September 23, 2024 • 37 mins
Discover the power of theater to transform communities with our special guest, Mino Lora, the Executive Artistic Director of the People's Theater Project (PTP). Listen in as Mino shares the riveting story of how PTP was born from a master's thesis in peace studies and conflict transformation into a beacon of artistic expression for New York City's immigrant community. Learn about the diverse initiatives that PTP spearheads, from professional productions featuring immigrant artists to community-based shows that highlight local talent, and a robust playwrights unit fostering new works.
Get an inside look at the journey from volunteer-based beginnings to establishing the largest performing arts nonprofit in upper Manhattan. Mino discusses the vital role of comprehensive education programs aimed at empowering young immigrants through theater, and the strategic partnerships with schools and community centers that amplify their impact. We explore the multifaceted roles involved in running PTP, from fundraising and staff management to government relations and production, giving you a glimpse into the dynamic nature of nonprofit arts administration.
Celebrate the incredible impact PTP has had over the past 15 years as Mino reflects on the transformative power of theater and advocacy. Hear heartfelt stories of young participants who have grown into staff members, illustrating the deep roots and community bonds PTP has nurtured. Mino also opens up about the challenges of balancing professional responsibilities with personal life, particularly as a mother, and the importance of advocating for fair wages and equitable compensation in the nonprofit sector. This episode is a testament to the passion and dedication driving PTP's mission to uplift and support the immigrant community through the arts.
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The thoughts, views, and opinions expressed on Career Cheat Code are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, affiliated organizations & employers. This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes, highlighting the guests and their unique career journeys. We hope these stories inspire you to chase your purpose, define success on your own terms & take the next step in your career.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
the funding will come , the partners will come, who'll
want to be part of it?
And I think I just knew backthen, even though we were
nowhere near able to do it, thatit was the right, as you said,
it was the right project for usand it was the right way to do
it.
We've been I mean, I've beenwanting to open a theater in
Washington Heights, like uptownfor 15, I mean since I moved to
the neighborhood 20 years agolike there isn't one.
Why not?
(00:21):
We're such creative, amazing.
We're such a creative, vibrantcommunity.
We have so many stories to tell.
Right, when PTB started, wewent out to the streets, spoke
to over 100 people.
When was the last time you sawa play?
We asked them two questionswhen was the last time you saw a
play?
Would you like to be in a play,tell your story with people's
feet or brush?
For the first one, over 95% ofpeople said bueno, like the
(00:44):
nativity play at church, ornever.
For the second one, 98% ofpeople said claro, tell me when
I'll be there.
We're like.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Welcome to Career Cheat Code.
In this podcast, you'll hearhow everyday people impact the
world through their careers.
Learn about their journey,career hacks and obstacles along
the way.
Whether you're already havingthe impact you want or are
searching for it, this is thepodcast for you.
All right, mino, welcome to theshow.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
Super happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, I'm excited to have you.
I know you are someone that hasan illustrious career and I
just want to dive right in andtell the world what it is you do
for a living.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Thank you.
I am the Executive ArtisticDirector of People's Theater
Project.
People's Theater Project, ptp,is a theater and social justice
organization.
We create theater with and forthe immigrant community of New
York City.
We are based uptown inWashington Heights, and what I
do in my work is a lot of things.
As executive artistic directorright With my artistic director
(01:41):
title I oversee all of ourproductions At PTP.
We do professional productionswith immigrant artists, we do
ensemble-based work.
I work with our creativeproducer.
We hire a lot of artists andwork with them to help cultivate
new works of theater that tellour stories as Latinos, as
immigrants.
We also do communityproductions with everyday New
Yorkers, and that's always a joyto do that.
(02:03):
And then we cultivate new workwith emerging playwrights as
well with our playwrights unit.
So I oversee all of that.
I look at our partners.
I find partners, co-producers,and we built that and that's
super exciting.
And sometimes I get to directplays as well, which is great,
because that was my originaltraining and then I also.
We do a lot of work withimmigrants.
When we say immigrants, we alsoreally put emphasis on our
(02:24):
young people.
So we have a robust educationprogram and I work closely with
our education team as we buildcurriculum, as we create new
programs, as we do our programs,our Academy for Theater
Leadership and Activism, as wellas our partnership with schools
and community centers acrossUptown, the Bronx and New York
City.
And then, finally, advocacy wedo a lot of advocacy for
(02:44):
immigrant rights in at People'sTheater Project and I lead a lot
of that effort in my role asexecutive artistic director.
As part of I'm a member of NewYork State Council on the Arts
and as well as the Latinx ArtsConsortium of New York,
advocating for a more equitableculture sector.
And then other advisory boardswhere I sit as well New York
(03:07):
Immigration Coalition, reallyhelping to give input on policy
at the city, state and federallevel.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Wow, and how big is this organization?
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So we started volunteer-based 16 years ago.
This is our 16th season andright now we have full-time
staff of nine, part-time staffof about 15 to 20.
We're about, you know, $1.6million budget.
So we're the largest culturalperforming, the largest
performing art nonprofit inupper Manhattan, above Harlem,
which is really exciting, andyou know we're so grateful.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Absolutely.
You all have a great reputation.
You put on just remarkable workfor a long time now.
You founded this organizationon just remarkable work for a
long time now.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
You founded this organization.
Tell me about that process.
I did, I did.
Ptp was born as my thesisproject.
It was I was living as an actor.
I was doing teaching artistswork, teaching in schools in the
Bronx I was like in threemiddle schools in the Bronx and
I knew I wanted to kind of finda bridge between the work that I
was doing as an activist in thestreets and in the classrooms
with young people and then myprofessional theater work as a
(04:06):
theater director.
That started as an actor andthen transitioned to directing,
and I did a master's in peacestudies and conflict
transformation.
At that point I was already inNew York City, uptown from DR
and as part of my master'sprogram, not only was I going to
write a thesis but I wasexpected to kind of create an
action research project, and forme that was People's Theater
(04:26):
Project.
You know how do we create aculture of peace through the
arts, and I knew it was going tobe with immigrants.
I knew it was going to be in mycommunity and you know, mind
you, this is 2007, 2008, where awhile ago, where there was a
lot less, it's exciting to seethe renaissance uptown
(04:50):
Renaissance that's happened overthe last decade or so, but back
then there was very little whenit came to theater.
So we were very excited to bedoing that work with members of
our community, with professionalartists, in Spanish, in English
, and it's been a thrill to seeit grow since then.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Did you write your thesis knowing you wanted to
actually bring it to life, orwas it like a project that you
just had to do and you had tosubmit something?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I did not know.
