Join Motus Theater for a special collaboration with Naropa University for the Annual Bayard and John Cobb Lecture where Motus UndocuAmerica monologists invite you to listen deeply to their personal stories of living in the crosshairs of U.S. immigration policy. In this special performance, monologists Alejandro Fuentes Mena, Cristian Solano Córdova, and Tania Chairez will share their personal stories; and Naropa President Chuck Lief and Naropa Student Ayleen Guzman will co-read Armando Peniche’s autobiographical monologue and join him for a conversation about the impact of stepping into his shoes for a moment. International award-winning slam poet Dominique Christina will offer a poetic response to the stories, and Uruguayan musician, Elisa Garcia, will offer a musical response.
Autobiographical monologues by Motus Monologists Alejandro Fuentes Mena, Armando Peniche, Cristian Solano Córdova, and Tania Chairez were written in collaboration with Motus Theater Artistic Director, Kirsten Wilson. The aim of the UndocuAmerica project is to interrupt the dehumanizing and racist anti-immigrant narratives around our nation and challenge people to acknowledge the danger to us all from the current threats facing the undocumented community and take action. Motus Theater is the creator of UndocuAmerica, JustUs, Women of Resolution, Rocks Karma Arrows, and the Shoebox Stories Podcast.
Bios of Collaborating Artists:
Alejandro Fuentes Mena: Alejandro Fuentes Mena was born in Valparaiso, Chile and grew up in San Diego, California after age four. Through Teach for America, he was one of the first two DACAmented teachers in the entire nation and Senator Durbin featured his story on the Senate floor to showcase the transformative impact of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He tells a story of his hard working parents and celebrates the assets he and his family are to our country.
Tania Chairez: Tania Chairez is an undocumented immigrant born in Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She received a B.S. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and M.Ed. from Grand Canyon University. Watch her TedX Talk on being Undocumented and Unafraid and uplift her nonprofit, Convivir Colorado, which supports immigrant and refugee students. Her story challenges people to acknowledge the danger to us all from the current threats facing the undocumented community, and take action.
Cristian Solano-Córdova: Cristian Solano-Córdova is the Communications Director with the National Partnership for New Americans. Cristian is a Denver native, born in Chihuahua, Mexico. Cristian is a proud DACA recipient and hopes to continue his education and one day work in health policy advocacy. He tells the story of strategizing to protect his eight-year-old sister, who is an American citizen, in the event her
Armando Peniche: Armando Peniche Rosales is the Partnerships & Project Manager with Motus Theater. He currently runs an initiative of his own called "Leámos Juntos" which provides local businesses with books for children to read while at their establishments, nurturing a reading habit for families. Armando is also creating his own picture books featuring diverse characters with fun, empowering storylines. His monologue addresses the criminalization of people of color and the dangerous rhetoric maligning undocumented people under the current administration.
Elisa Garcia was born in Uruguay, immersed in the sounds of tango and other Latin American folk music. At the age of eight, she relocated to the US with her family and embarked on a journey of discovering other world cultures. Elisa’s interest in different societies and their customs led her to study Anthropology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. With a strong passion for music and dance, she was eager to explore the impact that these art forms have on building communities. This led her to join a West African dance and singing group where she learned not only the rhythms of this rich and vibrant land, but also the strong sense of community they create.
Dominique Christina is an award-winning poet, author, educator and activist. She holds five national poetry slam titles, including the 2012 & 2014 Women of the World Slam Champion and 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. Her work is greatly influenced by her family's legacy in the Civil Rights Movement - her aunt Carlotta was one of nine students to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas and is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Dominique is the author of four books. Her third book, "This Is Woman's Work", published by SoundsTrue Publishing, is the radical exploration of 20 archetypal incarnations of womanness and the creative process. Her fourth book "Anarcha Speaks" won the National Poetry Series award in 2017.
WHERE: Performing Arts Center (PAC), 2130 Arapahoe Avenue or virtual: https://naropa.zoom.us/j/97185895630
TICKETS: This is a free event, but registration is required for in-person attendance: