- THEATRE -
ALTAR
RCA THEATRE COMPANY MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
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SYNOPSIS
Eugenio is a queer young immigrant living in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador. Less than a year has passed since his move from Mexico, but in that time, he experienced deep love and deeper heartbreak when his new boyfriend, Benjamin, inexplicably “ghosted” him. No, Benjamin isn’t dead; he just stopped calling and texting. And the thing is…Eugenio’s still not over it. Looking to the traditional Mexican holiday Día de Muertos (The Day of The Dead) and his father's previous experience with paranormal activities, Eugenio decides to build an altar (a central part of the Día de Muertos ritual) in the hopes that he will be able to summon his boyfriend’s ‘ghost’ to sort out the end of their relationship once and for all. Through the altar, Eugenio realizes that he has been something of a ghost himself to the loved ones he left behind in Mexico. Will setting up an altar be enough for Eugenio to forgive, forget, and love again? Or enough to help him heal the relationships with his friends and family far away?
HISTORY
A workshop production of ALTAR was presented in September of 2019 at the 4th Annual St. John’s Short Play Festival in Newfoundland and Labrador. It was produced by TODOS Productions, starring Santiago Guzmán, directed and dramaturged by Meghan Greeley, with initial dramaturgy by Robyn Huxter, and stage-managed by Azal Dosanjh.
ALTAR received further development supported by the Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company, St. John’s, NL, in the fall of 2020, as part of their 2020-2021 season, with continued dramaturgy by Meghan Greeley.
ALTAR received its mainstage production by the Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company (Nicole Rousseau, Artistic Animateur; Laura Williams, Artistic Associate) in the Fall of 2021 in St. John’s, NL, at the historic LSPU Hall, with some special performances in Corner Brook, NL, at the Rotary Arts Centre with the following creative team:
Playwright/Performer Santiago Guzmán
Director/Dramaturge
Set & Props Designer Meghan Greeley
Stage Manager Azal Dosanjh
Lighting Design/ TD Ryan Wilcox
Sound Design Michelle Lacour
ALTAR toured across high schools in NL as a digital offering, as well as national presentations at Prismatic Arts Festival, (NS) and Aluna Theatre’s RUTAS Festival (ON). ALTAR will receive a second production by Theatre New Brunswick in 2023 and tour their province alongside the world premiere of his new TYA play, S.T.O.P.
Eugenio is a queer young immigrant living in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador. Less than a year has passed since his move from Mexico, but in that time, he experienced deep love and deeper heartbreak when his new boyfriend, Benjamin, inexplicably “ghosted” him. No, Benjamin isn’t dead; he just stopped calling and texting. And the thing is…Eugenio’s still not over it. Looking to the traditional Mexican holiday Día de Muertos (The Day of The Dead) and his father's previous experience with paranormal activities, Eugenio decides to build an altar (a central part of the Día de Muertos ritual) in the hopes that he will be able to summon his boyfriend’s ‘ghost’ to sort out the end of their relationship once and for all. Through the altar, Eugenio realizes that he has been something of a ghost himself to the loved ones he left behind in Mexico. Will setting up an altar be enough for Eugenio to forgive, forget, and love again? Or enough to help him heal the relationships with his friends and family far away?
HISTORY
A workshop production of ALTAR was presented in September of 2019 at the 4th Annual St. John’s Short Play Festival in Newfoundland and Labrador. It was produced by TODOS Productions, starring Santiago Guzmán, directed and dramaturged by Meghan Greeley, with initial dramaturgy by Robyn Huxter, and stage-managed by Azal Dosanjh.
ALTAR received further development supported by the Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company, St. John’s, NL, in the fall of 2020, as part of their 2020-2021 season, with continued dramaturgy by Meghan Greeley.
ALTAR received its mainstage production by the Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company (Nicole Rousseau, Artistic Animateur; Laura Williams, Artistic Associate) in the Fall of 2021 in St. John’s, NL, at the historic LSPU Hall, with some special performances in Corner Brook, NL, at the Rotary Arts Centre with the following creative team:
Playwright/Performer Santiago Guzmán
Director/Dramaturge
Set & Props Designer Meghan Greeley
Stage Manager Azal Dosanjh
Lighting Design/ TD Ryan Wilcox
Sound Design Michelle Lacour
ALTAR toured across high schools in NL as a digital offering, as well as national presentations at Prismatic Arts Festival, (NS) and Aluna Theatre’s RUTAS Festival (ON). ALTAR will receive a second production by Theatre New Brunswick in 2023 and tour their province alongside the world premiere of his new TYA play, S.T.O.P.