I did not know.
I got into the program notknowing that that was the
requirement.
When I worked on the thesis, atthat point I knew that that was
what we had to do was a project, but the projects varied.
In the cohort of students I wasthe only one who did
arts-related stuff, so peopledid more research and policy
work and but at that moment Iknew that it had to be something
that I would create that way.
(05:29):
And it started as, like whathappens if we bring a production
, make it accessible so it wasfree and bring it uptown, and
then it continued to, and youhave four immigrants and and
then from there, you know, I hada cousin.
I have a cousin she's amazingIleana Garcia, ileana Mila
Garcia, who is a brilliantartist but also a graphic
designer and created a logo forPeople's Theater Project.
(05:50):
And then at the end of thethesis, I did great, but I
graduated and they're like well,we have a logo, what if we just
keep going?
And that's really you know howit started and it was, and from
there is what it is today.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Wow, and from there to full-time staff and part-time
staff and a new home forPeople's Theater Project.
Yes, can you talk about thatpart as well, because I know you
all are still in the process offully moving in, right?
But that new home is beingcompleted.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yes, and I forgot to mention that.
So thank you for saying that.
So a big part of my job now iswe are doing this large, huge
for me right Capital projects inNew York City.
We are building People'sTheater Project's first home,
the People's Theater CentroCultural Inmigrante.
It is scheduled to open in 2026.
We are in full construction.
We have a whole team architects, construction managers, project
(06:43):
managers, developers, owners,rep lawyers, like working very
closely with the city, with theEconomic Development Corporation
as well as DCLA on this.
But this will be a culturalspace multidisciplinary, so not
just theater really will be aplace for music and dance and
theater dedicated to theimmigrant community and it'll be
a home for immigrant artists,for local artists, for local
(07:10):
groups to be creating,developing and presenting work
that speaks to all of thecultures of New York City A home
for many of them, not just forPeople's Theater Project and our
own programming and producing.
And it's you know, it's agallery, art, gallery space as
well.
So all of that is happening.
The core and shell, as we callit, kind of the white box, is,
has been, is almost fully doneand then a couple of months we
start the fit out of the spaceto make it, you know, shiny and
(07:30):
brand new cultural center in newyork city.
It'll be the largest latinomanaged theater in the state of
new york, which is amazing yeah,that's awesome and that's you
know.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
That's through that process is where you and I
really connected, um, when I wasworking at the Economic
Development Corporation.
Since then, I've just been inawe of all of your work, right,
like you've mentioned, basicallylike six different roles that
you have right now within thisone company.
Right, like you're fundraising,you're managing a capital
project, you're managing staff,you're producing plays, like
(08:00):
you're actually like putting onproductions and like all of this
is, it seems to be like justpart of the role.
Right, but talk to me aboutwhat this looks like.
When you walk in on a Monday,how do you figure out what the
heck you're doing for the week?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So that's a great question and it's so funny
because I think in my position Ilove that question and it
changes.
That's the thing, right.
Every week can look verydifferent for me in my role.
You know, if it's a week thatis heavy on government,
community relations, governmentrelations, I am out a lot.
I'm out a lot having meetings,going down to City Hall, going
(08:35):
to Albany, really meeting withelected officials talking about
the push that needs to happenaround the arts sector, around
PTP, the programming, so someweeks look like that.
But Mondays are very importantfor me because I meet with most
of our departments.
I meet with our developmentteam, I meet with our production
team.
On that, so I start building myweekly to-do list after I check
in with our directors and ourdepartments of, like, what's up
(09:10):
to date, what needs my review,because we have such a you know,
an amazing team and used to bethat I was the education
director or I was thedevelopment director.
Yeah, I was all these things.
So now they let me know whatneeds my approval.
There's a grant that now needsmy review, but I don't write the
grant anymore.
There's a curriculum that'sbeen written and needs my review
(09:30):
.
So really, mondays are veryimportant for me to settle in,
see what's in the docket, getupdates, and then on Tuesdays I
also meet with our owners repsfor the capital project.
So I get a lot of updates there.
But throughout the week itreally.
You know, this week, you know,like a couple of weeks ago, I
had to read a hundredsubmissions.
Or it took me like three weeksfor our playwrights unit.
(09:52):
We got tons of submissions.
Or our creative producers, likehere's your deadline, here you
go, you have 50 plays to read,and I was like, oh my God, I
need to create space for that.
So, finding buckets of time todo all of these different things
and then create space for, youknow, on Tuesdays I approve
payroll, I approve all of ourinvoices, I approve everything
(10:13):
that needs to be paid out withour finance team.
So it's a mix of things.
And, of course, this capitalproject takes up not just
Tuesdays.
It's like every day.
So many things come throughworking with the city, working
with developers, and that'sdefinitely takes precedent.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
So managing my time as much as I can, yeah, and even
thinking about just that right,like all of the things that
you're doing and I'm thinkingback to a few years ago, having
the foresight to respond to anRFP, thinking about the future
of PTP, right, so you were notonly doing all the things that
you're saying now, but thinkingabout a future permanent home
and finding an opportunitywithin an RFP, a request for a
(10:51):
proposal, figuring out thepartners to work with, and can
you talk to me about thatprocess, because I feel like
that's something that, as anexecutive director, not everyone
is thinking about potentially,like finding a new home or a
permanent home and like that's.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You know that's a lot of foresight that it takes,
yeah, and I think even theprocess of applying was, you
know, almost two years, becauseby the time it came out and
there was also COVID in the mix.
But even getting ready, like wemet with the board first to be
like, like we this is why wethink we can do this, or we
should do this, and reallythinking, as you said, a
foresight, because where we werethen I knew was not where we
(11:30):
needed to be in order to run it,but I knew there was going to
be time.
So even when we applied, ourfull-time staff was four or five
.
We're now nine.
Next year we're hiring on fourmore.
So we, by the because we willwe need to now start building
new positions that we don't neednow, right, a technical
director, an operations director, a rentals manager, right,
things that we don't needbecause we don't have a space
now we know we will need.
So what we did was we did afive-year plan.
(11:50):
We really planned ahead.
I started having conversationwith funders that were not
funding us yet, but telling thestory, telling the impact of
where we were going, and somereally joined on and really
invested in the capacitybuilding of us as an
organization.
We also worked with someconsultants to do like a
business plan.
For once, we open the space, sowe have a very clear plan of
(12:12):
what the costs will be.
So we invested in that and doit in that time to do that work.
So we really have a clear idea,which has been effective in the
fundraising, to say, look, weknow, this is how much we're
going to ramp up.
We're going to be a $3 millionorganization.
