INSIDE ADLR with KYLE TRENTHAM's dark Nuncio

Today we spend time getting to know our buddy, Kyle Trentham, who is a familiar face to the Rose Marine theatre, but is actually making his Artes de la Rosa debut with The Fifth Sun. Producer and Artistic Director of QLive and organizer with his BFF Todd Camp of the Q Cinema Film Festival, Kyle is right at home at the Rose Marine Theatre. Here's why:

Production Name: The Fifth Sun

Actor’s Name : Kyle R. Trentham

Character Name: The Nuncio

Born & Raised: Born in Wichita Falls, TX and raised there and Fort Worth, TX

• Education: The Second City, NYU Summer Intensive, UNT
• Degree: A few Certificates and a BFA and blah blah blah
• Zodiac Sign: Aries
• Any Siblings: 2 Brothers
• Audition Song: Purpose from “Avenue Q”
• Audition Monologue: Something from “True West” or anything by Christopher Durang or Yasmina Reza
• First Play/Musical You Ever Saw: “Nunsense”, it wasn’t habit forming.
• Something you’re REALLY bad at: Math. Really bad. Like REALLY bad.
• Did you have any particular mentors or inspirations when first starting out? My grandfather William Raymond Trentham, Michael Valentine, Jon Williams (not the composer), SNL, Aaron Sorkin, Tina Fey.
• Must See TV Show: “The Newsroom”, ”30 Rock” and “Seinfeld”
• Why you work in theatre: It is my therapy and I am happiest when performing on stage or in a bar or a street corner or in the shower…
• First Role: Prince Charming in “Snow White and the Seven Drawfs”. Yeah, I know.
• Favorite Play: “Yerma” by Federico García Lorca
• Pop Culture Guilty Pleasure: Where to start? Reality TV, almost any Reality TV, and Katy Perry (Hush)…
• Favorite sport/team/player: The New York Yankees and of course The Texas Rangers. More Yankees though. Sorry.
• First Stage Kiss: “Another Season’s Promise” by Keith Roulston. Jacey was her name I think. There’ve been so many…
• Pre Show Rituals: A shot of whiskey, places super early and not talking.
• Special Skills: Play piano, speak a few languages and super smart with computers.
• MAC or PC: Um, what’s a PC?
• "I'll never understand why…” “I’ll never understand why” a lot of things. Theatre is one of the things I do understand. Why it’s important and why I do it.
• Any Theatre Superstitions: No whistling while doing tech work like hanging lights or set construction on stage. Anyone know why? If you guess right I will give you a surprise…
• Worst Costume Ever: Ask Adam Adolfo.
• Favorite Post Show Meal: Breakfast for dinner after a meal of vodka…
• Favorite liquid refreshment (adult or other): Vodka and Water with a lemon or Pepsi.
• Favorite ice cream : Tin Roof
• Biggest On Stage Mishap: Falling from the second story part of the set during “Noises Off’ by Michael Frayn
• Worst job you ever had: Sales at Fry’s Electronics
• Last Good Movie You Saw: “I AM a Ghost” by my friend H.P. Mendoza
• How you got your Equity card: Vegas Baby! A tour of a show about adult subject matter. Ask me and we’ll discuss…
• Something you are incredibly proud of: Making it this long and this far.
• Words of advice for aspiring performers: Never give up, go for it and when you feel uninspired, read the play or listen to that show that does inspire you. And Redbull…
• Career you would want if not a performer: Doctor
• Three things you can't live without: Water, Air and food. And Redbull…
• Best way to beat the North Texas Heat: Sleep inside with the AC blasting.
• Best thing about Fort Worth & the North Side:  Me and The Rose Marine…

INSIDE ADLR with GEORGE RODRIGUEZ's Oscar Romero

Over the next few weeks you'll get to meet the cast members of Artes de la Rosa's upcoming production of The Fifth Sun which opens September 7th at the Rose Marine Theater! This is the first time back on the Rose's stage for George in 8 years! Spend a few minutes and get to know George in all his glory!

