What inspired the creation of Our Town Multilingual? Being an immigrant has its perks. I encountered it in my 30s and was blown away. It stuck with me, and I knew I wanted to do something with it.
As I mulled over these thoughts, our nation grappled with an existential crisis. A significant portion of our populace was wrestling with the complexities of our evolving society, confronting their views on immigration, gender, and sexual identity. Instead, he crafted a narrative about the fragility of our existence, capturing the tragic yet wondrous essence of life itself. I approached the Thornton Wilder estate with the proposition of producing a multilingual version of the play.
Their understanding and support were invaluable, and I remain eternally grateful to Tappan Wilder and the entire Wilder estate for their generosity. Tell us about the process of creating this translated text. Our Town Multilingual is a direct translation; how did you determine which characters and stories were to be in each language?
The broader townsfolk primarily use English, though a few characters sprinkle in some Creole or Spanish here and there. How do you feel these new layers of language and culture impact the stories being told? Our endeavor revealed two key insights. Certainly, one unique challenge stood out. This production merged two acting communities that typically operate in separate spheres. While Miami boasts both vibrant Spanish and English theater scenes, they seldom intersect. This play bridged that gap, bringing these distinct groups together on one stage.
The initial week was particularly eye-opening. The Hispanic and Anglo actors had contrasting approaches to both their craft and the rehearsal process.
