Welcome back to the Barrio: Teatro del Pueblo hosts live performance of podcast
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, theaters across the country have faced the challenge of reaching audiences in a changing landscape. This has included revisiting the form of theater that they produce with patrons at varying levels of comfort about attending live theater.
This was especially true of theaters that served and told stories drawn from minority communities, which were especially hard-hit by COVID.
Many pivoted to virtual theater during shutdowns and returned to in-person programing later. Some, like St. Paul-based Teatro del Pueblo, have stayed in hybrid mode.
“The pandemic had a silver lining,” artistic director Alberto Justiniano said, reflecting on the impact of COVID-19 and social unrest of 2020. “[It created] a pause in the way we did theater. And that allowed us to reflect upon how theater can be an impact and have an impact on society.”
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The theater decided to take one of their recurring live shows, “Coco’s Barrio,” and reimagine it as a podcast. The show’s framework was already in the style of a radio show, which Justiniano describes as “Prairie Home Companion meets Saturday Night Live.”
“[The pause in theater] allowed us to take a different look at what the future of theater is,” Justiniano said. “Podcasts can be one of those futures. It's still drama, it's [just] a different canvas.”
Now for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, audiences will be able to enjoy “Coco’s Barrio” in person and via podcast.
The new show set in the “Coco’s Barrio” world is called “War of the Worlds REDUX,” and is inspired by the infamous Orson Welles radio performance from the 1930s that dramatized H.G. Wells’ novel about an alien invasion.
The show will also be recorded and later published in podcast form.
“We're very excited to be in front of the audience and feel the energy,” said Silvia Pontaza, who plays the titular character Coco. “It’s very different from you know, recording from home and doing everything from home.”
Beyond acting as an opportunity for podcast and theater lovers to see a live taping of the show, the latest installment of “Coco’s Barrio” will also use the alien invasion as an allegory for climate change.
Justiniano said, “We felt that creating a spoof or parody of 'War of the Worlds' would enable us to weave in elements of climate change discussion,” adding that the production will also feature parody commercials with socially conscious messaging.
Producing shows like “Coco’s Barrio,” which examine social issues, has been a cornerstone of Teatro del Pueblo's mission since the mid-1990s. This mission was sparked by a local shooting incident that inspired the troupe to perform a theater piece in Twin Cities' schools.
“We don't want to do theater first for theater, you know, we want theater that has the repeat redeeming value for society,” said Justiniano.
While the show tackles issues through a specific cultural lens, the creators of “Coco’s Barrio” emphasize that the “Barrio” is for everyone. They view the show as an opportunity to highlight Latinx culture, while also creating a theater environment where all can engage in discussions about issues like climate change and discrimination.
“We speak English in most of our shows,” Pontaza said. “We want everybody to feel included ... Coco is that character that will make you feel welcome, hopefully, to the barrio that is ours and that is yours too.”
“Coco’s Barrio Live: War of the Worlds REDUX” runs May 11-14. Previous podcast episodes of “Coco’s Barrio” can be streamed on all major podcast platforms.