We're going to have thesepositions.
A lot of that will be offset bythe rentals that we will be
(12:33):
doing.
This is how we're going tosustain the company, the
organization.
The real estate PTP will ownthis.
We've been working very closelywith our lawyers for our condo
docs and making sure that wehave a very good deal we won't
have a mortgage, thank condodocks and making sure that we
have a very good, a good deal.
We won't have a mortgage, thankgoodness, thanks to New York
City being able to do this andso it really has put us in a
place of kind of slow and steady, although not that slow,
(12:53):
because we really have almostdoubled in size in the last like
five years.
We have doubled in size in thelast five years and we'll double
again in the next two, but weknow that at that point we will
be at a place of sustainabilityright Of now, growing just you
know what we grow every yearwith inflations and things, but
not really.
My intention is not for us tocontinue to be this mammoth
(13:15):
thing, but just to be what weneed to be in order to serve the
community, in order to do thework well and you know, that's
how we've been able to raise $33million, which has been amazing
, and we have the last five togo now from the private sector.
We've raised two already fromthe private sector and that'll
be for our reserves.
We know we need that in there.
We know we need a bucket forspace subsidies.
(13:37):
So we are reaching out topartners and inviting them and I
think part of it is saying hey,you want to be part of this.
You know, go into part ofsaying that.
So it's been very exciting forus to kind of do that work and,
trusting that I know that thework is important, the project
is exciting and the funding willcome, the partners will come,
who'll want to be part of it?
And I think I just knew backthen, even though we were
(13:59):
nowhere near able to do it, thatit was the right, as you said.
It was the right, as you said,it was the right project for us
and it was the right way to doit.
We've been I mean, I've beenwanting to open a theater in
washington heights, like uptown,for 15, I mean, since I moved
to the neighborhood 20 years agolike there isn't one.
Why not?
We're such creative, amazing,you know.
We're such a creative, vibrantcommunity.
We have so many stories to tell.
(14:21):
Right when ptb started, we wentout to the streets, spoke to
over 100 people when was thelast time you saw a play?
We asked them two questionswhen was the last time you saw a
play?
Would you like to be in a play?
Tell your story with people'stheater projects.
For the first one, over 95% ofpeople said bueno, like the
nativity play at church, ornever.
For the second one, 98% ofpeople said we have so much
(14:48):
talent, not only those thatactively work on Broadway.
We have so many people uptownwho do work in the commercial
theater scene, in the, you know,for-profit theater scene,
non-profit theater scene,off-broadway on Broadway, but
also, just, you know, ourabuelas and our tias and our
deli workers and teachers andsocial workers.
We also have stories.
(15:08):
So I knew that I wanted theater, and teachers and social
workers we also have stories.
So I knew that I wanted theater.
And over the years before thisRFP came out, I mean we saw
abandoned, we saw churches, wesaw basements, like it was
always like trying, could thisbe it?
But it wasn't, it was neverquite the right project.
And then, when this came out,we're like this is it?
You know this makes it.
It came with $15 million thathelped us kind of catapult it.
So, being able to do that, newYork City and the formal council
(15:32):
member put that forward who'snow Commissioner of
Transportation, commissioner ofRodriguez, the fact that that
was part of the neighborhoodproject and I think was just
made it so that a smallnonprofit would have the
opportunity to apply and we didit in partnership with 21
nonprofits, groups in thecommunity, who we met with and
(15:54):
organized with, and they're likeyou have to do this.
So we leaned into our power,into our value of bravery,
because we were being brave, andthen, after two years and a lot
of interviews and moreamendments and addendums, we got
it and it's been a journey.
It's been three years sincethat day.
It's been amazing.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
In the last 15 years of leading this organization,
what are you most proud of?
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I'm proud of so many things, but I think I'm most
proud of the people that make upPeople's Theater Project, and
that's not only the young peoplethat we've worked with, who,
many of them, I have now hiredas full-time staff.
Our board chair was my firststudent.
She was 10 years old when I mether.
She is now 26, working at aFortune 500 firm in Hudson Yards
(16:37):
.
And so I think the people thatwe have impacted, and also the
people who work and make thiswork happen every day I mean I'm
very lucky to work withpassionate individuals, to have
been able to create space tobuild careers for individuals
within the organization, wheresome this was their first kind
of full-time job, you know, sixyears ago and have really grown
(17:00):
into their own work and haveexpanded the work are so
committed to our community, tothe immigrant community, to
young people, you know, thosewho work in education.
So I mean that's the thing I'mmost proud of both the
participants and and our team.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Of all the hats that you wear, what's your favorite
part of your role?
And then what's the mostchallenging part of the role?
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I think the favorite is when I get to do the artistic
work and the advocacy work, forsure.
But the artistic work getting tobe in a rehearsal room
directing I did it last year forthe first time in quite a few
years and I'm doing it this yearagain because there was so much
joy that I got.
Even though it takes up a lot oftime and it means I'm working
(17:42):
overtime, because I'm then stillhaving to do all the admin work
in the evenings or in the day,depending on the schedule, is
it's worth it, like it fills me.
So I realized last year, afternot having done it for about
four years, to create spacewithin my year, right A month,
where I can do that is important.
So that definitely brings me somuch joy.
I remember once hearingLin-Manuel Miranda and the
(18:03):
amazing Miranda family who welove, say that when he was
playing Hamilton, just being anactor in those whatever you know
brilliant play, but like justbeing an artist in one form,
there's such like.
It's like not the easiest partof the day I think I forget how
he said it, but for me being inthe rehearsal was like not all
the other million things I'mdoing, just working with actors
(18:26):
right here, right now, to tellone story is so beautiful, so
that's definitely the one thatbrings me the most joy.
I would say I can't just chooseone, so the other one is being
with our kids, being with theyoung people doing advocacy One
of the things even though I'mnot in the classroom anymore, I
still engage with our youngpeople doing advocacy work.
(18:46):
So I work with Leticia Cortez,who's our youth and family
advocate, and we take our youngpeople to Albany and we take our
young people to rallies and youknow we have them do lobby days
and speak with electedofficials and I've built these
relationships over 15 years withelected officials and it brings
me so much joy to be able to,you know, say this is Brianna,
(19:08):
brianna, talk to Senator GustavoRivera, talk to Senator Jackson
, talk to Assemblyman Manny delos Santos, and they're able to
speak so beautifully andpowerfully because theater does
that.
We're able to communicate, wecan speak, we know how to do
that and I remember when wefirst did that many years ago,
some of the elected officialswould be like wow, but they're
amazing, how much have they done?
(19:30):
It's like they've never done it.
