Theatre company puts Latino stories center stage

DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - In 1996, Eliberto Gonzalez founded the first Mexican American theatre company in Dallas. The idea came from a desire to bring the Mexican American experience to the stage.

David Lozano is the executive artistic director at Cara Mia.

"Eli became obsessed with watching plays," Lozano said about the founder. "He told me he was seeing plays from Tuesday to Sunday after he would get off work, working on roofs in the hot sun. And then he came to the conclusion; I'm not seeing any plays about my experience."

Lozano says since its inception, the theatre company has expanded its reach into the community by focusing on bilingual plays that tell stories of the Latino experience; an experience, he says, is often overlooked.

"I think what Cara Mia does well is we tell meaningful stories that our community not only wants to hear, but I believe they feel the need to hear," he said.

While founded as a way to bring Mexican stories to the forefront, the productions featured this year spotlight diverse Latino voices—particularly those of Caribbean and Afro-Latino identity. Paul S. Flores is a playwright of Cuban descent whose musical play "We Have Ire," features true stories of the triumphant journeys of Cuban artists in America.

"It's beautiful to bring a story about the Caribbean, Afro-Caribbean Latinos, Black Latino stories to a place like Texas, which is so steeped in Mexican culture, which I appreciate and love. I want to just open up the conversation about Latinidad as we call it, or the things that Latinos have in common," Flores said. "

Actor Faylita Hicks says performing in plays like "Your Healing Is Killing Me" has been an empowering experience since it is not often that they see people who look like them discussing Hispanic issues.

"I'm going to show my whole self and not just parts of myself, and that's exciting," she said. "I feel like in my own life I've been pushed to the background just because of the way that I look and because I wasn't raised speaking Spanish; I wasn't raised in certain communities. This is a part of my experience that I haven't had a chance to lean into and to be a part of it now is just very affirming to me."

Cara Mia strives to tell diverse stories and is sharing their works beyond the stage. The theatre participates in youth education programs and community events that focus on healing, learning and strategies for action.

"The arts has a critical role to play in seeing us create better, more cohesive communities that are genuinely supporting us in creating safe spaces," Hicks said. "When we're really looking at trying to build up our communities, it's the arts that are going to have the conversation in a meaningful and accessible way."

"I think the art exposes the truth of our experience as Latinos in the United States," Flores added. "We get to get to the narratives. We get space to tell our stories."

Stories that spotlight the Latino community by putting understanding on center stage.

"Our stories affirm our identities," Lozano said. "They affirm that we belong here, and they give us opportunities to envision what our futures can be."