The Echame Un Ojo festival and Other News!

Oscar Franco, Ursula Walker, Tarik Daniels, Krysta Gonzalez, Antoineo Rivera, Adam Martinez, Anya Carreon-Reyes and Lori Navarrete in Fae and Paciencia.

It's been a minute sense I've updated you.  Partly because I've been enjoying the summer and partly because of the tragic events that have been going on.  Stay up, great people.

Let's jump into it.

Got interviewed by The Nueva Latina blog!

In June of this year, I got the chance to have a staged reading at Austin's Echame Un Ojo Latinx-arts Festival of a new play I was commissioned  (My first commission!).   Fae and Paciencia is a story about two different families connected by a #carefreeblackgirl named Fae Johnson and an overachieving Latino named Jorge Paciencia.  It was well-received by the audience and I got tons of great feedback for my next drafts.  Thank you Anya and Oscar for tapping me for the project and giving me the oportunidad to be in this space. 

I Attended a Writing Class Taught by Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios 

Last Sunday, I attended the Writing the Adaptation workshop with playwright Alvaro Saar Rios (check out his play Luchadora). He was a great teacher who dosed his workshop with jokes and antidotes. I had my apprehensions about going to a workshop about writing adaptations, because I never taught about writing one.  I got the chance to meet quite a few Houston playwrights.  I left the workshop with a new idea for a play and a bit of advice.  

Takeaways:
Rios encouraged us to "Put our voice in the piece" and not to copy the story scene for scene.  Focus on the parts that stand out and are important to you as a writing.

Using popular music is expensive, but folk songs are free!  So find one that works for you. 

When someone asks "What are you working on?"  "You better be working on something," said Rios.  

So, you asked "What are you working on, Jelisa?" 
Okay you asked and I have an answer.  Phew!

Rewrites for three already written plays.  
3 new plays:​The idea sparked from the adaptation workshop, a piece dealing with police brutality and a play featuring an Afrolatina pop-punk goddess.

Pa'lante mi gente.  

​Especialmente mis Negrxs.  Te amo mucho.  

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