But they are actors.
Our work is about them tellingtheir own stories and how to
speak about themselves.
And there's, you know, wealways say theater and
storytelling is the first thingwe need to do to change hearts
before we change policy.
If you hear directly from thosewho are impacted, so that
brings me a lot of joy too.
The most challenging right youimpacted so that brings me a lot
(19:52):
of joy too.
The most challenging, right?
You asked me the mostchallenging Time management.
Time management I can't, it'shard.
That is the most challenging.
How do I fit it all in?
And then I'm also a mother, soa lot of my work happens outside
of regular office hours, right.
If there's a dinner, if there'sa gala, if there's a coffee, if
there are drinks there are alot of weekend things.
So it's also finding thebalance with life and work,
(20:16):
right.
So I've been able over the lastfew years to create spaces for
that and know that if I worklate I can come in later the
next day and I take Fridayafternoons with my kids and I
limit how many evening events aweek I do.
There are some busier times ofthe year, but I think the
balance and I think any otherexecutive director will tell you
(20:36):
that too time management andbalance is the most challenging
that I struggle with, for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
That makes a lot of sense and I think it's
interesting, because I thinkyou've been able to find this
interesting way to channel yourcreativity and channel all of
the things that fuel you abouttheater through this
organization.
So in a way that you're notnecessarily in every play and
you're not necessarily in everyproduction, but you are able to
see them come to life andprovide the resources that they
(21:02):
need to come to life and thesupport and the staffing and the
everything, and I just am inawe, right, because what you're
doing is you're reallybroadening your impact in ways
that it's not inherent, thatyou're an artist and now going
to run a nonprofit right, likethose are not necessarily the
(21:34):
same transferable skills, butyou've been able to do it like
really gracefully.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Thank you and it's true, I mean it definitely, like
in the years, as we'vecontinued to like, build and
grow like, okay, literarymanager, you know, playwright,
what do you want to do?
And that definitely has been athing.
Like a producer, right, I'm atheater producer, which I'm not
in the room all the time.
I'm not, you know, we haveother but, like, I know that we
are creating a space for art toflourish and that is and we've,
(21:59):
like every time an artist comesto me, people who know of me or
know what people feel, like PTPmeans so much.
I know it's a home for me as aLatino artist, as a Dominican
artist, right, as a, as a Latinoartist, as a Dominican artist,
right, as an immigrant, right,we have immigrants from all over
.
We started Claro, pretty Latinouptown, and we'll always be core
Dominican and Latinos, but havebroadened.
(22:20):
You know when, eight years ago,we're, like you know, we are
immigrant serving, we're reallybuilding that into the mission
and we have artists from Ugandaand Korea and China, our
creative producers from China,our development director,
japanese and El Salvador, andyou know.
So it's really beautiful to seethat diversity.
And, like someone from Ugandawould be like Nino, ptp existing
(22:42):
means so much to me, you know,as an artist, and that means a
lot to me to know that we arecreating a space, as you said,
where it's like so much biggerthan I could have done just
maybe in that if I would havestayed as just an individual.
So I'm very grateful for that.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
You know I'm very big on people can do well and do
good at the same time.
As an executive director ofnonprofit, which you founded
right, Can people make a decentliving doing this type of work,
or are they bound to be superpoor because it's nonprofit?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
and that's just the way that it is.
We have to keep channeling Imean championing and pushing the
sector a hundred percent and wecan't do this alone.
So one of the things that I'llsay is I mean, we have actively
been as a nonprofit and togetherwith our board and our
leadership team, pushingsalaries.
You're continuing to grow thatand I think there is a movement
(23:37):
to do that there.
You know, the nonprofitindustrial complex is a thing
that's you know, is a term andis real right.
There's this expectation thatbecause you're doing good, you
shouldn't be able to live good,and that is a fallacy.
We all work really hard justbecause we're passionate about
it.
So I'm very proud of the workwe've done to really do our
(23:58):
wages and increase our wages,and where we are now.
And I would say you don't haveto, we don't have to buy into
that.
I think the sector will pushyou to say it's just nonprofit,
but we need to continue to pushit.
And our team has been pushingus and I am grateful for that
because I believe in that.
And then we've been pushing ourboard and other, you know,
other nonprofits are continuingto do that and I think if we all
(24:20):
come to.
I mean, I am an organizer, soif we advocate together we can
elevate together, because thework we are a company, we don't
have an owner right.
So that's that should even be athing that I think for other
people who are looking to startnonprofits, work in nonprofits,
especially for founders orexecutive directors, it's like
you know, if I would havestarted a for-profit, you know I
(24:41):
would get stuff.
At the end of this I getnothing, I get a salary, that's
it Right.
And so that's why it's soimportant to make sure that
these salaries are equitable andour compensation packages and
our benefits are reallywonderful and we give them tons
of PTO time right, like Europestandards right Weeks and weeks
and weeks right, because we knowthat it's a work-life balance
(25:03):
and we believe we all deserve it.
So even if at the beginningwages are not where they should
have been, where they have to be, then there's other ways we can
complement right.
So our packages of what we do,you know we do six weeks right,
a vacation, we do, you know, forall the other things that are
more standard.
But really creating space foremployees to have that balance
(25:27):
is a way to do it.
So I think you can.
I think the world needsnonprofits.
Government can't do it alone.
For-profit companies can't doit alone.
They do good work too, but Ithink there is such an important
place, especially in New YorkCity, for nonprofit
organizations to be pushingforward equitable living and
justice for our communities, andso we need the sector to come
(25:49):
on up to raise those salaries sothat we can all continue to do
this work.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Yeah, absolutely, and you mentioned earlier, you
started this without a salaryright and now you've been able
to grow it.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
I have three other jobs, yeah, at the beginning,
but I think that's the thing forany startup right, you start
and you're like figure it out,but if you're committed to your
mission, you have your clearvision of where you're going.
You have the right team right,a co-founder with my partner
who's still in the organizationmanaging director, and like
having that core group whoeverthat is is so important as
(26:21):
you're building something.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Is this what you always wanted to do for a living
?
Like I know when you, when youwere speaking earlier, it
sounded like direct acting orproduction of plays was more of
your driver.
But like, when did that startfor you?
Speaker 1 (26:33):
You know, I feel like my mom would say like of course
this is what you were going todo.
You know, like I definitely putup a theater camp for my
cousins when I was 10 andorganized curriculum and did all
the things that we did shows.
So at one point I do think thatthis was my purpose and what I
was always going to do.
And my mom has a company in DRand, like you know, like I think
(26:56):
what I saw, she worked togetherwith with, with my dad, and is
a designer.