Production Name      : The Fifth Sun           

Actor’s Name : George X Rodriguez

Character Name        : Oscar Romero

 Born & Raised:  Born at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Raised in Fort Worth, Texas

• Education:  Texas Wesleyan University, Class of 1990
• Degree: Bachelor of Arts, Theatre
• Zodiac Sign: Virgo
• Any Siblings: Writer and Director, Lynda Rodriguez
• Audition Song:  “I Wanna Be Like You” –Jungle Book
• Audition Monologue:  Richard from Henry VI, Part Three
• First Play/Musical You Ever Saw:   I do not remember, 1^st show I worked crew on was The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Ruta Lee as Miss Mona at Casa Manana
• Something you’re REALLY bad at: I do not remember……..I have to write things down.
• Did you have any particular mentors or inspirations when first starting out? Mentor: Joe Allen Brown. Russell Hicks.   Inspiration: My Grandfather, Angelo Brouno Gonzalez
• Must See TV Show:  I watch entirely too much television. Favorite show? The Sopranos.
• Why you work in theatre:  I honestly cannot imagine myself doing anything else.
• First Role:  Hard to say as my sister and I always put on plays from skits from Sesame Street, Carrascolendas, Zoom, and The Electric Company. If I had to pick though, the role of a shepherd in the Annual Rodriguez Family Christmas Pageant.
• Favorite Play:  Henry VI, Part Three by William Shakespeare
• Pop Culture Guilty Pleasure:  YouTube
• Favorite sport/team/player: Dallas Cowboys ! ! !
• First Stage Kiss:  As a lifelong character actor, I have never had a stage kiss. Shot, stabbed, hung, strangled, over dosed, poisoned, beaten, yes. Kissed? No.
• Pre Show Rituals:  Nap, Meal, Read Script Two Times, Reflection, Prayer, Puke
• Special Skills: At the advice of my attorney, I am instructed not to answer this question.
• MAC or PC: PC
• "I'll never understand why…":  Irish women are my Kryptonite
• Any Theatre Superstitions:  The Scottish One
• Worst Costume Ever: As The Captain of The Titanic in Christopher Durang’s Titanic
• Favorite Post Show Meal:  Whataburger !
• Favorite liquid refreshment (adult or other): Iced Tea, Lemonade, Iced Tea with Lemonade, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper
• Favorite ice cream : Cookies n Cream
• Biggest On Stage Mishap:  Having my wig on backwards for an entire performance of Mirandolina
• Worst job you ever had: Not working
• Last Good Movie You Saw: WarHorse
• How you got your Equity card: A.E.A. Membership Candidacy Program. Week by Week. Show by Show. All in Fort Worth.
• Something you are incredibly proud of: Being Alive and performing in the neighborhood and city I grew up in.
• Words of advice for aspiring performers: Believe in yourself. Don’t confuse money with success or talent. Live Today, when you get down to it, that is all one really has.  Always Be Working On Something !
• Career you would want if not a performer: Double Knot Spy
• Three things you can't live without: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Sopranos Complete Series on DVD, and Bella.
• Best way to beat the North Texas Heat : Iced Tea, Fan, and On demand Television.
• Best thing about Fort Worth & the North Side:  My Family Living In This Wonderful City of Ours.

You can get your tickets now by visiting www.ArtesDeLaRosa.org and clicking on Tickets! Don't miss George as he takes the stage in the role of Civil Rights Leader Arch Bishop Oscar Romero.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 10 - My So Called Blog

Today we spend a few minutes with Stage Manager April Wilson who is both "Goddess" and "Slave". Enjoy this hysterically funny read! (Yes, our girl is this sarcastic in real life!)

MY SO CALLED BLOG

So I walked into rehearsal today not expecting to write a blog, but because of a pissy director and people forgetting to do their job (not mentioning any names…) I got stuck picking up the slack (again!), so here goes… I am the stage manager (not that I don’t have the qualifications to be an actress…ahem…), which means I’m here before
everyone else, leave last, and get none of the credit. I do pretty much anything no one else wants to do and get paid in “you’re my favorite”s…but I’m not bitter or anything.:) I love working with
Director, Adam Adolfo. We have known each other for years now and I’d rather be his slave than anyone else’s. We have a brilliant production
staff. We have Elise Lavallee as our choreographer and she can tell a story through dancing better than anyone else that I know. 

All the songs in “Maria…” are in Spanish, so a “weta” like me would not understand a thing if it weren’t for her and the talented dancers in our show. Our Technical Director, Oliver Luke, is a genius. He can build anything you ask for and is actually quite the actor himself. Oliver is by far my favorite nerd.  Justin Kailer, our costumer, is very creative and despite unfortunate circumstances has never failed to pull through for us. Lighting designer, Michael Cole, has been the most professional lighting designer I have ever worked with and is very dedicated to his work.  Last but not least is Josh Bradford, our music director. He has been amazing in searching DFW for the best musicians possible. Our cast is extremely talented and except for the occasional water bottle that I have to pick up for them (hint hint) they are a joy to work with.  With a group this terrific, I have no doubt that anyone who comes and sees the show is going to be completely blown away.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 9 - ILLUMINATING DISCOVERIES

Today we blog with Lighting Designer Michael Cole. Michael is not new to ADLR having served as Assistant Lighting Designer on our production of A View From The Bridge. Michael is a creative beast as an Artist and is bringing his own special brand of en-lightning Illumination to Maria de Buenos Aires... Opening Night is just around the corner...www.artesdelarosa.org

ILLUMINATING DISCOVERIES

Adam first approached me about designing the lighting for Maria de Buenos Aires while I was on tour with a production of My Fair Lady. We had been having conversations concerning different philosophies of art and how art is influenced by life and how it affects life.

