La Jolla Playhouse Sets Three Artist Residencies for June

La Jolla Playhouse will host several local artists in residence in June, as part of its commitment to fostering artistic relationships and the development of new work.

"The Playhouse is in a singular position to offer established and up-and-coming artists unparalleled opportunities and resources through such ongoing initiatives as our Resident Theatre and Artist-in-Residence programs. Located on the UC San Diego campus, the Playhouse, too, is a research institution, always seeking out and cultivating the most exciting new talent," said La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. "This June is a particularly fruitful time for us as three vital companies take up residency at the Playhouse, and we are proud to offer each of them a deeply supportive environment to develop their projects."

The 2013/14 Resident Theatre Company, Teatro Máscara Mágica (TMM), will present the second project of its residency, Misa Azteca: A Prophetic Poem Fulfilled, a world premiere featuring a story by Monique and Joseph Julian Gonzalez, music by Joseph Julian Gonzalez, and directed by TMM Artistic Director William Virchis, to run June 11 - 22 in the Playhouse's Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit teatromascaramagica.org.

Originally created as an orchestral, choral piece, Misa Azteca has delighted audiences throughout the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. However, the prophetic poems and mysteries it is built upon have never been brought to light. Misa Azteca: A Prophetic Poem Fulfilled is a fascinating and mystical dramatization, utilizing song, dance and multimedia, of the foretelling of the fall of the Aztec Empire, the rise of an unknown God and a miracle that would transform a nation. Joseph Julian Gonzalez has composed a multitude of musical scores for film and TV including the Academy Award-nominated documentary Colors Straight Up, the Emmy Award-winning Made in LA, and Showtime's longest running Latino series Resurrection Blvd. His latest project, the six-part miniseries Latino Americans, recently won the 2014 Peabody award. His concert music includes commissions from the Kronos String Quartet and the American Music Forum.

Spearheaded by Christopher Ashley, the Resident Theatre Program is an annual appointment that aims to encourage the artistic development of performing arts organizations, while providing a temporary home each year to one of the many local troupes without a permanent venue. Previous resident theatre appointees include Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company, Moxie Theatre, San Diego Asian American Repertory Theater and Eveoke Dance Theatre.

On June 19 - 21, the Playhouse will host artist Iain Gunn, co-founder of the alternative puppet theatre troupe Animal Cracker Conspiracy, for a first workshop of Paper Cities, a hybrid mixed-media/puppet performance. This exciting presentation has been made possible through a grant for an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Ariel W. Coggeshall Fund of the San Diego Foundation Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement. These annual fellowships support the creation and development of new work conceived by San Diego-based artists and focus on creating opportunities for civic engagement or advancing social change through arts and culture. Workshop presentations will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm in the in the Rao and Padma Makineni Play Development Center. For more information, please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

Created in collaboration with Animal Cracker Conspiracy, Director Lisa Berger, Movement Director Liam Clancy and Playhouse Resident Dramaturg Shirley Fishman, Paper Cities explores the growth of a city and its relationship with and through paper, taking a particular look at contemporary 'realities' and the intertwining of archetypal patterns that have both plagued, epitomized and exalted the idea of the city in collective memory. The piece has developed from discussions and research looking into the artist's personal histories living in the country and the mountains, the suburbs and different cities, and feeling the tension between the man-made and the primordial wild. It is an experimental performance based in a hybrid approach to creation of imagery, sound and movement.

On May 31 and June 1, Native Voices at the Autry, America's leading Native American theatre company, will again take up residence at the Playhouse, continuing its tradition of developing works by new and established Native American playwrights at its 16th annual Festival of New Plays. The Festival features a week-long collaboration between Native playwrights and nationally-recognized directors and dramaturgs, working with an exceptional acting company comprised of renowned Native and non-Native actors, including Irene Bedard, Rena Owen, Kalani Queypo, Delanna Studi and Sheila Tousey. Many works developed through this process have gone on to enjoy successful runs on the Autry's main stage and elsewhere. The readings are free and take place in the Rao and Padma Makineni Play Development Center. For more information and to reserve tickets, please visit: theautry.org/whats-here/theater-native-voices.

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