Daily Inspiration: Meet Rubén Amavizca

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rubén Amavizca.

Hi Rubén, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I studied and worked in the Mexican stage for some years. I came to Los Ángeles in 1985 to continue my Theater studies. I attended LACC Theatre Department. I started working with some Latin theater companies such as Nosotros, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts and Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA. The latter offered me more opportunities, so I focused on working with them. In 1993, I became SINERGIA’s Artistic Director. That year I produced and directed LA FIERA DEL AJUSCO and FRIDA KAHLO, both resulting in big critical and commercial success. In 1994, we won a special contract with the City of Los Ángeles Department of Cultural Affairs to run the William Reagh Los Ángeles Photography Center.

And since then, we transformed the site into a vibrant community Arts center serving the community around the center and the general community of the Los Ángeles County. We offer classes and theatrical productions in English and in Spanish. We have classes for youth and adults in theater, photography, and animation. We present/produce up to ten theater productions yearly, an annual short play theater festival, and a Monthly Staged Reading Program of new plays. As a theater worker, I’ve participated in over 300 productions and over 4,000 performances in Theatre, dance, opera and music, working as a producer, playwright, director, teacher, actor, designer, etc. My plays have been published and produced in USA, Mexico, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Spain and Estonia. Yet, I consider my greatest accomplishment my 14 years old son.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The main struggle has been financial support from government, foundations and corporate sources. Even though Latins represent almost half of the population of California, Latin organizations receive very little if the funds available. Also, a big problem we face is the abysmal lack of representation in the media. The in the US represents almost a fifth of the population, not even a 2 percent of roles on the screen go to Latin performers and those few parts are often insulting, demeaning stereotypes.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We’ve always strived to be very inclusive as an artist and as a company. We’ve worked with every Latin American nationality, including in our work every gender, ethnic and sexual identity. We have created a community cultural center that is a forum to discuss important and vital issues to our community. The FRIDA KAHLO Theater is at present time one of the only four centers in Los Ángeles catering to the Latin community and the ONLY one focused on Spanish performances. The 10 Minute Theater Festival gives new writers a forum to present their work to our community, telling our own stories in our own words.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Unfortunately, the outlook is extremely bleak. The 2008 economic recession, the elimination of the 99seat program, the speedy disappearance of Theater spaces, the great availability of Internet content had made our work extremely difficult, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the passage of AB5 are putting the final nails into the community arts coffin. Every year more and more spaces disappear, every year funds are more difficult to get and production expenses keep rising. We cannot compete with commercial Theater or the film/tv industry and community arts companies like ours are the forums where minority artists develop and learn their craft.

Pricing:

• 10 to 18 dollars for Theatre production
• Free to 10 per classes

Contact Info:

• Website: Fridakahlotheater.org
• Facebook: Frida Kahlo Theater

Image Credits
Franz