World Premiere of Luis Alfaro's THE TRAVELERS to be Presented at The Magic Theatre in February

The Magic Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for the World Premiere of Luis Alfaro's The Travelers. Directed by Catherine Castellanos, The Travelers will perform from February 15 - March 5, 2023 at Magic Theatre's Fort Mason location (Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94123). The press opening will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available as part of a 2023 Performance Pass. (https://magictheatre.secure.force.com/ticket/#/instances/a0F6e00000Yb8XFEAZ)

Single Tickets: Magic Theatre (https://magictheatre.secure.force.com/ticket/#/instances/a0F6e00000YbMgTEAV)

*From the writer Luis Alfaro:* I read an article about a very beautiful place in the Central Valley of California. Near Fresno, a place called Grangeville, population around 49. I read a story about a seminary, they'd been around for a long, long time. And everybody in the seminary had gotten out of working in the fields during the big drought and kind of went to the seminaries to try to get free food and housing. Really outta desperation. A lot of these people who are the spiritual people of this place, are they actually the spiritual people in this place, this place in my play? Because, how did you show up to this place? My story is about the guy who is the least likely candidate for seminary, he shows up. And because it's the Magic Theatre, I'm allowing myself to be open to spirit. As a student of the legend Maria Irene Fornes I am calling into this theatre room my mentor, Fornes, I'm calling our ancestors in, I'm calling in my grandmother, my bisabuela. I was raised in both the great Pentecostal tradition of the central valley, Delano, California and in the Catholic church. That's really what this is, is a mix of all of those elements. I am one of those playwrights who works in community. I write and then in process, I like to write for actors. We'll see what voices we hear from the Magic community and my old familia of Campo Santo gente, with a beautiful director I have worked with in many capacities for years.

*From the Magic Theatre's Lead Director Sean San José:* We are honored to return to full force programming in 2023, led by Luis Alfaro. Alfaro is the perfect writer to represent the history of the Magic Theatre's commitment to bold, new plays - while also flying us into the future of this New Era we've entered. Continuing Alfaro's amazing work, so emblematic of our State- the immigrant life, the city rearing, the migrant roots- this work will root us all together in

this spiritual and human moment in time.

About The Travelers

Experience why Luis Alfaro remains a quintessential part of Magic Theatre and at the center of our future in many ways. Continuing Alfaro's legacy is emblematic of our own present state, as a city and nation : immigrant life, the heartland, our migrant roots, lost connections and longing in between. Set inside a nearly abandoned Catholic monastery, The Travelers explores a disconnected community and a search of corazon with intimate honesty and inspired humor. This premiere is focused on an all-male presenting group of Latine and Filipinx actors, and will be designed by an all-female and nonbinary identifying team, led by director Catherine Castellanos.

The cast of The Travelers features Juan Amador, Daniel Duque-Estrada, Guillermo Yiyo Ornelas, Brian M. Rivera, Kinan Valdez and Ogie Zulueta.

In addition to Luis Alfaro and Catherine Castellanos, the creative team and crew for The Travelers includes Jo Ortiz (Production Stage Manager), Lauren Quan (Assistant Stage Manager), Tanya Orellana (Scenic Designer), Abra Berman (Costume Design), Rachael Heiman (Costume Design Assistant), gg torres (Lighting Design), Joan Osato (Video Design), Sara Huddleston (Sound Design), Samantha Alexa (Properties Design), Patricia Ong (Movement Director), Perla Barraza (Assistant Director), Maria Frangos (Research Dramaturgy) and Tierra Allen (Creative Consultant).

The Travelers runs approximately 85 minutes, without intermission.

2023 Year Long Performance Passes are now available for purchase. The programming for the calendar year 2023 will continue with the World Premieres The Ni¿¿er Lovers by Marc Anthony Thompson (May 3 - 21, 2023), and Josephine's Feast by Star Finch (August 2 - 20, 2023). These World Premiere plays continue the Magic Theatre's legacy of premiering bold, new plays and highlight the first Home Company Campo Santo as a co-producer of two of the plays. These plays, artists, and collaborations are emblematic of the overall energy and ethos of the whole space and organization in this new era!

2023 will also bring new events from the Magic Theatre's Resident Companies and Resident Artists and Community Collaborators, including:

• Resident Program
• New Performances Program
• Collaboration Program
• New Commissions Program
• Play Development Readings

The Ni¿¿er Lovers and Josephine's Feast will be co-produced and developed with Home Resident Company Campo Santo. The rest of the offerings will include: Residency Program: an original world premiere play from the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre; Special Events: the 2nd annual Special event curated and hosted by Board Member (and newly minted Emmy Award Winner) Colman Domingo; Collaboration Program: new production from Crowded Fire Theater; Music Program: Resident Curator DJ Wonway Posibul Jazz Nites; weekly Sunday Services from the legendary Saint John Coltrane Church; and much more.

