Ep. 54: Merendiando with Mariló Núñez
May 12, 2021
“You have to allow yourself to be a bad writer to become a better writer. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned.” – Mariló Núñez
This week’s guest is Chilean Canadian playwright and director, and Aluna’s playwright in residence, Mariló Núñez! Mariló is based in Hamilton, Ontario, and is the 2018 recipient of the Hamilton Arts Award for Established Theatre Artist. She was the founding Artistic Director of Alameda Theatre Company, a company dedicated to developing the new work of Latinx Canadian playwrights, and is currently obtaining her Ph D. in Theatre & Performance Studies from York University. She is also the writer of our next Studio Series presentation, El Retorno/I Return, a play that explores family, exile and revolution, and journeys into the heart of Latin American history.
In this interview we talk about Latinx identity in North America, the creation method of María Irene Fornés, writing race as a playwright, and her insights on developing a writing practice
Aluna Theatre’s Artistic Director Beatriz Pizano will direct Mariló’s upcoming Studio Series presentation, and recently directed another radio play available to stream right now – listen to Soulpepper Theatre Company’s Around the World in 80 Plays presentation of The Walls by Argentinian playwright Griselda Gambaro here!
SHOW NOTES
- The Refugee Hotel, a play written by Carmen Aguirre and first produced by Alameda Theatre Company in association with Theatre Passe Muraille. Read more about the production history leading up to the premiere, and check out the show’s website for ‘blogu-mentary’ videos!
- In 2008, Stephen Colella and Erica Kopyto helped Mariló found the De Colores Festival of New Works, Canada’s first playwrights unit and festival dedicated to developing the work of Canadian Latin American writers.
- INTAR, or International Arts Relations Inc in New York City, is one of the United States’ longest running Latino theaters producing in English. Their Hispanic Playwrights in Residence Lab was founded by esteemed dramatist and teacher María Irene Fornés.
- Nilo Cruz, Migdalia Cruz, Cherrie Moraga, Caridad Svich, and Luis Alfaro were inspirations for Mariló as she ran Alameda Theatre Company.
- Mariló participated in the Fornés Playwriting Workshop in Chicago led by award-winning playwright and Fornés protégée Migdalia Cruz.
- She earned her Masters in Playwriting at Guelph University, and is currently earning her PhD at York University with a focus on race and theatre.
- Blood In Blood Out and American Me are films with Latino stereotypes that Mariló watched growing up.
- Mariló’s merienda: chips with Himalayan salt, which are perfect for weathering the storm that is COVID-19.
All Merendiando episodes are in Spanglish, English, or Spanish. New episodes of Radio Aluna Theatre are released on Wednesdays. Follow and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and wherever else you get your podcasts.
Radio Aluna Teatro is produced by Aluna Theatre with support from the Toronto Arts Council, The Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Metcalf Foundation.
Aluna Theatre is Beatriz Pizano & Trevor Schwellnus, with Sue Balint; Radio Aluna Theatre is produced by Monica Garrido and Camila Diaz-Varela.
For more about Aluna Theatre, visit us at alunatheatre.ca, follow @alunatheatre on twitter or instagram, or ‘like’ us on facebook.