique Avilés, the director of the summer youth program, “this performance could not come at a better time. It is no coincidence that the young people involved in the summer program felt the need to address these issues through their writing and performance. The show is the culmination of an intense six week process that brought together Black, Latino, and biracial youth from throughout the city to make their voices heard through theatre.”
The summer youth participants are Alexis Arévalo, Melissa Cadena, José Coca, Briceida Coronilla, Anayeli Gómez, Jason Gómez, Tonja Gossett, Ulyssia Govan, Kori Jackson, Karlyn McAllister, Felicia Miranda, Stephanie Reyes, Nathan Robinson, Pamela Rodríguez, Duvien Salmerón, Christian Sánchez, Jasmine Starr, and Olaedo Ukeekwe.
GALA Theatre is located at 3333 14th Street, NW in Washington, DC. Parking is available behind the theater in the Giant Food garage on Park Road, NW. The theater is one block north of the Columbia Heights Metro
station on the Yellow and Green lines. For more information, call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org
ABOUT PASO NUEVO AND THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM
Now in its 24th year, Paso Nuevo is GALA’s after-school workshop program for Latino and multi-cultural youth ages 13 to 18. The workshops are held throughout the year and provide a safe environment in which youth can explore issues of identity and cultural differences, articulate their values, increase self- esteem, and gain bilingual skills that will enhance their academic performance and future career opportunities. Additionally, the youth involved in this project control all aspects of the theatrical process, from conception to technical direction and marketing.
The summer program is a six-week summer session that provides young artists, ages 14 to18, an introduction to a variety of theatrical techniques, including acting, movement, musical exploration, and technical theater production. Classes emphasize original writing, textual analysis, and character development. Students are also introduced to lighting, sound, and costume design. This year’s program includes Paso Nuevo students, youth new to the theater, and participants referred to GALA through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the DC Summer Youth Employment Program.
The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (DCCAH) has partnered with the Department of Employment Services (DOES) to serve as a Host Agency for the 2016 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). SYEP is a locally funded initiative that provides District youth ages 14 to 21 with enriching and constructive summer work experiences through subsidized placements in the private and government sectors. This summer, DCCAH placed 89 youth in a variety of local organizations and businesses within the District that support the creative economy. Youth have the opportunity to explore arts-focused job opportunities with DCCAH’S partner organizations, which provide an enriching and constructive summer experience.
GALA’s Summer Youth Program is made possible with generous support from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, and Wells Fargo.
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