About Luis Alfaro

Luis Alfaro is an essential part of the Magic Theatre's recent history (four productions, three world premieres in the last decade) and will be at the center of the future of the works we generate at the Magic Theatre. Continuing Alfaro's amazing work that is emblematic of our State- the immigrant life, the city rearing, the migrant roots - he aims to make a new play that reflects on the state of our state, and therefore our country. In The Travelers, Alfaro sets us inside a near abandoned Catholic monastery, as he explores the disconnect to community through a cast of men in search of connection and corazon with intimate honesty and inspired humor. These travelers are emblematic of our communities of the Central Valley as they seek some soul connection in our State that is building prisons over schools and forgoing any sense of faith over fear mongering. In the original voice of our Latine world - Alfaro's writing breaks through religious dogma, recognizes our cultural connections, and offers a solace for our communal souls. Alfaro's Bay Area works include premieres at the Magic Theatre: Oedipus el Rey, Bruja, This Golden State: Delano; and with several local theatres: Alleluia, The Road, Electricidad, and more. Alfaro served as part of the Artistic Leadership at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and serves on the Faculty at University of Southern California, among his many positions and titles. Previously Alfaro was the Playwright In Residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at Ashland, where his play Mojada was produced (as well as being produced throughout the country at Victory Gardens and NYC's Public Theatre, both shaped and rewritten for the
specific Latine community in each city, under the direction of Chay Yew). That play evolved out of the play Bruja, which originally premiered at the Magic Theatre.

About the Magic Theatre

Since the company's founding in 1967 by visionary John Lion, the Magic Theatre has identified and cultivated writers on the cutting edge of American theatre, serving as a vital center for the creation and performance of new American plays. Sam Shepard developed and premiered his Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child, True West, and Fool for Love during his decade-long Magic residency (1974-84), forever altering the shape of American drama.

The Magic Theatre has entered a new Golden Age with the appointment of Sean San José as the new Artistic Director in June, 2021. San José is the first Person of Color to fully lead the organization in its 50+ year history. With this new leadership Magic is dedicated to making the Magic Theatre a home to more people by rightfully centering People of Color throughout the organization. The Magic Theatre, while continuing to premiere bold and new plays as it has done for 55 years, has expanded its vision and programming with these new Programs: new Residency Program- which includes Home Resident Company Campo Santo and the historic Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (Artistic Director Margo Hall), along with Black Artists Contemporary Cultural Experience (Co-Artistic Directors Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe and Rotimi Agbabiaka), Ellen Sebastian Chang/ Sunhui Chang and the newly announced Saint John Coltrane Church, and TigerBear Productions, and the incoming Play On! Shakespeare; new Performances Program, telling theatrical stories in dance, poetry, and music led by San Francisco Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin; and Resident Artists, which is highlighted by Playwright In Residence Star Finch and Resident Curator Juan Amador, Resident Producer Jerome Gentes, and designers Russell Champa, Tanya Orellana, Joan Osato, Christopher Sauceda, and Brittany White, Hybrid Program by Ashley Smiley. In addition to the new Leadership Team and Staff (Daniel Duque-Estrada, Michael Ferrell, Brechin Flournoy, Stephanie Holmes, Sara Huddleston, Kevin Nelson, Sean San José, Christopher Sauceda, Aidan Stone, Liam Vincent), more than doubled Board of Trustees, the Magic Theatre has launched its new branding by an otherwise co., and has energetically, artistically, and aesthetically shifted the whole space in ethos and activation, a redesign of the spaces (lobby, cathedral, and theatres, including multiple new wall sized murals by local artists Mister Bouncer (Miguel Perez) from the Trust Your Struggle collective, Adrian Arias, and a space filled with legendary Black art from the Saint John Coltrane Church by Emory Douglas, Mark Roman, and Deacon Mark Doox. The space is open year round now for engagement and entertainment, arts and activation from the plays to the people- the Magic Theatre is Home for bringing the City inside.

The Magic Theatre is located in the Marina District of San Francisco, at the historic Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture (Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd., Building D, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94123). For more information, visit MagicTheatre.org or call the box office at (415) 441-8822. The performance schedule is Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm.

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