As "In The Heights" opens at the University of Texas, another event is shedding light on representation, casting and culture . The Latin@ Performance Symposium hosted by the University of Texas Theatre and Dance Department, took place on April 12th and 13th.
The Symposium featured talks by Dr. Tiffany Lopez of the University of California - Riverside , and Dr. Brian Herrera, workshops hosted by local theatre groups such as the Aztlan Dance Company, Teatro Vivo, and The Austin Latino Theater Alliance as well as performances of several new plays, And The Earth Did Not Devour Him by Dr. Lopez ( an adaption of the novel by Tomas Rivera) and Between Brother and Sister by University of Texas - Austin Playwright Brian Oglesby.
The controversy regarding casting for the play In The Heights has spurred this Symposium into being. “ Last semester we decided to do In The Heights and The Diversity Committee wanted to show the different bodies and cultures that we have here at UT Austin in the Theatre and Dance department. However there was a lot of controversy surrounding who should be on stage representing different cultures,” said Dana Arismendez, University of Texas Theatre and Dance student and a member of the Symposium Planning Committee.
The Latin@ Symposium enlisted the help of several Austin based theater groups to help give context to this discussion’s importance to not only the University community but also the Austin community as a whole.
Andrew Valdez, Biology and Theater and Dance Student at the University of Texas explained “ Its fantastic to have people who are Latino and established, who have overcome the initial boundaries of Theater and give back to the university and show us that we can break into theater”
The Symposium opened up discussion of representation to the student population of the UT as well as students of University of Texas - Pan American. A group of students from UT- PA’s Latino Theatre Initiative participated in the weekend of discussions and entertainment. Maria Alvarado president of the Latino Theatre Initiative said “ It was great to work with people from UT and read this new play. We are now more aware of the struggles, the same struggles that we have the University [are happening here as well].”
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