CHICAGO – Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez announced today the addition of six top Chicago Latinx theater artists to the company’s ensemble: Isaac Gomez, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Eddie Martinez, J. Salomé Martinez Jr., Ayssette Muñoz and Nate Santana.
The expansion coincides with the appointment of Sylvia Hevia as the company’s new Managing and Development Director.
“It is with great honor and excitement that we add these dynamic and creative artists to our Teatro Vista ensemble,” said Gutiérrez. “Based on our work together, we know Cruz, Isaac, Eddie, Sal, Ayssette and Nate will allow us to widen the scope of our ensemble work and participation.”
Hevia, Teatro Vista’s new Managing and Development Director, has a 15+ year track producing Latinx cultural events, including through her own multicultural event production company, Sylvia Hevia Productions/Sabor Events. She was also Director of Marketing and Development at the Latino Cultural Center from 2011-2014.
“Sylvia brings deep experience, connections in the community, a passion for the arts and a lot of new energy to the company,” said Gutiérrez. “We look forward to the many good things to come when Sylvia focuses her time, skills and energy on raising our profile and building Teatro Vista’s support base.”
Now in its 26th year, Teatro Vista’s is Chicago’s leading Latinx theater company. The ensemble’s primary focus is producing new works by Latinx theatre artists and presenting classic plays featuring artists of color. Ensemble members inform Teatro Vista’s artistic aesthetic by devising original works as well as by selecting plays with themes that are engaging and relevant to Chicago’s diverse population.
Currently, Teatro Vista is presenting the world premiere of The Wolf at The End of The Block. Gutiérrez directs Ike Holter’s Chicago-set thriller about racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships. The Chicago Tribune wrote The Wolf at The End of The Block is “clear, impassioned, blistering and heartfelt” and called Holter “one of the Chicago’s most exciting young writers.” Performances run through March 5 in the Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. For tickets and information, visit TeatroVista.org or call the Victory Gardens box office, (773) 871-3000.
Teatro Vista’s season finale is the world premiere of La Havana Madrid, a theatrical, cinematic and musical history of Latinx Caribbeans in Chicago by ensemble member Sandra Delgado. Fellow ensemble member Cheryl Lynn Bruce directs Delgado’s immersive documentary theater experience, complete with live music, based on the true story of the 1960’s Chicago nightclub, La Havana Madrid. Performances are April 14-May 21 at Steppenwolf’s new 1700 Theater. For tickets and information, visit Steppenwolf.org, TeatroVista.org or call (312) 335-1650.
The addition of the six new members increases the current ensemble to 26 active members. The new members are:
Isaac Gomez is a playwright, dramaturg, and the director of new play development at Victory Gardens Theater. He is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, Co-Creative Director at the Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists in Chicago (ALTA) where he runs and is a participant of El Semillero: ALTA Chicago’s Latino Playwrights Circle, an Artistic Associate of Pivot Arts, a steering committee member of the Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC) and an artistic community member at The Hypocrites in Chicago.
Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel is an Argentinean actress based in Chicago. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Cruz received her degree in acting from the Universidad del Salvador. Chicago credits include: i put the fear of Mexico in ’em (Teatro Vista), Electra (Court Theatre), You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites), The Compass (Steppenwolf Theatre- SYA), The Grown Up (Shattered Globe Theatre), The Life and Death of Madam Barker (Red Tape Theater), Your Problem With Men (Teatro Luna), The Clean House (Something Marvelous) and Corazon de Manzana (Mortar Theatre). Film credits include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She is a graduate of the Improv Training Program at iO Theatre and part of Something Marvelous, a Chicago festival celebrating Magical Realism.
Eddie Martinez is currently performing in Tanya Saracho’s Fade at Primary Stages in New York City. Before that he originated the role of Andrew in Teatro Vista’s world premiere of Mando Alvardo’s Parachute Men. Other Chicago theater credits include In the Time of The Butterflies and The Sins of Sor Juana (Teatro Vista), Big Lake Big City and Cascabel (Lookingglass Theatre), Our Lady of 121st Street (Steppenwolf) and Stylin’ and Racial Profilin’ (The Second City). Denver credits include Fade and As You Like It (Denver Center Theater Company). Film credits include The Dilemma, The Break Up, The Weatherman, Nothing Like the Holidays, Let’s Go to Prison, Ossobucco and Elsewhere. TV credits include Boss, Chicago Fire, Sense8 and Sirens.
Salomé Martinez Jr. performed in Teatro Vista’s Parachute Men earlier this season. Other credits include A Christmas Carol (Goodman), This is Modern Art and How long will I cry? (Steppenwolf Theatre), Cascabel and Big Lake Big City (Lookingglass Theatre), After (Profiles Theatre), As You Like It, Man of La Mancha and The Seagull (Constance Theatre) and The War of the Worlds (Hippodrome State Theatre). Martinez has also appeared on TV shows and films such as Empire, Sirens, Law & Order, Castle, Chicago Fire, the Emmy winning HBO mini-series Generation Kill, NYC Underground, New York, I Love You and the Oscar nominated film The Messenger. He received his B.A in theatre from Barat College and his M.F.A in acting from the University of Florida.
