Night has fallen over a cold concrete driveway that leads into a Westwood neighborhood garage. Inside, an old AC unit creaks along as Diego Florez-Arroyo and his directing team watch local actors recite lines and shuffle wooden chairs between scenes of their upcoming theatrical production.
"I am a newcomer to the theater community but also come from a musicians background," Florez-Arroyo said, a Denver artist of many talents, most notably as a member of the local Chicano Funk band Los Mocochetes. "A lot of it is rehearsing in whoever's garage and playing endless nights until it sounds good. I'm thankful to have a space to welcome everyone and bring these words to life."
Florez-Arroyo is set to add "playwright" to his long list of creative accolades, premiering "Cuauhtémoczin," a mythological impressionist play put on with the help of Control Group Productions and MCA Denver.
The production will be carried out at the MCA Holiday Theatre on Oct. 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. You can find information on how to purchase tickets here.
A fresh take on a typical prison drama, the multimedia production follows the life of Dante as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery in the face of his caged reality. The narrative dances between reality and Mexican mythology, connecting Dante to Cuauhtémoc, the last emperor of the Aztecs and calls attention to the trials and tribulations that human relationships suffer from imprisonment.
Phillip Luna, award winning actor, director and SAG-AFTRA member, was brought on to help Florez-Arroyo carry out his vision for the play. Sitting outside of a neighborhood garage where the cast was set to do a full-run through weeks leading up to opening night, Luna said part of what they do as artists, actors, directors and lighting designers is to help create different worlds.
"When [Florez-Arroyo] came to me with this piece he already had a very strong vision, and a willingness to experiment," Luna said. "Working in a garage, it lends more to the contribution and the exchange of ideas. The idea of being here in Denver, it's important that there is a sense of community and a sense of ensemble when you work. As opposed to that hierarchy, because then you feel like a hired hand."
The story was inspired by Florez-Arroyo's epic poem that he wrote while exploring Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. It was later developed into a play with the help of the Emerging BIPOC Playwrights Project, in association with Flamboyán Theater, a program that provides mentorship and production of new plays by writers of color who live in the Denver metro.
"This is the biggest thing I've done up to this point in my life and I want to continue on this path because of the support from the community, the team and family," Florez-Arroyo said. "It may be a story set in prison but there's things there for everyone."
The homegrown feel of this production is apparent in the creative minds that were brought together to see it through.
The cast, some of whom will be in their first theater production, is made up of 18 Denver- and Colorado-based creatives. You can read more about them here.
James Jewkes, stage manager and assistant producer, first met Florez-Arroyo through Anthony Garcia Sr. and the Birdseed Collective, a nonprofit community outreach organization in Denver.
Part of this production's challenge is figuring out how to bring all of the multimedia layers to life inside of the MCA Holiday Theatre, a venue built for film. This has meant that Jewkes and other creative producers have had to work collaboratively since rehearsals began back in August.
"Theater is a new love of mine. My background is in music production," Jewkes said. "Knowing [Florez-Arroyo] and seeing him paint everyday, I was always blown away by his commitment and his discipline. [Anthony Garcia Sr.] put us together because he knew that together we could do something."
Diego Estrada Bernuy plays Dante in the production. He was in Peru at the time that Florez-Arroyo posted a casting call. When Bernuy returned, the two Diego's got dinner together and discussed the show.
"[Florez-Arroyo] is extraordinary," Bernuy said. "He put up a good team and it feels like we're right where we are supposed to be."
After that first meeting, Bernuy knew he could fit right into the vision of "Cuauhtémoczin." He also knew he'd be a perfect fit to play the role of Dante.
"We all believe in this work," Bernuy said. "In a way I feel like all of us are or have been Dante. Especially as a brown person, we are all trying to figure out who we are. And this gives us a purpose."
Born and raised in Lima, Peru until the age of 10, Bernuy moved to Aurora in 2005 and later moved to Denver where he now runs a small video production company, Degetelo Studios. When he is not producing videos, like Dante, Bernuy is figuring out where he belongs in the world. After researching Aztec and Incan mythology to prepare for the role of Dante, Bernuy says the experience has changed him as a person.
"When we do this work of looking backwards, we are healing not only for the people that come ahead of us but also for the people that came before us. Because they didn't get that same opportunity," Bernuy said. "I want people to just take it in. And if you walk out of there with something then I think we all did our job."
Wrapping up a run-through rehearsal the cast regroups one final time to go over notes that Luna, Florez-Arroyo and Jewkes have for them.
The goal of this rehearsal was to help everyone get into a rhythm for the show leading up to their final rehearsals inside of the MCA Holiday Theatre.
"The thing about theater is it's different every night," Luna said. "Whatever moment you choose it won't be there tonight. It's going to be something else. If you want to see the same moment, watch a film or listen to a record but if you want to see it change every night, moment by moment, come see theater."
The challenge for Bernuy, like the rest of the cast, is tapping into the character of Dante four more times.
"When you're in the system of incarceration, you forget the relationships that are going to be strained. I think Diego does a really good job of writing that," Bernuy said. "I'm definitely different from this journey. It has helped me figure out my voice."