One day out of the blue, Adam sends me an e-mail telling me about a production he would be working on called Maria des Buenos Aires. Apparently the original lighting designer had taken another job in New York and would be unable to commit to the project. Being out of college for a year, looking for new experiences, I gladly accepted the project.

In the following weeks our conversations about art transformed slowly into me asking a lot of questions: what was it about? Why was it written? What in the world is an Operita?! Adam was able to send me what I can only describe as a research book. Filled with inspirational imagery, detailed history of the production, synopsis, libretto, pages of character descriptions, author biographies, etc. It was…thoroughly…researched.

Normally, my design process would begin with the script as it is the “blueprint” of the production. As this production is based on the tango, however, it was more appropriate to begin with the music. The music itself was a joy to listen to. I could hear the colors of the production very succinctly in the dynamics and melody. After reading the script, I went back to the music to make notes and drawings that I felt captured the style.

The next step was to ascertain the tools that I had to work with. In working with the technical director/scene designer, we compiled an inventory of the lighting gear available. To do this, it was necessary to remove every light from the stage. Something that had not been done in years. The entire lighting system will be reconfigured for Maria... to suit her needs.

In this production, the lighting will paint every scene to help evoke the spirit of the story. Strong theatrical looks, not limited by the confines of realistic lighting, will sculpt every segment of the story. Heavy use of color and angle will add to the tango drama that is Maria. You won’t want to miss this.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 8 - "Hay Dios Mio"

Today we blog with Wes Cantrell, one of the Stars of Maria de Buenos Aires. You may have noticed Wes steaming up the press photos - but he's more then a pretty face. Wes is a wonderful artist and a charismatic actor. You'll be really suprised what he's doing with the role of Father Luce, a priest with a dark secret. Let's hear what Wes has to say... make sure to purchase your tickets, opening night is less then three weeks away!

"HAY DIOS MIO"

I am very excited to be returning to the stage in the city of Fort Worth. I’ve lived most of my life over in Weatherford, and Fort Worth was always the big city for me. Whenever we needed to go shopping or do something fun, we’d always jump on I-20, and start heading East. In a way, getting back to the Artes de le Rosa stage is a homecoming for me. When Adam approached me about working as a principal in a “Tango Operita” I wasn’t so much skeptical as I was absolutely terrified! Dancing? Tango?! Spanish?!? Hay Dios mio… I knew if I said yes I would have my work cut out for me. But he gave me the Original Cast recording, and within five minutes of listening to the tracks I had fallen in love with the music. It’s tantric, sexy, and takes these twists and turns that I’ve never heard from anything else. I knew right then and there that I had to be a part of this production. Before too long I had made friends with the rest of the cast, and I knew how special this production was going to be. There are some shows that you do out of obligation, or because you’re trying to get your Equity weeks, and typically you don’t remember much from the rehearsal process or the run of those shows. But then there are shows that you do that blur that line between work and play. The ones that you’re involved in simply for the love of it. Those are the shows that stay with you forever. I know that this particular show has been a journey for me. I’m very excited to bring Father Luce to life in a way that no one has ever seen before… I hope you get to come see it.

Maria de Buenos Aires
A Tango Operita
May 11th - May 27th

Photos by Shannon Atkinson

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 7 - Argentina Looks French?

Today we blog with Technical Director and Maria de Buenos Aires Scenic Designer, Oliver Luke. Oliver's designs for Artes de la Rosa theatre have been called beautiful, emersive, and 'art'...and we'd agree! Whether taking us to a dark prison in Argentina or a massive mansion in Miami, Oliver has helped in the revitalization and renisannce of the Rose! He's out done himself with Maria de Buenos Aires. Make sure to check out his work by buying your tickets at www.artesdelarosa.org!

ARGENTINA LOOKS FRENCH?           Approaching the design of a show that has no real setting other than the city of its inception can be a liberating and daunting task. That was the first thought that ran through my head, how do i approach an original design but stay true to the setting of Buenos Aires, Argentina?