So it's our in the art space.
But there was a moment in myearly twenties where I was like
I want to act and I want todirect.
But I'm glad that I did that,for because I learned so much in
that space, right, but I dothink that I never thought like
I was going to be executiveartistic director.
(27:16):
You know, like I didn't know itwas going to be what it is
today, or that PTP exactly wouldbe this.
But I think, creating a spacewhere artists can work, where
young people can thrive and becentered, where advocacy, where
working collaborative and andkind of running things, creating
things I do kind of feel likethat's where I was meant to be.
(27:38):
And now, at 43, I can say yes,this, this was it.
In hindsight, I was like I knewthat when I was seven probably,
I did a program in college.
I built a whole program incollege too.
So it's like I think it waslike part of me to be like okay,
this is something that needswork, that needs fixing or needs
happening.
Let's build something.
Work together.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
And you were born and raised in Dominican Republic.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Born and raised in DR in Santo Domingo.
I came here because I got ascholarship and went to college.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
And even at that age you knew like I'm going to go
into theater and study.
Was it theater that youactually studied, or what was
your actual I?
Speaker 1 (28:15):
did.
I did so.
I was actually studying incollege there to be education
and philosophy I was doing in DR.
And then I saw I didn't.
At that point I did not know Iwas going to do theater at all
because it wasn't something Igrew up.
I grew up doing some theaterbut, like in DR, back then in
the 80s and 90s, there was not abig theater scene.
That was not a thing thatyou're like I'm gonna be an
(28:37):
actor, that's not a thing.
Now it's changing and there'sdefinitely Bella Sarpies has an
amazing theater school, but backthen in 1998, it wasn't it
really.
It was like wasn't a career,right?
Um, so I was gonna be a teacher.
And then there was the firstinternational theater festival
in DR in 1998 and 1999.
(28:58):
And it changed my life andthere were companies from Chile,
from Spain, from Cuba, fromColombia, from Mexico and I was
like, wait, you all live andtour the world doing theater.
Like what is this?
This is a thing.
I never met that or seen that.
So at that point I dropped outof college.
I was still working during theday as a theater, as a teacher,
(29:21):
not theater as a teacher, firstgrade teacher assistant.
I was doing college, which isvery common there in the
evenings.
But I instead started doingtheater and street theater while
I applied for schools.
So I applied too, and this isbefore online applications.
There was no such thing.
The internet existed I'm notthat old, but it was not online
applications.
It was all like printing outpackets and da, da, da da, and
(29:44):
at the end I didn't think I wasgoing to come to the US.
I really didn't.
But it ended up being where Iwas able to get the most support
financially and it was closerthan South America and my
parents were freaking out for meto go too far.
So it ended up being you know,there are daily flights to New
York from DR.
(30:05):
That New York was the placewhere I ended up, and it was.
You know, life works in waysthat you sometimes don't know.
I never thought I would come tothe U?
S and it's definitely is thehome where I should have been
and where I was able to build,you know, people's theater
projects, so very grateful.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Wow, and this is, you know, just the exposure of
attending a festival and likehow that can change your entire
trajectory.
Like I love that.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
My entire trajectory.
It was literally I neverthought theater was a career.
And then suddenly it was likeboom, study theater and all that
.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
And now you're providing that exposure to
others.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
I love it.
That's great.
Are there any forms of mediathat could be books, podcasts,
anything that you've consumed orread or anything that has
shaped you personally orprofessionally?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
I'm sorry that I didn't think of this.
It's so funny because, as yousay, this one of the things that
I've been devouring many booksrecently and it has been like
the nourishing and many plays,but it hasn't really been around
my career because part of it isletting go of that, because
(31:11):
part of it is letting go of that, like creating space to just
nurture my art has been verygood for me, creating that kind
of that balance.
So there's a couple of authorsthat I love Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie is one of them,esmeralda Santiago and there's
another author there.
Of course it's terrible thatI'm not remembering, since I've
read four of her books this year.
First name Rachel I will getback to you so you can put it
(31:34):
when this podcast is posted butit's an author who writes about
love, all kinds of love, lovebetween friends and sisters.
I recently lost my father andthere was love between an
ancestor and self and it's justbeen very nourishing to just see
all the different spaces wherelove can exist and nurture and
relationship building.
(31:55):
And I think, in a way, kind ofthis work is about relationship
building.
No nonprofit, no individual, noartist can exist without
building relationships and therelationships that I have today
with you know elected officialsstarted when they were interns
15 years ago, you know, orstaffers, so it's been, you know
(32:17):
, in a way not directly, I'm notreading about careers, but I'm
really about the importance ofrelationships and love and
centering love and joy, and itjust Rebecca Searle, that's her
name, rebecca Searle, and I'veread four of her books this year
and it's just been like and Icry and I laugh and that kind of
(32:38):
gives me that, okay, let's goand cry and laugh together about
the world, about the work youknow.
So those three authors and not Ilove fiction, I mean, I'm an
artist.
What can I say?
Speaker 2 (32:48):
that's great.
Are there any plays that you'vewatched that you think folks
should go check out?
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I've seen so many shows recently.
I'm so I love theater.
People should definitely go seelive theater.
I think it's closing, but justlast week I saw Stereophonic on
Broadway and it's still on.
I don't know when it closes,but it was so good.
It was such a wonderful play.
It started in the off-Broadwayscene and you get a glimpse into
(33:18):
a recording, like a band makingmusic in the 70s, and it really
feels like a glimpse intosomething that you don't, we
wouldn't as regular people whoare not a band from the 70s and
I love Fleetwood Mac and thatwas part of the inspiration.
But it was so well done, theacting was so beautiful, and
then you get to see the bits andpieces of them recording and
(33:39):
the actors who are actors someof them used to be musicians.
I mean, some of them kind ofplayed an instrument.
Most of them didn't have tolearn how to play an instrument.
All they know is how to playthose songs, but they actually
record in an album.
So, like in the play, you'renot going to hear the whole song
, you're going to see the bitsof how you build music and the
disasters that come.
And it was just so cool.
It was like I didn't know.
(34:00):
You layer things, you just dovocals and then you do the, but
then actually after you candownload and hear the whole
album.
It's like oh my god, that wasthe moment in that scene when
she was having a mentalbreakdown, or that was that.
So it's like so beautiful thatthe play even continues beyond.
And the piece is also aboutwhen you are you ready to give
up on your career and this istoo hard, right?
(34:21):
That's what it deals about.
So I loved it, Highly recommendit, and that's the one that's
front and center for me now.
But anything at Perigones,definitely come see People's
Theater Project.
