Remote Launches Digital Program to Expand Reach of Theatre to Underserved Communities

Remote Theater, a virtual and hybrid performing arts company, has announced the launch of a program to collaborate with regional companies in bringing theater to wider audiences, including communities that have not experienced theater because of limited mobility, safety concerns, and/or costs.

"The pandemic demonstrated that online theatre is an art form in itself," said Giovanni Rodriguez, artistic director and co-founder of Remote. "It's also a way to reach audiences that have been underserved, bringing exciting, relevant stories to many new communities."

Its first collaboration will be with CalShakes and the Artists Reading Collective (ARC) for a virtual reading of Herbert Cinguenza's EL HENRY, a Chicano adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One by renowned playwright Herbert Siguenza (co-founder of Culture Clash). There will be two live online readings of EL HENRY, on consecutive Saturdays, July 24th and 31st, at 2 PM. A recording of the reading will later be available on-demand in the month of August. Admission is pay-what-you-can including an option where you can attend free as my personal guest. No amount is too small; it will help offset the costs of this production and others. To register for one of the live performances, please go here: https://bit.ly/3oi4OkX

El Henry: A Coming of Age Story

It's the year 2045 in a huge, run-down metropolis called Aztlan City (formerly San Diego), where political apathy and corruption run the city while violent barrio families run the streets. It's a harsh new world where Hispanics, Mexicans, and Chicanos rule as the majority in a society abandoned by Anglo America. When El Hank, the ambitious leader of all the barrios, finds his street kingdom threatened by El Tomas and his hot-headed son El Bravo, he seeks the help of his brave and charismatic son El Henry. But El Hank finds his son wrapped up with a bunch of low-life thieves and drunkards headed by the lazy Fausto. Written in a unique poetic cadence called Calo, which mixes urban Spanish and English slang, El Henry explores the universal themes of loyalty, honor, and family through the lens of Barrio machismo.

"El Henry is a story of youth, choices, and the rite of passage into adulthood," said Rodriguez. "It's a story for all times, and we are thrilled to bring it to new audiences.

To register for EL HENRY, please visit https://bit.ly/3oi4OkX.

Born during the pandemic, but with an eye trained on the future, Remote Theater is a company of artists exploring the boundaries of live online performance, what we call "live cinema." We're committed to developing and reimagining great dramatic works and finding global audiences for them. Artists we have worked with include Obie-award-winning playwright Naomi Wallace, writer/librettist/TV producer Billy Aronson (the originator of the concept for RENT), and playwrights Tanya Shaffer, Anthony Clarvoe, and Lynne Kaufman.

Remote is the beneficiary of a Facebook Small Business Grant. Past and current partners include The Marsh, the Actors Reading Collective (ARC), and Playwrights Foundation (for their support of our world premiere of Tanya Shaffer's MANATEE ON MARS). We are a fiscally sponsored non-profit; all donations are tax deductible.

To learn more, please visit www.remote.theater/studios

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