My first step to this approach was to study the architecture of Buenos Aires and understanding its influences, which turns out to be very French and Italian in the Baroque Style. Unfortunately the Rose's stage doesn't always allow for the style that may be necessary for a design that would require monumental staircases and expansive dome ceilings. However I did try to focus on the rich interiors and of course the openness of the space which would allow for greater movement opportunities for the dancers. The other issue was deciding on wether we wanted the streets of Buenos Aires where the tango was born or the interior of the Bordellos where the tango was practiced and perfected.

So after about five design sketches, some conceptual and others more literal, we made a decision on our location. The second element to work with would then be color. I decided to play with more earthy and cool colors to contrast the fiery passionate colors one would associate with the tango. Here and there you will get a splash of those passionate colors such as reds but overall it will be a very dark contrast. The last element of my design was that I really wanted to play with lighting opportunities and how lighting can really change the mood and feel of a setting. So the set will feature some really great elements that will play with, lighting designer Michael Coles' work. You'll hear from Michael next week! Till then...

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 6 - What IS a musical operetta tango ballet?

Today we blog with actress Lorens Portalatin who plays Alma, The Voice of the Brothel... one of the two youngest members of the cast, Lorens is proving to be quite a fierce company member! You'll have to see what we mean when the show opens May 11th at the Rose Marine Theater. You can be sure that you'll be seeing more of her on stage at Artes de la Rosa!

Lorens Portalatin with JP Cano

What IS a musical operetta tango ballet?

Whenever I first recieved the Facebook audition event invite for Maria de Buenos Aires I skimmed through it and disregarded it, thinking that someone would consider me either too young or unexperienced for this type of production. But after really going through and reading the description of the show, and hearing through the wording how passionate, and intense, and how physical the show was going to be, I just knew I had to be a part of it.

While reading the synopsis I knew that nothing like this had ever been done in Texas and that peaked my interest even more! A musical, operetta, tango ballet, that is NOT a musical, operetta, tango ballet... Honestly? What does that even mean?

I went through the audition process, was fortunate enough to be called back and then was cast as the Alma, the Voice of the Brothel. And in knowing that I was one of the two youngest in the show I knew that I could learn and experience so much from this production. Between the cast, dancers and production staff I have truly seen how much work and time and thought has gone into this entire process. From the storyline, to the characters to the very point or flex of a dancer's foot. It's going to be a marvelous monster within itself. Full of love, hate, anger, jealousy and every other deadly sin that you never knew could be portrayed in such a sensual and unseeingly beautiful way.

While being in rehearsal with the cast, crew and Adam (director), we've had the show broken down piece by piece, and all the way down to the heart of the story. The music. Astor Piazolla, wrote a show that did not have to be physically interpreted or represented. The story line drives the music, where it's going and where your mind takes you.

This is going to be a production that the audience walks out knowing and what we were portraying and telling them about Maria and her choices. They have never seen anything like it and it will be unforgettable

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 5 - Well Prepared Means 120 Pages!

Today we blog with Costume Designer Justin Kailer who's designs have captivated and captured the imagination in beautiful Artes de la Rosa stage productions including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. With a long history of collaboration between Director Adam Adolfo and himself, Justin's designs for Adam Adolfo shows are always crisp, surprising, innovative, with a distinctive eye for detail.

I first met with Adam, regarding this production of Maria de Buenos Aires, in November of last year. We met for coffee at Café Brazil and he hands me packet of information no less than 120 pages long. It was a lot to sift through; a complete synopsis including the libretto, an entire production history with reviews as well as about 100 photos. In no time at all we were discussing his vision for Astor Piazzolla’s “tango operita”.

I took my newly acquired “show bible” home with me that evening and began pouring over it. I firmly believe that a Designer’s work must always start with the script, before any drawings are made. After that comes research. And so, I read the synopsis twice and I must have read the script alone at least 5 times over the next two or three weeks before sketching out preliminary renderings for the principle characters. About the third time through, I began jotting down words that popped out (repeated words), words that I thought of or a certain feeling that the libretto invoked in me. Together with my list and a pencil I started sketching. After another two or three days, I finally had my rough drawings in hand and went back to Adam in late December, early January.

I love working with Director Adam Adolfo simply because he is always well prepared. He is never “not prepared”. He knows exactly what story he wants to tell and how he wants to tell that story. He will often times assemble his production staff to meet this very specific goals. Typically, he tells you that, “this is the way it’s been done, but we will not be doing that—instead we will be doing it this [other] way.” More often than not, the [other] way is drastically different. Adam often challenges me. By encouraging me to try out a new idea, he nurtures my creativity and ingenuity, testing new construction methods or perhaps a delicate fabric. He is always eager and willing to think outside the box, in ways that are not conventional or sometimes even comfortable, often testing limits for actors, production staff and eventual audience members alike.

