Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Aguilar.
I’m a playwright and an actor. I love writing and performing in comedies that give Latiné actors the opportunity to be funny on stage. My first published musical is available now, I have co-written a rom-com podcast series, and I have created a superhero series that I write and perform in.
Hi Anthony, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a little kid in the 90s, I would order joke books from the Scholastic Book Club and read them like scripture. Then at a family party, my aunt stood me on a box so I could tell these jokes that I learned by heart. She even played a rimshot after every punchline off of my toy cassette player. It was this type of encouragement that made me want to pursue a future in comedy. Throughout my college years, I got involved with CASA 0101 Theater, a nonprofit organization in my hometown of Boyle Heights that is devoted to helping Latiné artists find their voice onstage. It was there where I produced and hosted a string of stand-up shows called “Night of the Living Geeks.” I then wrote sketches for my college comedy troupe, The Loungers, which was then followed by short one-act plays, which then led me to write full-length productions.
Growing up in a Mexican immigrant household, my siblings and I would be shown a lot of the same classic sitcoms that my mom would watch when she first arrived in this country. Our afternoons were filled with reruns of I Love Lucy, Gilligan’s Island, Green Acres, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. This, along with Bert & Ernie sketches, really helped shape my sense of humor. And a lot of the work I write today harkens back to that TV era while also empowering the Mexican immigrant community that raised me. Yes, these tales are comical but they also allow for the Latiné immigrant to become the hero of their own stories.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My first big hurdle was entering into a career in the arts field. I come from a family of farmers and salesmen, and there was no one in my family who I could turn to for specific guidance in the performing arts. It seemed like I had to push against the concept of, “If it’s not backbreaking labor, it’s not a career.” And although I have struggled financially to keep this dream afloat, I’ve tried my best to not let it slow me down. There’s definitely been a limitation when it comes to access and resources in the theatre world but I’ve learned that these roadblocks just allow you to amp up your creativity with the resources that you do have. It can be very expensive to produce a play and usually the bigger the production, the more costly the ticket. While producing shows in Boyle Heights, we made sure to keep ticket costs low. I do not enjoy the exclusivity that often comes with theatre. I believe everyone, no matter what the economic background might be, should have access to the performing arts.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
“Little Red” is a punk rock musical adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood written by myself and Oscar Basulto and with music by Quetzal Flores. Originally commissioned by CASA 0101 and published through YouthPLAYS, “Little Red” is the 2022 winner of the Distinguished Play Award by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. It tells the story of Red, a Latina teenager who has concert tickets to see her favorite punk band, The Jack B. Nimbles. But the day of her concert lands on her Día Del Sendero, a family tradition where she must take a basket of food to her grandmother in commemoration of her family’s journey to the States from Mexico. Now Red must choose between keeping a tradition alive or the punk show of a lifetime. We wrote the first draft of “Little Red” back in 2006, around the height of the immigration reform protests, and after several drafts and a few workshops, I am proud of its development and that it is available for theater companies and colleges to produce nationwide.
“Love & Noraebang” is a rom-com podcast series that I co-wrote with Quincy Cho. It is produced by Sonoro Media and The Mash-Up Americans and it is nominated for Podcast of the Year for the iHeart Podcast Awards 2023. It stars Justin H. Min as Jaesun Choi, son to a lucrative South Korean businessman, who after finalizing a deal in Los Angeles, falls in love with a restaurateur named Ana Campos, played by Francia Raisa. Jaesun and Ana have a fun night out at a noraebang, but Jaesun tells her that he must soon return to South Korea to finish his military service and wants to experience as much of L.A. with Ana as he can. The series is a love letter to Los Angeles as Randall Park narrates as the city itself. I’m very honored to have been a part of this series and excited for our nomination.
Last but most certainly not least, I have been writing a series of plays about a Latino superhero named “El Verde.” This has been a passion project of mine for over fifteen years. It originated as a ten-minute performance where I played a Mexican immigrant factory worker who after falling into a giant vat of elote (corn), believes he has been given superpowers. Although he’s unsure of what his powers are exactly, it does not stop him from saving the day as El Verde. The show is reminiscent of the 1966 Adam West Batman series, with an off-the-wall rogues’ gallery, madcap mayhem, and an Announcer who leads us through exciting cliffhangers. With every new episode, El Verde faces a different supervillain, each one more zanier than the last. He has faced the likes of La Quinceañera, The Kukaracha King, La Llorona Lisa and more, all to protect the fictional city of Pueblo Heights. The show combines my love for theatre and comic books and has expanded from sequels, spinoffs, and soon, a comic book of its own. I am grateful to all of the very close friends and fans who have helped keep it alive after so many years.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’m also a teaching artist. I teach playwriting at a theatre summer camp for middle and high school students. At the end of every semester, my students write their own ten-minute plays which are rehearsed and performed in front of an audience. It’s always amazing for me to see someone that young share such creativity, bravery, and vulnerability on stage and I am proud to share in their strength.
I’d also like to mention that the old adage is true, it takes a village, and I have been very fortunate to have friends and family who have helped me get to where I am today. Although I wish I could thank everyone, here are a few I’d like to acknowledge. Alejandra Cisneros is an amazing director and producer who has overseen much of my work. She truly knows how to bring the pages of a script to life and brings a strong vision to whatever she works on. She makes her productions feel larger than life, especially with El Verde. Luke Lizalde is a graphic designer who has created all of the original art and promotional material for El Verde. It’s definitely given the show its sense of style as Luke is a lover of comics as well. He’s even played The Kukaracha King’s henchman, Gnat. Jesus Reyes is the Community Partnership Director at Center Theatre Group who has helped with providing commissions to continue to create new work. We share a love for slapstick and zany comedy and I’ve had so much fun developing new pieces that I have been able to share with my community. I would work with all of them in a heartbeat and I’m happy that they are a part of my life.
I am hoping for more people to have access to my writing and to keep building upon my productions. It would be a dream for my writing career to keep growing and that I can have more of the tools to produce these shows with even greater resources.
Pricing:
- $13.95 – Little Red (book hardcopy) – https://a.co/d/1pgqlay
- $10.00 – Little Red (book digital copy) – https://www.youthplays.com/
musical/little-red-by-anthony- aguilar-oscar-t-basulto- quetzal-flores-605&ref=search. php%3Fquicksearchbox%3Dlittle% 2Bred - Free – Love & Noraebang (podcast) – https://loveandnoraebang.com/
- Free – El Verde (videos) – https://www.youtube.com/@
Elverdeshow
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elverdeshow.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elverdeshow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elverdeshow
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/heyantny
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Elverdeshow
Image Credits
Photo 1: (Anthony Aguilar, Oscar Basulto, Quetzal Flores – Photo by Magdalena Guillen, 2021) Photo 2: (Xolo Maridueña, Ray James, Mia Xitlali – Little Red – Photo by CASA 0101, 2015) Photo 3: (Little Red, Published by YouthPLAYS) Photo 4: (Love & Noraebang, The Mash-Up Americans / Sonoro Media) Photo 5: (El Verde – Anthony Aguilar, Ramona Pilar – Design by Luke Lizalde, 2008) Photo 6: (Karla Ojeda, Anthony Aguilar, Estela Garcia – Photo by Clarence Alford, 2014) Photo 7: (Anthony Aguilar, Luke Lizalde – Latino Comics Expo – Photo by Alejandra Cisneros, 2013) Photo 8: (Anthony Aguilar, Jesus Reyes, Juan Enrique Carillo, Alejandra Cisneros – Meet Me @ Metro, 2012)