We have a reading coming up,Domino Effect at New York
Theater Workshop and then at ArtNew York next spring.
But yeah, check out whatOff-Broadway is doing, Check out
what your local communitygroups are doing.
(34:43):
That's where the real work youknow is happening.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
National Black Theater I'm a big fan of their
work in Harlem, so yeah, how canpeople work with, participate
in support, partner all thethings with People Theaters
Project?
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Yeah.
So there's a few ways to dothat.
We have so many kind of entrypoints, of collaboration.
We are in a place of growth andexpansion.
We want to meet new people, wewant to meet new companies, we
want to have people join ourteam.
So the first way is, like, goto our website and sign up for
our mailing list.
Get to know what we're doing.
Come see a show.
A lot of our work is free,because that's the point, right.
(35:19):
That initial thesis of makingtheater accessible is still
holds true, right?
So we have a free stage readingof a brand new work that will
be a world premiere of Broadwayproduction in the spring.
That's happening in a couple ofweeks.
Tickets just went out, they'refree.
We have a festival of new worksuptown happening in December.
Like, come to that.
(35:39):
We have a community fundraiser.
That is a party, a big partyuptown that's happening in
November.
Come to that, get a drink andsupport a nonprofit.
So I think, attending, comingto be an audience member and
also, if you want to volunteerwe are always looking for ushers
or people to come and volunteerwith our young people as well.
We have our Palante workshop.
So you're someone who is aprofessional in the field and
(36:02):
you're a person of color, you'rea Latino.
We want our young people toknow, to hear you talk, to tell
them about all the differentcareer paths we do that in
October.
Tell them about financialmanagement, whatever it is.
We have so many differentpockets so we can connect you to
our education team there.
And, of course, if you want todonate, if you want to support
our scholarships, all of ourprograms are free to students.
We don't charge tuition.
(36:23):
We fundraise for it so thatthey don't have to pay.
So we're definitely looking forpartners, both for our capital
project this is.
You know someone who works at acompany and they want their
name somewhere.
Contact me, meino, at People'sTheater Project, and we'll make
that happen.
So, yeah, there's so manydifferent ways to get involved,
(36:45):
both as an audience, as anartist.
If you want to act with us,like and the best way is go to
our website, find us, follow uson social People's Theater
Project on Instagram andFacebook, and we'll reach out
and find a way.
It's all about collaboration.
I love it.
I rarely say no, which my teamdoesn't love, because then I
create more work, but it'sreally about building and
creating spaces, and that cancontinue forever and in so many
(37:06):
ways.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Is there anything we haven't discussed today that the
world should know about Meno?
Speaker 1 (37:11):
I don't think so.
I think we did pretty good.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I think so.
I think we covered a lot Um anddefinitely about the Genesis
and the growth of people'stheaters, project Um, and even
what sparked the idea to get tothis point.
So you know, I appreciate youtaking the time to come on today
and to and to speak with us.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Thank you so much.
This was great and I reallyappreciate the invitation.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
If you did and believe on themission we're on, please like,
rate and subscribe to thispodcast on whatever platform
you're using, and share thispodcast with your friends and
your networks.
Make sure you follow us onInstagram and LinkedIn at Career
Cheat Code and tell us peopleor careers you would like to see
highlighted.
See you next week with somemore cheat codes.
Peace.
the funding will come , the partners will come, who'll
want to be part of it?
And I think I just knew backthen, even though we were
nowhere near able to do it, thatit was the right, as you said,
it was the right project for usand it was the right way to do
it.
We've been I mean, I've beenwanting to open a theater in
Washington Heights, like uptownfor 15, I mean since I moved to
the neighborhood 20 years agolike there isn't one.
Why not?
(00:21):
We're such creative, amazing.
We're such a creative, vibrantcommunity.
We have so many stories to tell.
Right, when PTB started, wewent out to the streets, spoke
to over 100 people.
When was the last time you sawa play?
We asked them two questionswhen was the last time you saw a
play?
Would you like to be in a play,tell your story with people's
feet or brush?
For the first one, over 95% ofpeople said bueno, like the
(00:44):
nativity play at church, ornever.
For the second one, 98% ofpeople said claro, tell me when
I'll be there.
We're like.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Welcome to Career Cheat Code.
In this podcast, you'll hearhow everyday people impact the
world through their careers.
Learn about their journey,career hacks and obstacles along
the way.
Whether you're already havingthe impact you want or are
searching for it, this is thepodcast for you.
All right, mino, welcome to theshow.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
Super happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, I'm excited to have you.
I know you are someone that hasan illustrious career and I
just want to dive right in andtell the world what it is you do
for a living.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Thank you.
I am the Executive ArtisticDirector of People's Theater
Project.
People's Theater Project, ptp,is a theater and social justice
organization.
We create theater with and forthe immigrant community of New
York City.
We are based uptown inWashington Heights, and what I
do in my work is a lot of things.
As executive artistic directorright With my artistic director
(01:41):
title I oversee all of ourproductions At PTP.
We do professional productionswith immigrant artists, we do
ensemble-based work.
I work with our creativeproducer.
We hire a lot of artists andwork with them to help cultivate
new works of theater that tellour stories as Latinos, as
immigrants.
We also do communityproductions with everyday New
Yorkers, and that's always a joyto do that.
(02:03):
And then we cultivate new workwith emerging playwrights as
well with our playwrights unit.
So I oversee all of that.
I look at our partners.
I find partners, co-producers,and we built that and that's
super exciting.
And sometimes I get to directplays as well, which is great,
because that was my originaltraining and then I also.
We do a lot of work withimmigrants.
When we say immigrants, we alsoreally put emphasis on our
(02:24):
young people.
So we have a robust educationprogram and I work closely with
our education team as we buildcurriculum, as we create new
programs, as we do our programs,our Academy for Theater
Leadership and Activism, as wellas our partnership with schools
and community centers acrossUptown, the Bronx and New York
City.
And then, finally, advocacy wedo a lot of advocacy for
(02:44):
immigrant rights in at People'sTheater Project and I lead a lot
of that effort in my role asexecutive artistic director.
As part of I'm a member of NewYork State Council on the Arts
and as well as the Latinx ArtsConsortium of New York,
advocating for a more equitableculture sector.
And then other advisory boardswhere I sit as well New York
(03:07):
Immigration Coalition, reallyhelping to give input on policy
at the city, state and federallevel.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Wow, and how big is this organization?
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So we started volunteer-based 16 years ago.
This is our 16th season andright now we have full-time
staff of nine, part-time staffof about 15 to 20.
