Haley Huett
A&E Editor
The College’s fall performances will be debuting this Oct. 4, 5, and 6. “Far Away,” written by Caryl Churchill, and “The Day the Music Came Back,” written by Alvaro Saar Rios, are both directed by Professor Jimmy Noriega of the College’s Theatre and Dance Department. Each are hour-long productions that will run at Freedlander Theatre. To gain a better understanding of the play, we reached out to Professor Noriega to ask some questions about his experience in performing arts.
How did you become involved with theater and performance?
I’ve been passionate about theatre since I was in a kindergarten play, so I am one of those lucky people who gets to do what they love for a living.
What is your involvement at the College of Wooster?
I started working at Wooster in Fall 2011 and came here after completing my PhD in Theatre Studies at Cornell University. I direct one play a year and am the faculty adviser for the new BIPOC Performing Arts Alliance, which I proudly helped to create with students in the department during the summer of 2020. I am also involved in the Latin American Studies and WGSS programs.
What are your areas of focus at the College?
I teach the acting and directing classes at the College, as well as my specialty courses: Latinx Drama, Latin American Theatre and Performance, Theatre for Social Change, and Queer Theatre. I am also one of the faculty leaders in the Activism & Social Change Pathway.
How do your academic interests impact your work with the Theatre Department?
My primary academic interest is in theatre for social change, so I am always drawn to pieces that force us to confront and interrogate urgent issues like racism, violence against women, war, homophobia, political and social abuses and other matters that demand progressive social change. I am committed to DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) work and finding ways to use the stage as a place to discuss important social issues and to bring visibility and voice to those groups that are often marginalized in the larger world.
What is the most important intersection between your research and your work with performance?
I firmly believe that theatre, when done correctly, can help to make the world a better place. My theatre company, Teatro Travieso/Troublemaker Theatre, operates on the premise that theatre can create positive change in the world.
Can you tell us about your new role as President of the American Society for Theatre Research?
I was recently elected to a 3-year term as President of the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) and my term runs from 2021-24. ASTR is a U.S.-based professional organization that fosters scholarship on worldwide theatre and performance. It is one of the preeminent organizations dedicated to theatre and performance studies and its members include professors, scholars, artists, and graduate students from around the world. I am only the second President in the organization’s history that works in a liberal arts college (the last one being in the 1980s). In my time with the society, I have worked to expand discussions about BIPOC support and visibility and am honored and excited to step into this leadership role in such a historic moment of transition for all of us. Universities and organizations like ASTR have many challenges ahead as we navigate out of the pandemic and I look forward to working with my colleagues on ways to support each other in the coming years.
What would you like to see more of in the theater department?
I would really love to see more students show up to take our classes, audition for our shows, and sit in our audiences. We do so much hard work as artists and love to share our passion with the community.
Why should students watch Far Away and The Day the Music Came Back and what should they expect?
We have worked very hard to bring live theatre back to campus and all of the cast and crew have done an amazing job, so please come support us! These are not easy plays to understand, so people should come prepared to think. They should also leave the theatre with questions and an urge to discuss the topics and themes with their friends. Both shows combined run approximately one hour.
How can non-majors become involved in the department?
Any student can take our three introductory courses and can always meet with faculty and staff to discuss their interests in the department. Whether they want to learn acting, directing, playwriting, design, history and theory, or work in one of the shops, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and we are always looking for people to come join us!
Can you tell us about the plays coming up this fall?
I am directing two short plays for the fall theatre production: Far Away by Caryl Churchill and The Day the Music Came Back by Alvaro Saar Rios. COVID was the main factor driving all the decisions in this process, so I wanted two short plays that we could rehearse and present to a live audience in a safe way. Far Away is often considered one of the most important plays of the 20th century. It is a futuristic play that envisions a world where the promise of violence exists everywhere and the government cannot be trusted. The play asks us to question what we see with our own eyes, as well as to interrogate the roles of art and beauty in a violent world. The Day the Music Came Back is a new short play and is described by the playwright as: “A society where music has been banned for over 100 years—where a single melody could incur a visit from the government “Silencers”. Despite the risks, a group of teens have been gathering in secret to share ancient stories about music.”
Any other comments?
I am also the founder and artistic director of my own theatre company, Teatro Travieso/Troublemaker Theatre, which has presented new shows to a global audience since 2012 (www.teatrotravieso.org). I have directed over 50 productions in English and Spanish at invited theatres and festivals in India, Greece, Belgium, Ireland, Romania, Israel, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Canada, and across the United States (including NYC).
Remember to see “Far Away” when it opens at Freedlander Theatre. The Box Office is currently open. Join the College’s Theatre and Dance Department, as well as your fellow classmates, in welcoming live theatre back to Wooster once more.