Ayssette Muñoz was one of 2015’s Top 10 Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre according to the Chicago Tribune. She is currently co-starring in Teatro Vista’s world premiere of Ike Holter’s The Wolf at The End of The Block. Other credits include In the Time of the Butterflies, Between You, Me & the Lampshade, Romeo & Juliet and A View from the Bridge (Teatro Vista), Marisol in Marisol (Goodman Latino Festival), u/s Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Adriana in The Comedy of Errors, and u/s Lady Anne in Richard III (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). She co-starred on NBC’s Chicago PD Season 3.
Nate Santana’s Teatro Vista credits include White Tie Ball and Momma’s Boyz. Throughout Chicago, he’s worked with TimeLine Theater (The Last Wife), Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Shattered Globe, Steppenwolf, Griffin Theatre, City Lit Theater Company, Boho Theatre, First Folio Theatre and the side project. Regionally, he’s worked with The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis. He is also an artistic associate with Shattered Globe Theatre where he serves as a teaching artist and director for their ensemble building, protege program. He has been nominated for two Jeff Awards for his work in Golden Boy with Griffin Theatre and The Rainmaker with Boho Theatre. Television work includes The Exorcist and Chicago P.D. Santana is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and received his BA from Valparaiso University.
Sylvia Hevia (Managing and Development Director) has a 15+ year track record of expanding brand awareness, developing solid partnerships and producing Latinx cultural events. In 2013, she launched her own company, Sylvia Hevia Productions/Sabor Events, which is a multicultural event production company dedicated to bringing Latino cultural events, performances and recording artists to Chicago. Her company has designed innovative events for McDonald’s Hispanic Owner-Operators Association (MHOA), AARP, Univision Radio/TV, United Airlines and the Consulate of Argentina. In a joint event with MHOA, her company helped raise $40,000 in scholarships for Latino students in the Midwest. Hevia worked at the International Latino Cultural Center from 2011-2014 as Director of Marketing and Development where she monitored sponsorship relationships, directed all marketing campaigns and special events including the historic Chicago Latino Film Festival. Hevia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Purdue University. She is Bicultural/Bilingual (English/Spanish) and lives in Chicago with her husband Yuri. In addition, Hevia is a professional singer who has worked performed with internationally known artists in various genres including, salsa, neo-soul, R&B, jazz, dance, and Latin pop. She continues to perform with her band Sylvia Hevia y su Orquesta, Mechilex, Azure and the 1950s Cuban Big Band.
About Teatro Vista
Teatro Vista (TeatroVista.org) produces, develops and commissions plays that explore the wealth and variety of the human experience from a Latinx perspective. The company provides work and professional advancement opportunities for Latinx theatre artists, with special emphasis on the company’s ensemble members, and seeks to enhance the curricular goals of Chicago students through theatre.
Teatro Vista was recently celebrated as one of “Chicago’s Cultural Leaders” by the Arts & Business Council of Chicago and received the League of Chicago Theatre’s Artistic Leadership Award.
Teatro Vista’s primary focus is producing new works by Latinx theatre artists and presenting classic plays featuring artists of color. Its artistic vision is shaped by the company’s ensemble members, a group of multi-generational, multi-ethnic and multi-disciplinary artists. They inform Teatro Vista’s artistic aesthetic by devising original works as well as by selecting plays with themes that are engaging and relevant to Chicago’s diverse population.
Teatro Vista founded in 1990 by Edward Torres and Henry Godinez. As Teatro Vista’s first Artistic Director, Godinez guided the company during the formative years. He helped stage successful productions and establish vital relationships with other theatre companies and artists. When Godinez stepped down, Torres was appointed Artistic Director. Under Torres’ direction, Teatro Vista used the stage to engage, connect and challenge audience members using the company’s mission as his guide. In 2012, Torres moved to New York and the Board of Directors promoted longtime Associate Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez to the position of Executive Artistic Director.
Teatro Vista’s current ensemble includes Charín Álvarez, Max Arciniega, Desmín Borges, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Ramón Camín, Ivonne Coll, Laura Dahl, Sandra Delgado, Liza Fernández, Khanisha Foster, Isaac Gomez, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Ricardo Gutiérrez, Erik Juárez, Jon Lyon, Sandra Márquez, Eddie Martinez, J. Salomé Martinez Jr., Joe Minoso, Ayssette Muñoz, Christina Nieves, Marvin Quijada, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Gabriel Ruíz, Nate Santana, Cecilia Suarez and co-founder Edward Torres.
Teatro Vista’s Board of Directors includes Ezequiel “Zeek” Agosto, President; Rodrigo García and Rosanna Márquez, Vice Presidents; Joan Pantsios, Secretary; Tom Vega-Byrnes, Treasurer; and Bhuvana Badrinathan, José Antonio Cruz, Edgar Delgado, Ricardo Gutiérrez, and Kareem Mohamednur.
Teatro Vista is supported by The Joyce Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events of the City of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance and The Saints.
Purple Group and Cumberland Irving are Teatro Vista’s Headline Season Sponsors. Teatro Vista is a Victory Gardens Resident Theater.
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