On this week's episode Elizabeth is excited to introduce her dear friend, David Guerra, who quickly takes the reins and teaches her more about Tennessee Williams, the conquest of Mexico City, and what it means to get deeply vulnerable about family.

 

Our guest David is an award winning actor, director, teacher and performing artist. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has worked and collaborated with a lot of respected institutions within Southern California, including the Center Theatre Group, the Geffen Playhouse, and the experimental physical theatre company that is Theatre Movement Bazaar (TMB). With TMB David has won Ovation Awards, traveled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with multiple productions, as well as toured in several cities in China. As a teaching artist, David intentionally turns every classroom into a theatre space and creates a level playing field for both the arts and academia.

 

While exploring The Christus of Guadalajara by Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth and David explore the themes of religion, sacrifice, and, as David puts it, the subtext of death. Come with us to investigate how the poem picks up speed, asks us to reflect on mortality, and encourages us to pay respect to our mothers.

 

Come listen to David share the many lenses through which he views this poem and how he believes art seeks us.

 

“This is the thing Elizabeth, you know, the art?... in a way instead of you seeking it seeks you. Well, I don't know if it fell in my lap... but I'm serious. I don't think I sought it.”

- David Guerra

 

Timestamps:

00:00:47 Guest Introduction

00:03:14 Poem Reading (David)

00:05:55 Author Info

00:08:44 David’s Relationship to the Poem

00:23:29 Pause / Poem Reading (Elizabeth)

00:35:00 Reflection & Offering

Poem & Links:

The Christus of Guadalajara by Tennessee Williams (© 1956)

Theatre Movement Bazaar

Celebration (TMB Digital Project)

 

I.O.P. Lexicon:

Gitana: (noun) a Spanish female Gypsy

Lachryma Christi: literal translation is "tears of Christ" ALSO the name of a celebrated Neapolitan type of wine

Flagellation: (noun) flogging or beating, either as a religious discipline or for sexual gratification

 

Where to find David & TMB:

@elsrguerra  |  Instagram

@tmbazaar | Instagram

 

Where to find our host Elizabeth:

@ellsonelizabeth    |   Twitter

 

Where to find us:

@iofferpoetry   |   Instagram 

@iofferpoetry   |  Twitter

[email protected]

 

Produced & Edited by John Campione:

Campiaudio.com   |   @campiaudio

[email protected]

 

Music @zacharymanno | Art @sammycampioneart