This episode, which was recorded live as a part of Chicago Dramatists’ quarterly Fireside Chat Series, features Chicago Dramatists Resident Playwright Emilio Williams, and Alexandra Meda, Artistic Director of Teatro Luna West. They spoke with Network Director Ean Miles Kessler about their creative process when working together, theater as a healing practice, and the unique role artists will play as we begin to come together again, after quarantine.
Show Notes
Emilio Williams is a bilingual (Spanish/English) award-winning writer and educator. His critically-acclaimed plays have been produced in Argentina, Estonia, France, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. His nonfiction work has been published in Hinterland Magazine and Imagine Theatres, among other publications. Emilio has lectured around the world, and taught in several U.S. universities, including DePaul University, Columbia College Chicago, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Georgia State University. He has been a guest artist at the University of Portland, Mary Washington University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a BA in Film and Video and MFA in Writing. He is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists where he is also a faculty member. He divides his time between Chicago and Paris. www.emiliowilliams.com
As a stage director, culture-producer, disrupter for social justice, and a digital media creator, Alexandra Meda generates original works through collective/ensemble practices that are engaged both in person and virtually with artists and change-makers globally. As a devised theatre-maker, she nurtures female-driven spaces that center Women Of Color in vibrant collaborations between the community, performers, scholars, designers, thinkers, and artists. Positively shifting how we interact with, look at, and value the femme body is fundamental across her work. She serves as the Artistic Director for Teatro Luna West, a national Women of Color collective that tours internationally with ensembles founded in 2000 (Chicago) and 2014 (LA). She has a forthcoming book project on the relationship between collaboration, failure, and innovation with Dr. Liza Ann Acosta. www.alexandracollaborates.com
The music used in this podcast is:
L’envol Du Papillon by Patchworker f.k.a. [friendzoned] | https://soundcloud.com/patchworker
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
What is The Sound & The Journey?
Inspiration. Craft. Process. These interviews span the work of playwrights from across Chicago, examining their process, their artistry, and what sparks their creativity. It’s a deep dive into the work of some of the most exciting writers today. Hear from them how they write, what they’re fascinated by, and what sustains their practice.