Arts

Thriving Colors

by Jules Becker
Wednesday Aug 29, 2018

True Colors Theater, Boston. Auditions, September 11, 5-8 p.m. Theater Offensive film screenings September 12, 19 and 26. truecolors@theateroffensive.org. 617-661-1600, x311.

Cultural options are thriving this season in the Hub for LGBTQ youth and adults alike. Josean Ortiz, TTO Community Programs Manager, spoke with great pride of Theater Offensive's Out'Hood Series, a Latinx queer film series screened in Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and at the South End's Villa Vittoria Center for the Arts. Director of Programs Nick Basso, who directed True Colors Theater efforts during eight recent seasons, outlined the process and planning of the young play development and performance group.

The Out'Series, Ortiz explained, features at least one event per month. In fact this September boasts three 7:30 p.m. screenings: "ExtraTerrestres" from Puerto Rico September 12, "Sin Vagina, Me Marginan" from Peru September 19 and a documentary from the United States about famed queer singer Chavela Vargas September 26.Free and open to all, these films will have English subtitles. A drag queen host will provide latinx musical flavor at each screening. For example, Ortiz noted,"local queer artist Laurie Gutierrez will play the viola gamba and the violoncello with two or three members of her baroque ensemble."

"Extra Terrestres "(2016)-written and directed by Carla Carina-chronicles the intimate journey of iconic urban movement figure Vico C. The film stretches from Vico's childhood to international renown. Carina also means to have the perceived as a metaphor for all human beings. "Sin Vagina, Me Marginam"(2017)-written and directed by Wesley Verastegui-combines comedy and drama in a film involving a transgender operation. The Chavela documentary-a co-direction of a Latin-American director and an American counterpart-looks at the life and artistic travel of one of Mexico's most iconic singers, as well as the inspiration of bi-sexual lover and influential painter Frida Kahlo. Vargas would sing while dressed in male attire.

Basso invited young performers from 14 to 22 to True Colors' September 11 auditions. Actors who receive call backs will be asked to prepare a two-minute original or creative piece-a poem, a song or a solo, for example-for their follow-up performances. Those chosen to join the 15- member troupe will be working on their own pieces and rehearsing twice a week for eventual staged readings.

October, November and December will find Basso and company showcasing notable performers. An October 10 event at the great hall of Dorchester's Codman Square Health Center will focus on "LGBTQ people of color and their relationship to their faith"(Basso).November 9 Dorchester trans artist-composer Isaiah Blake will perform songs. November 30 and December 1 the Boston Living Center will showcase an event at a venue to be determined.

True Colors actors will stage a reading tour during December. Rewriting of True Colors efforts will follow as part of the season. The writing-performing cycle concludes in May with another tour. While a new series of auditions will be held prior to the last writing, rehearsing and touring, troupe members reselected do often repeated in the troupe.