We're about, you know, $1.6million budget.
So we're the largest culturalperforming, the largest
performing art nonprofit inupper Manhattan, above Harlem,
which is really exciting, andyou know we're so grateful.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Absolutely.
You all have a great reputation.
You put on just remarkable workfor a long time now.
You founded this organizationon just remarkable work for a
long time now.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
You founded this organization.
Tell me about that process.
I did, I did.
Ptp was born as my thesisproject.
It was I was living as an actor.
I was doing teaching artistswork, teaching in schools in the
Bronx I was like in threemiddle schools in the Bronx and
I knew I wanted to kind of finda bridge between the work that I
was doing as an activist in thestreets and in the classrooms
with young people and then myprofessional theater work as a
(04:06):
theater director.
That started as an actor andthen transitioned to directing,
and I did a master's in peacestudies and conflict
transformation.
At that point I was already inNew York City, uptown from DR
and as part of my master'sprogram, not only was I going to
write a thesis but I wasexpected to kind of create an
action research project, and forme that was People's Theater
(04:26):
Project.
You know how do we create aculture of peace through the
arts, and I knew it was going tobe with immigrants.
I knew it was going to be in mycommunity and you know, mind
you, this is 2007, 2008, where awhile ago, where there was a
lot less, it's exciting to seethe renaissance uptown
(04:50):
Renaissance that's happened overthe last decade or so, but back
then there was very little whenit came to theater.
So we were very excited to bedoing that work with members of
our community, with professionalartists, in Spanish, in English
, and it's been a thrill to seeit grow since then.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Did you write your thesis knowing you wanted to
actually bring it to life, orwas it like a project that you
just had to do and you had tosubmit something?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I did not know.
I did not know.
I got into the program notknowing that that was the
requirement.
When I worked on the thesis, atthat point I knew that that was
what we had to do was a project, but the projects varied.
In the cohort of students I wasthe only one who did
arts-related stuff, so peopledid more research and policy
work and but at that moment Iknew that it had to be something
that I would create that way.
(05:29):
And it started as, like whathappens if we bring a production
, make it accessible so it wasfree and bring it uptown, and
then it continued to, and youhave four immigrants and and
then from there, you know, I hada cousin.
I have a cousin she's amazingIleana Garcia, ileana Mila
Garcia, who is a brilliantartist but also a graphic
designer and created a logo forPeople's Theater Project.
(05:50):
And then at the end of thethesis, I did great, but I
graduated and they're like well,we have a logo, what if we just
keep going?
And that's really you know howit started and it was, and from
there is what it is today.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Wow, and from there to full-time staff and part-time
staff and a new home forPeople's Theater Project.
Yes, can you talk about thatpart as well, because I know you
all are still in the process offully moving in, right?
But that new home is beingcompleted.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yes, and I forgot to mention that.
So thank you for saying that.
So a big part of my job now iswe are doing this large, huge
for me right Capital projects inNew York City.
We are building People'sTheater Project's first home,
the People's Theater CentroCultural Inmigrante.
It is scheduled to open in 2026.
We are in full construction.
We have a whole team architects, construction managers, project
(06:43):
managers, developers, owners,rep lawyers, like working very
closely with the city, with theEconomic Development Corporation
as well as DCLA on this.
But this will be a culturalspace multidisciplinary, so not
just theater really will be aplace for music and dance and
theater dedicated to theimmigrant community and it'll be
a home for immigrant artists,for local artists, for local
(07:10):
groups to be creating,developing and presenting work
that speaks to all of thecultures of New York City A home
for many of them, not just forPeople's Theater Project and our
own programming and producing.
And it's you know, it's agallery, art, gallery space as
well.
So all of that is happening.
The core and shell, as we callit, kind of the white box, is,
has been, is almost fully doneand then a couple of months we
start the fit out of the spaceto make it, you know, shiny and
(07:30):
brand new cultural center in newyork city.
It'll be the largest latinomanaged theater in the state of
new york, which is amazing yeah,that's awesome and that's you
know.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
That's through that process is where you and I
really connected, um, when I wasworking at the Economic
Development Corporation.
Since then, I've just been inawe of all of your work, right,
like you've mentioned, basicallylike six different roles that
you have right now within thisone company.
Right, like you're fundraising,you're managing a capital
project, you're managing staff,you're producing plays, like
(08:00):
you're actually like putting onproductions and like all of this
is, it seems to be like justpart of the role.
Right, but talk to me aboutwhat this looks like.
When you walk in on a Monday,how do you figure out what the
heck you're doing for the week?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So that's a great question and it's so funny
because I think in my position Ilove that question and it
changes.
That's the thing, right.
Every week can look verydifferent for me in my role.
You know, if it's a week thatis heavy on government,
community relations, governmentrelations, I am out a lot.
I'm out a lot having meetings,going down to City Hall, going
(08:35):
to Albany, really meeting withelected officials talking about
the push that needs to happenaround the arts sector, around
PTP, the programming, so someweeks look like that.
But Mondays are very importantfor me because I meet with most
of our departments.
I meet with our developmentteam, I meet with our production
team.
On that, so I start building myweekly to-do list after I check
in with our directors and ourdepartments of, like, what's up
(09:10):
to date, what needs my review,because we have such a you know,
an amazing team and used to bethat I was the education
director or I was thedevelopment director.
Yeah, I was all these things.
So now they let me know whatneeds my approval.
There's a grant that now needsmy review, but I don't write the
grant anymore.
There's a curriculum that'sbeen written and needs my review
(09:30):
.
So really, mondays are veryimportant for me to settle in,
see what's in the docket, getupdates, and then on Tuesdays I
also meet with our owners repsfor the capital project.
So I get a lot of updates there.
But throughout the week itreally.
You know, this week, you know,like a couple of weeks ago, I
had to read a hundredsubmissions.
Or it took me like three weeksfor our playwrights unit.
(09:52):
We got tons of submissions.
Or our creative producers, likehere's your deadline, here you
go, you have 50 plays to read,and I was like, oh my God, I
need to create space for that.
So, finding buckets of time todo all of these different things
and then create space for, youknow, on Tuesdays I approve
payroll, I approve all of ourinvoices, I approve everything
(10:13):
that needs to be paid out withour finance team.
So it's a mix of things.
And, of course, this capitalproject takes up not just
Tuesdays.
It's like every day.
