Preserving Sephardic culture in the Caribbean through art.
Marco Antonio Rodríguez Flourishes Again with New Play Titled ‘Bloom’
ArtComment‘Bloom’ Made Its Debuted at the IATI
By Emmanuel Espinal
April 15, 2022
This article was originally published in Spanish and was translated by the author
Now that the theatre lights have been turned back on, after a pandemic that paralyzed the theatrical arts, Marco Antonio Rodríguez flourishes once again with a new theatrical play titled Bloom. Bloom is a contemporary play that looks to make the audience emotionally and intellectually uneasy with its themes. He generously allowed us to interview him with regard to his new English-language play, which made its debut on Saturday, April 16th, at the IATI Theatre. Bloom stars Dominican actor Rafael Beato and the international actress Monica Steuer. Following is the interview with Marco Antonio Rodríguez on the play and many other topics:
Poster of the play Bloom
The pandemic has changed many things in our daily lives. How did the pandemic affect your creative process as a writer and playwright? Did it inspire a project or did it affect you to the point of stopping completely your creative process?
In reality, the pandemic did not affect my creative process. I was working on my second Master’s degree (MFA in writing for television and cinematography) so I had to keep writing screenplays non-stop. My studies were a good distraction. Writing is a solitary process, in it of itself, so it was not a shock to me when the pandemic emerged. What it did affect was my work as a theatrical playwright as all live events were halted; there was no theater for a very long time.
In October, PBS started transmitting Alma’s Way, in which through your voice you give life to Tío Nestor. How did this opportunity come about and how does it feel to reach a children’s audience?
This was one of the biggest blessings at the start of the pandemic. My agent contacted me for the audition in February of 2020. As soon as I read the script I realized that this character was very similar to me. He loves theater as well as having fun with his family. Everything fit perfectly. They showed me a sketch of the character and he physically also looked like me. It is a true honor and a commitment to reach a children’s audience especially at the crucial ages between four and six during which there is a lot of growth and development. The love of children is pure and unconditional. Alma’s Way is the authentic representation of a Caribbean family living in the United States. It also represents the diversity of our great city, showing families from India, China and other countries.
In our last interview, we asked if there was a possibility that Bloom could be exhibited as you had just finished a first reading of the play. Now in April it will be showcased at the IATI Theatre. How has that process been? How does it feel to achieve that goal and have several of your plays running at the same time?
In 2019, Bloom participated in a program at the IATI called CIMIENTOS*, which provides space and time for playwrights to be able to develop their play. In that program I was given time to focus on the story. I received feedback and ideas from colleagues that helped a great deal. From there, IATI expressed interest in producing the play as it goes well with their mission of provoking introspection through avant-garde performing arts. IATI supports multicultural communities that are diverse and neglected while harnessing and empowering unique voices. IATI produces plays that highlight the complexities, the contradictions, the profoundness and richness of the experiences between many Latino cultures, with themes that are culturally relevant, political, defiant and entertaining.
* Literal translation and meaning of cimientos in English is foundations.
“IATI produces plays that highlight the complexities, the contradictions, the profoundness and richness of the experiences between many Latino cultures, with themes that are culturally relevant, political, defiant and entertaining.”
Please describe for us a bit of what the play is about and the actors that dramatize it. What contemporary themes does it touch upon? How was the casting and what you were looking for in each character?
Synopsis: For years the government has sought to eradicate those who love in the way that Roan does. After being taken, imprisoned, and tortured, he is now returned home to his mother, Julia. But the sentence is clear: she has but one hour to end her son’s life or face the consequences for her and her entire family.
I started working on Bloom approximately a year before Donald Trump was elected president, inspired by the horrible things I read were happening to the LGBTQ+ in Chechenia, a Russian territory. It was impactful that so many (including myself) did not know anything about this. Once the Trump administration took over, it really started to fuel the story once I saw the toxic division that surged and revealed itself in our own country and especially within my own family. It was then that the story started to manifest itself more clearly.
The persistent division, intolerance, the hate, xenophobia, fanaticism, the ignorance and the massive distance that we have ALL created, taking us further apart from LOVE is a global pandemic. As US-Americans, we often do not include ourselves as part of that, we quickly label ourselves as a ‘democracy’, looking at other countries as the guilty ones. Everything becomes ‘THAT’ or ‘THEM’, without realizing how close we have been and are to becoming the same thing we criticize.
In the play, I never say the country it is taking place in and I never use the word totalitarian. I chose NOT to make it a specific place like the United States, the Middle East, Russia, China or any other. I do this on purpose so that there is no opportunity of removing or evading our own responsibility, none of ‘THAT’ or ‘THEM’ or ‘Well, that is happening THERE not here’.
Winston Estévez, artistic director of IATI says:
The spread of misinformation and the attack of groups that are under represented in the US political landscape, reflects how totalitarianism and fanaticism separates families as well as being conducive to an unjust and unnecessary human suffering. Current events such as the widespread controversy surrounding transgender youth or the war in Ukraine are a reflection that we are all at risk to suffer. Marco Antonio brought the themes of totalitarianism and discrimination of LGBTQ+ to an extremely universal story of mother and son. At the center of the play is the powerful evolution that both characters live through in their last hour together.
As I am not directing this production, I will pass along the question of casting to our director, Victoria Pérez:
We were very fortunate that the first phase of casting was via Zoom and we received many “self-tapes” also. I was looking for an actor that could convey the character’s fortitude but at the same time his sensibilities and the horror of the situation. This play only has two characters. The actress that interprets the role of the mother had already done the role in one of the readings and it was very important that she continue in the project because as an actress, she understands all the nuances that the character demands and requires. One of the priorities in the process of the casting was to find an actor that would complement the same acting strength of the actress and we were able to accomplish it without a doubt.
As the tireless worker that you are and you are always doing something, what other projects do you have planned or are working on right now that you can speak of?
I have various projects cooking but I am not able speak of any of them as of yet. To stay up-to-date, you can visit my webpage: www.marcoantoniorodriguez.com
“The persistent division, intolerance, the hate, xenophobia, fanaticism, the ignorance and the massive distance that we have ALL created, taking us further apart from LOVE is a global pandemic. ”
Lastly, what do you believe is still missing so that more Hispanic and Latin American playwrights, specifically Dominicans --if possible--, are able to get their works exhibited? What Dominican playwrights should our readers look for or research?
What is missing are more opportunities and theaters that commit not only to readings, but also to produce stories that showcase the diversity of our Latino communities. Caribbean voices are scarce on the stage and I would say in the artistic environment, in general. Many give the green light to develop a script and give it a first reading but very few make the commitment to support fully and produce these magnificent voices.
Caribbean playwrights your readers should look up and read:
Guadalís del Carmen (Dominicana)
Christin Eve Cato (Puertorriqueña)
Franklin Domínguez (Dominicano)
Juan Ramírez Jr. (Puertorriqueño)
Josefina Báez (Dominicana)
[Ricardo Pérez González][6] (Cubano)