In my research I was very surprised to learn that awfully little had been done with this particular operita since it was conceived by Piazzola and Librettist Horacio Ferrer almost fifty years ago in the 1960s. Because of this, I basically had free reign and could design the show any way I saw fit, within the constraints of the music and of dance.

The top of the show is extremely colorful and bright, this is when she is first discovering the city. The second Act however will be much darker in terms of costuming and also overall atmosphere. I will often take inspiration from multiple sources for a single production—movies, a piece of art, a shopping trip or even clothes I see a random person wearing on the street. Somehow, in some way, all of these things work together and manage to complement each other every single time. Each costume choice, from beginning to end, is dictated by the progression of the show or what’s happening in a particular scene.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires -BLOG 4 - DANGER: Must be this Tall to see Maria de Buenos Aires

TODAY, we blog with GRACE NEELEY who is starring in the title role of Maria de Buenos Aires. Grace is making her Artes de la Rosa debut and marks the first time she's working with Director Adam Adolfo.

DANGER: Must be This Tall to see Maria de Buenos Aires

I believe humans at the core of our beings share in a great suffering.  We long for pain and agony, many times, to our own detriment. How else can one explain horror movies, cigarettes, and roller coasters? The thrill of danger excites us all.  Although sometimes this thrill comes at quite a high price, we continue to go willingly into pleasure and deal with the pain later. Are we all violent? Are we all curious? Are we all psychotic? Maria de Buenos Aires answers this question with a resounding: YES.

Maria leaves behind her quiet suburban life as a flower seller to enter into a world of unknown adventure and excitement in a bordello in downtown Buenos Aires. She is seduced by the music and dance of the tango, and quickly forgets herself. She then reinvents herself as a strong, powerful, sex kitten of the bordello, only to find that she will receive more than she bargained for. Sexual power is very hard to control, in fact, is that even possible? Control is the opposite of passion. So, control is an illusion. This illusion IS THE TANGO. The fight for control and power is the dance.  This dance lures Maria, willingly, to sinful pleasure and ultimately death.

As members of an affluent society we all have to participate in menial tasks and unrewarding duties day in and day out. So, how can we combat the ever looming and threatening inevitability of boredom? Well, some people cheat on their spouses, although they love them deeply... I would venture to say that this stems from boredom as a result of utter complacency. We are bombarded with literature and workshop classes detailing how to, “keep the spark alive.” Conversely, we struggle to keep the spark alive in our own lives as well... If we cannot, then why go on at all? Danger is a quick fix for this boredom. Screaming and crying makes us feel much more alive than quiet contentment ever will. The tango is a roller coaster. Maria wants nothing more than to take that ride. Looking for a little danger in your life? Are you a little bored? Come to Artes de la Rosa…and Buckle your seat belt.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - Blog 3; NOWHERE & EVERYWHERE with JP CANO

TODAY, we blog with JP CANO who is returning to Artes de la Rosa after being last seen in our production of A View From The Bridge. Today Mr. Cano talks to us about the very evocative spirit that Maria de Buenos Aires places on all those who come in contact with it!



NOWHERE & EVERYWHERE!

When I thought about the idea of blogging for the upcoming Artes de la Rosa’s new show “Maria de Buenos Aires”, what came to my mind was the fear and the fascination I had when I took my first class of tango at 17 years old; a fear for the constant mutual body contact (sensual) which had not really awakened then at mty early age, and a fascination for the dramatic music and feelings aroused it aroused. Since then I realized Tango music has an enchantment, with many unexpected twists and turns, and filled with dramatic tones.



“Maria de Buenos Aires” as a whole is complicated to explain but even though I never heard of Piazzolla before this, he did one of the best tangos I have ever listened to in my life. This classic tale of love, lust, and hate was written in an amazing type of music. My character, El Duende is more complicated then anyone could’ve ever thought and his love for a woman who will never love him back is sad… but it also amuses me; I think we all (or at least most of us) have had experience with love never being returned.  

I am so proud to be back at Artes de la Rosa with such a magnificent production, even though I have to admit when the director showed me the music I felt intrigued by the lyrics and poetry done by Herracio Ferrer, but I was thrown of fbalance (even though Spanish is my first language) for the type of slangs and versification; it aroused the question of what the composer wanted to transmit to the audience. The innovation of new theater and new talent that Artes de la Rosa is bringing to Forth Worth is limitless. Mr. Adolfo has done a colossal interpretation of “Maria…”, giving twists, love, passion, sensual movement, darkness and death a new powerful meaning. Be prepared to travel to nowhere and to everywhere at the same time because “Maria de Buenos Aires” will arrive soon.