PRESS
-The Telegram - St. John's Short Plays Festival provides tough act to follow
-CBC St John's Morning Show with Krissy Holmes, Ramraajh Sharvendiran - Day of the Dead
-CBC NL - Weekend AM with Heather Barrett - Oct. 23, 2021: Signs, altars, and midwives
-BANL - Spotlight on the Community Altar at Cox & Palmer Second Space, LSPU Hall
-VOCM Local Artist Bringing ‘Day of the Dead’ Tradition to the Stage
-Kicker CNA - ‘Altar’ a one-character play with a voice for many
-The Telegram - St. John's Short Plays Festival provides tough act to follow
-CBC St John's Morning Show with Krissy Holmes, Ramraajh Sharvendiran - Day of the Dead
-CBC NL - Weekend AM with Heather Barrett - Oct. 23, 2021: Signs, altars, and midwives
-BANL - Spotlight on the Community Altar at Cox & Palmer Second Space, LSPU Hall
-VOCM Local Artist Bringing ‘Day of the Dead’ Tradition to the Stage
-Kicker CNA - ‘Altar’ a one-character play with a voice for many
- FILM / TV -
We Are Here
Blue Pinion Films
We Are Here is a documentary investigation TV show for Bell 1 Fibe about immigrants in St. John's, NL. We Are Here looks at the diversity that has existed in St. John's for generations and how people have been attracted to Newfoundland and Labrador from countries all over the globe, making it their home.
Directed by Ruth Lawrence and Tamara Segure
Written by Santiago Guzmán
Direction of Photography by Rodrigo Iñiguez Becerril
Produced by @BluePinionFilms
FALL 2021
Directed by Ruth Lawrence and Tamara Segure
Written by Santiago Guzmán
Direction of Photography by Rodrigo Iñiguez Becerril
Produced by @BluePinionFilms
FALL 2021
Express ♥️ Checkout
TODOS Media Productions Inc.
WRITTEN, DIRECTED, AND PRODUCED BY Santiago Guzmán
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Duncan De Young
FIRST TIME FILM MENTOR - Melanie Oates
FIRST TIME FILM PROGRAM COORDINATOR - Anna Petras
CAST
Nora Barker Gabrielle
Brooke Adams Cashier
Stephanie Curran Taylor
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Duncan De Young
FIRST TIME FILM MENTOR - Melanie Oates
FIRST TIME FILM PROGRAM COORDINATOR - Anna Petras
CAST
Nora Barker Gabrielle
Brooke Adams Cashier
Stephanie Curran Taylor
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Eastern Front Theatre's 2019-2021
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Urn follows the journey of Esteban and Mariana, two siblings that reconnect at their mom’s funeral after years of Esteban being estranged from the family. Despite their fractured relationship, they will have to decide where to inter their mother's ashes: their adopted home, St. John’s, NL, or their homeland, Mexico City.
Urn explores the concept of ‘home’ from the perspective of two immigrants who have spent more years in their adopted country than their homeland. They have to deal with the consequences of what happens when the only person who has grounded them to their cultural identity is gone.
Urn has a non-conventional narrative with a sense of magical realism, where flashbacks give us small glimpses of Esteban and Mariana’s relationship before their rupture as well as their lives before arriving in Newfoundland and Labrador. The siblings in Urn have so much to resolve as they explore their feelings about identity, belonging, and family unity, but have avoided these questions and conflict, until the death of their mother forces them to face these issues head-on.
Urn explores the concept of ‘home’ from the perspective of two immigrants who have spent more years in their adopted country than their homeland. They have to deal with the consequences of what happens when the only person who has grounded them to their cultural identity is gone.
Urn has a non-conventional narrative with a sense of magical realism, where flashbacks give us small glimpses of Esteban and Mariana’s relationship before their rupture as well as their lives before arriving in Newfoundland and Labrador. The siblings in Urn have so much to resolve as they explore their feelings about identity, belonging, and family unity, but have avoided these questions and conflict, until the death of their mother forces them to face these issues head-on.
PRESS
Halifax Presents - 20 questions with Santiago Guzmán
Halifax Presents - 20 questions with Santiago Guzmán
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2019 Paprika Festival's
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Seis Grados en Mayo was originally conceived through Paprika 19th Festival’s Playwriting Unit in Toronto, ON, in 2020, under the guidance, dramaturgy, and support of Bilal Baig.
Seis Grados en Mayo is currently in development at Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity Bay, NL under the guidance, dramaturgy, and support of Donna Butt, and it is expected to premiere in the summer of 2022.
Seis Grados en Mayo is currently in development at Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity Bay, NL under the guidance, dramaturgy, and support of Donna Butt, and it is expected to premiere in the summer of 2022.
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