Satellite: Beyond The Page

New York based director Ben Villegas Randle shares the parallels between the play, chris peña's story, and his own, as well as his process for understanding the world of the play through concrete visual metaphor. This episode makes reference to negative stereotypes and attitudes towards Latiné immigrants, including those that exist within the Latiné community.

In part 2 of this three-part series orbiting How to Make An American Son, we chat with actor Matthew Sepeda, who plays the lead character Orlando in this production. Sepeda draws connections between his character and his own upbringing, and describes his experience portraying playwright christopher oscar peña as a teenager.

We kick off our 3-part series orbiting How to Make an American Son with playwright christopher oscar peña. In April, peña came to Portland to workshop his newest play, Our Orange Sky. Prior to his visit, Director of Community Engagement Tamara Carroll talked to him about what peña refers to as the "alternate metaverse version of my plays, where they are a fictitious but also factual take on me and my family." Peña discusses the real life story that inspired American Son, the variables of power and privilege, and why he calls the play "a love letter to my father." 

How to Make An American Son runs June 8-25, 2023 at Imago Theatre.

In part 2 of the Playwright Convening Satellite series, we hear reflections on the week's work from the playwrights and workshop directors.

In the first half, Director of Community Engagement, Tamara Carroll, sits down with christopher oscar peña and Kristoffer Diaz at the end of their week-long Portland residency, where they workshopped two plays that will enjoy their world premieres at Profile next season - our orange sky, and Reggie Hoops.

In the second half, we hear from directors Leah C. Gardiner and Dámaso Rodríguez about their techniques for effectively staging a reading specifically for the purpose of helping the playwrights develop their work.

In this episode, Artistic Director Josh Hecht helps position the Convening, both within The American Generation season, and in Profile’s own history. Following that, Kristoffer Diaz (Chad Deity, Welcome to Arroyos) describes the evolution of his new play Reggie Hoops, and christopher oscar peña shares just how closely his art imitates his life in both How to Make an American Son, and our orange sky. 

Click here to read more about the playwrights.

In this episode, host Bobby Bermea (who is also directing Welcome to Arroyo’s) chats with playwright, Kristoffer Diaz about what inspired Arroyo’s, New York City, his Puerto Rican heritage, his love of hip-hop music and more!

This episode of Satellite: Beyond the Page orbits our production of King of the Yees. You’ll hear from Director Lava Alapai about why King of the Yees has been a “bucket-list” project since she first read the script five years ago. 

Host Bobby Bermea also speaks with Nick Lee of the Portland Lee Association Lion Dance Team about the tradition of Chinese family associations, lion and dragon dances. Bobby also talks to photographer and artist Horatio Law about the lobby display he curated, the work currently on display at the Portland Chinatown Museum, and the evolution of Portland’s Chinatown.

Join Bobby Bermea as he chats with playwright Kristoffer Diaz and pro-wrestler and wrestling consultant about the world of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.

This episode of Satellite is an exploration and discussion of the themes percolating on the surface and underneath Branden Jacobs-Jenkins award-winning play, Appropriate. We will speak with director Jerry Ruíz, about how he approaches this complex and potentially volatile work both within the art itself, and the practical concerns of what the artists are being put through.

We’ll also be talking to Dr. Roberta Hunte, who teaches a course on race and social justice at Portland State University, talks about the difficulty and necessity of talking about race and offers some tools to help us through it. And artist and memory activist Michael Stevenson talks about the work he’s doing here in Portland to bring hidden histories forward in 21st century Portland.