Pregones/PRTT Presents The New York premiere of
PAUL S. FLORES’ WE HAVE IRÉ in January 2020
January 23-26, 2020 at Pregones Theater in The Bronx.
December 20, 2019 (New York) - Pregones/PRTT announces the New York Premiere of WE HAVE IRÉ. A new multidisciplinary theater work by award-winning poet, performance artist, and playwright Paul S. Flores.
WE HAVE IRÉ, explores true stories of immigrant Cuban artists living in the United States, working hard, and being blessed with positive energy. Flores shares the stage with Grammy-nominated Latin jazz star Yosvany Terry, choreographer Ramón Ramos Alayo, hip-hop artist DJ Leydis, and other formidable ensemble artists. Visuals by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi. Directed by Rosalba Rolón. The show comes to New York after rousing premieres at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and GALA Hispanic Theater in Washington, DC.
In We Have Iré, the cast of characters gather to party, dance, and play music while sharing stories about their traditions, their lives in Cuba, and their individual journeys from Cuba to the United States and back. Flores’s deeply personal dive into themes of transnationality and citizenship is supplemented by traditional Yoruba songs and dance from Alayo, live Cuban jazz from Terry, Latinx hip-hop and timba beats from DJ Leydis, and bilingual spoken word to underscore the virtuosity of Afro-Cuban and Cuban American artists.
Says Flores: “We Have Iré celebrates Cuban immigrants, giving them space to tell their stories on their own terms though dance, music and theater. I chose to set the play in a club called Que Rico, Asere! (meaning ‘It’s good to be Cuban, my friend’) to highlight the joy Cubans bring to all whenever they get together to share their talents. We Have Iré also focuses on the nuances of Latinx identity, including Afro-Cuban, by breaking down stereotypes and revealing the complexities of being Black, immigrant, female, and bilingual. The artists in We Have Iré are well known in the Bay Area and have accomplished a high level of excellence in the United States, Cuba, and abroad. This is a chance to know their personal stories of how they became who they are today, what they risked, and how they are inspired to stay connected to their homeland while living between two countries.
Iré is Lucumí (Yoruba) for the good fortune we experience when our lives are in balance. We are blessed with positive energy when we are in tune with nature, when we are fulfilling our purpose, when we are spiritually in line with our destiny.
DATES: January 9-19, 2020 (evening and matinee performances)
LOCATION: Pregones Theater, 575 Walton Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10451
TICKETS: Starting at $20 — Limited Inventory, Buy Early
Online at www.PregonesPRTT.org or By phone at 718-585-1202
DISCOUNTS: Members, Groups, Seniors, Students, Zip Tickets – Restrictions Apply
We Have IRÉ is a National Performance Network/Visual Artist Network (NPN/VAN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Pregones/PRTT in NYC, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Fracisco, GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington-DC, MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana in San Jose, Miami Light Project, MECA Houston, and NPN/VAN. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For more information: www.npnweb.org.
Artist international travel to Cuba for creative development of We Have IRÉ generously provided by Southwest Airlines, the official airline of Pregones/PRTT.
Promotional photograph by Harvey Castro. Display typography by Chris Cuadrado.
This program is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with City Council, and from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of Pregones/PRTT.
PREGONES/PRTT / Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater is an award-winning acting and music ensemble, multidiscipline arts presenter, and owner/steward of bilingual arts facilities in The Bronx and Manhattan. Our mission is to champion a Puerto Rican/Latinx cultural legacy of universal value through creation and performance of original plays and musicals, exchange and partnership with other artists of merit, and engagement of diverse audiences. Our year-round programs offer attractive and affordable opportunities for arts access and participation to NYC residents and visitors alike. www.pregonesprtt.org.
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