Mysteries of Maria; Inside Artes de la Rosa's MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES: Blog 2 - Digging Deep with Keith J. Warren

Over the next 8 weeks, we will be recieving blogs from the cast, crew, and production staff of Maria de Buenos Aires, recieiving it's Regional Premiere this May at the Rose Marine Theater. Check back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for special insights, comments, and information about Maria de Buenos Aires! Today we blog with star Keith J. Warren who is returning to Artes de la Rosa after last year's critically acclaimed Kiss of the Spiderwoman.

Digging Deep with Keith J. Warren

It’s a pleasure to be involved with Artes de la Rosa after a whole year since Kiss of the Spider Woman. In the time since then, I’ve stayed focused on several other projects and looked forward to upcoming opportunities.

Around January of this year, I heard mention of Maria de Buenos Aires from several people with Artes de la Rosa. When I asked what the show was about, the answer I received left me very intrigued. I found the premise of a tango opera/musical with an avant garde and romantic ghost story type feel to it was definitely a story to look into more deeply. The next stage for me was the music of the show. From the very beginning, the music is alluring. It started painting pictures and colors in my head before I even saw any visual concepts of the shows designs. It left me wanting more and that was the moment I decided that I wanted to have a part of this project. It’s a story that is intended for artists in all facets of the performing arts, which to me, is very exciting.

For me, another very pivotal part of the puzzle was having my best friend, Grace Neeley, cast in the title role of Maria. It’s a very special experience to have the chemistry you have with a friend you hold dear to your heart and take part in each other’s journey through such a complex story such as Maria. Like most stories, there are relationships and the moments that Grace and I share in this tale are not like many that I’ve experienced in other productions. Maria takes a lot of concentration on both mental and physical chemistry. With a story as emphasized by the Tango and its physical dimensions, I find that there’s a greater artistic expression when you already have such a close and personal relationship. It’s also a delight to know that the entire cast as a whole shares in the collective feeling of excitement of sharing the chemistry and artistic influences that Maria will help bring to the table.

Keith J. Warren with Jason Villareal
in Artes de la Rosa's
Kiss of the Spiderwoman.
Photo by Michael C. Foster

As an actor, Maria is already presenting challenges and demands that don’t come in such great supply with most productions. For this, I’m very excited and grateful. An actor who has all of the answers doesn’t tend to work as hard to make bring the character to life a great deal of the time. In this particular instance, there is no other choice but to dig deep into yourself and even deeper into the text and discover the meanings and relationships that the story holds. As I continue to do this, the music of the show becomes even meatier and erotic, which raises the question… what comes next? Another exciting detail for me as an artist.

I’m really looking forward to the show’s growth and progression as the rehearsal process continues on. I think it’s a story that will break through the language barriers and bring back a great appreciation for storytelling, which often at times is lost among special effects and over done visuals. This show puts the raw physical performing first.