How to Melt Ice Talkback Series
EXTEND YOUR PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE!
A Special Series of Post-Performance Discussions
produced by Gwynn MacDonald
This talkback series is being offered as post-show programming for the audience to examine important themes in the play in a different format: immigration as a whole and the inability of this country to decide where it stands; love and Immigration; family separations; identity and the first-generation experience; and most importantly, what does it mean to “document” a life?
Each event will have a handout of useful links, resources, and takeaways.
February 2
Immigration: The Picture on the Ground: a discussion focused on the lived experience of people impacted by our broken immigration system, featuring volunteers and organizations who step in to advocate for, aid and support them. Guests currently include cast member Regina Carregha, whose workshop to help artists get their O-1Visa is based on her own discoveries with this arduous process, Jessica Orozco Guttlein, Esq Chief of Staff for the Hispanic Federation, Tony Alarcon, National Senior Organizer with the Center for Popular Democracy, and Roberto Lara Chief Communications and Development Officer of the Lutheran Church of New York Moderator Melody Brooks, Artistic Dir New Perspectives Theatre Co.
February 4
Visual Storytelling -- An Insider’s Look at Creating the World of a Play: Director Elena Araoz will discuss her collaboration with designers to create the world of How to Melt ICE and choices for staging based on their research. She is joined by Costume Designer Christopher Vergara who will share his artistic process and the inspirations for making visible the lives of those who inhabit the world of this play.
February 5
February 8
February 9
La Vida De Pagina A Escenario: Encontrando Tu Voz A special storytelling workshop for invited Doňas who are training as organizers and advocates, to engage with the fundamentals of storytelling and performance as they learn to document and share their own lives on stage. Co-led by playwright Amalia Oliva Rojas and fellow teaching artist Natalia Muñoz Durango presented in collaboration with the Center for Popular Democracy and with support from Cuny’s Mexican Studies Institute.
Immigration Policy: What Is It Now and What Should It Be? Special guest Maribel Hernandez Rivera (ACLU Deputy National Political Director, Equality Division Director) will help the audience try to make sense of US Immigration Policy when so often it doesn’t!
Our National Romance with Immigration Stories: author-photographer Susan Kuklin (We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults, and In Search of Safety: Voices of Refugees.) will talk immigration stories across media and genres with Matthew Cesario, producer at Finding Your Roots PBS’ number one TV show which documents the immigration history of celebrities’ families. Playwright Amalia oliva rojas will join the discussion.