So many things come throughworking with the city, working
with developers, and that'sdefinitely takes precedent.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
So managing my time as much as I can, yeah, and even
thinking about just that right,like all of the things that
you're doing and I'm thinkingback to a few years ago, having
the foresight to respond to anRFP, thinking about the future
of PTP, right, so you were notonly doing all the things that
you're saying now, but thinkingabout a future permanent home
and finding an opportunitywithin an RFP, a request for a
(10:51):
proposal, figuring out thepartners to work with, and can
you talk to me about thatprocess, because I feel like
that's something that, as anexecutive director, not everyone
is thinking about potentially,like finding a new home or a
permanent home and like that's.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You know that's a lot of foresight that it takes,
yeah, and I think even theprocess of applying was, you
know, almost two years, becauseby the time it came out and
there was also COVID in the mix.
But even getting ready, like wemet with the board first to be
like, like we this is why wethink we can do this, or we
should do this, and reallythinking, as you said, a
foresight, because where we werethen I knew was not where we
(11:30):
needed to be in order to run it,but I knew there was going to
be time.
So even when we applied, ourfull-time staff was four or five
.
We're now nine.
Next year we're hiring on fourmore.
So we, by the because we willwe need to now start building
new positions that we don't neednow, right, a technical
director, an operations director, a rentals manager, right,
things that we don't needbecause we don't have a space
now we know we will need.
So what we did was we did afive-year plan.
(11:50):
We really planned ahead.
I started having conversationwith funders that were not
funding us yet, but telling thestory, telling the impact of
where we were going, and somereally joined on and really
invested in the capacitybuilding of us as an
organization.
We also worked with someconsultants to do like a
business plan.
For once, we open the space, sowe have a very clear plan of
(12:12):
what the costs will be.
So we invested in that and doit in that time to do that work.
So we really have a clear idea,which has been effective in the
fundraising, to say, look, weknow, this is how much we're
going to ramp up.
We're going to be a $3 millionorganization.
We're going to have thesepositions.
A lot of that will be offset bythe rentals that we will be
(12:33):
doing.
This is how we're going tosustain the company, the
organization.
The real estate PTP will ownthis.
We've been working very closelywith our lawyers for our condo
docs and making sure that wehave a very good deal we won't
have a mortgage, thank condodocks and making sure that we
have a very good, a good deal.
We won't have a mortgage, thankgoodness, thanks to New York
City being able to do this andso it really has put us in a
place of kind of slow and steady, although not that slow,
(12:53):
because we really have almostdoubled in size in the last like
five years.
We have doubled in size in thelast five years and we'll double
again in the next two, but weknow that at that point we will
be at a place of sustainabilityright Of now, growing just you
know what we grow every yearwith inflations and things, but
not really.
My intention is not for us tocontinue to be this mammoth
(13:15):
thing, but just to be what weneed to be in order to serve the
community, in order to do thework well and you know, that's
how we've been able to raise $33million, which has been amazing
, and we have the last five togo now from the private sector.
We've raised two already fromthe private sector and that'll
be for our reserves.
We know we need that in there.
We know we need a bucket forspace subsidies.
(13:37):
So we are reaching out topartners and inviting them and I
think part of it is saying hey,you want to be part of this.
You know, go into part ofsaying that.
So it's been very exciting forus to kind of do that work and,
trusting that I know that thework is important, the project
is exciting and the funding willcome, the partners will come,
who'll want to be part of it?
And I think I just knew backthen, even though we were
(13:59):
nowhere near able to do it, thatit was the right, as you said.
It was the right, as you said,it was the right project for us
and it was the right way to doit.
We've been I mean, I've beenwanting to open a theater in
washington heights, like uptown,for 15, I mean, since I moved
to the neighborhood 20 years agolike there isn't one.
Why not?
We're such creative, amazing,you know.
We're such a creative, vibrantcommunity.
We have so many stories to tell.
(14:21):
Right when ptb started, we wentout to the streets, spoke to
over 100 people when was thelast time you saw a play?
We asked them two questionswhen was the last time you saw a
play?
Would you like to be in a play?
Tell your story with people'stheater projects.
For the first one, over 95% ofpeople said bueno, like the
nativity play at church, ornever.
For the second one, 98% ofpeople said we have so much
(14:48):
talent, not only those thatactively work on Broadway.
We have so many people uptownwho do work in the commercial
theater scene, in the, you know,for-profit theater scene,
non-profit theater scene,off-broadway on Broadway, but
also, just, you know, ourabuelas and our tias and our
deli workers and teachers andsocial workers.
We also have stories.
(15:08):
So I knew that I wanted theater, and teachers and social
workers we also have stories.
So I knew that I wanted theater.
And over the years before thisRFP came out, I mean we saw
abandoned, we saw churches, wesaw basements, like it was
always like trying, could thisbe it?
But it wasn't, it was neverquite the right project.
And then, when this came out,we're like this is it?
You know this makes it.
It came with $15 million thathelped us kind of catapult it.
So, being able to do that, newYork City and the formal council
(15:32):
member put that forward who'snow Commissioner of
Transportation, commissioner ofRodriguez, the fact that that
was part of the neighborhoodproject and I think was just
made it so that a smallnonprofit would have the
opportunity to apply and we didit in partnership with 21
nonprofits, groups in thecommunity, who we met with and
(15:54):
organized with, and they're likeyou have to do this.
So we leaned into our power,into our value of bravery,
because we were being brave, andthen, after two years and a lot
of interviews and moreamendments and addendums, we got
it and it's been a journey.
It's been three years sincethat day.
It's been amazing.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
In the last 15 years of leading this organization,
what are you most proud of?
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I'm proud of so many things, but I think I'm most
proud of the people that make upPeople's Theater Project, and
that's not only the young peoplethat we've worked with, who,
many of them, I have now hiredas full-time staff.
Our board chair was my firststudent.
She was 10 years old when I mether.
She is now 26, working at aFortune 500 firm in Hudson Yards
(16:37):
.
And so I think the people thatwe have impacted, and also the
people who work and make thiswork happen every day I mean I'm
very lucky to work withpassionate individuals, to have
been able to create space tobuild careers for individuals
within the organization, wheresome this was their first kind
of full-time job, you know, sixyears ago and have really grown
(17:00):
into their own work and haveexpanded the work are so
committed to our community, tothe immigrant community, to
young people, you know, thosewho work in education.
So I mean that's the thing I'mmost proud of both the
participants and and our team.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Of all the hats that you wear, what's your favorite
part of your role?
And then what's the mostchallenging part of the role?
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I think the favorite is when I get to do the artistic
work and the advocacy work, forsure.
But the artistic work getting tobe in a rehearsal room
directing I did it last year forthe first time in quite a few
years and I'm doing it this yearagain because there was so much
joy that I got.
Even though it takes up a lot oftime and it means I'm working
(17:42):
overtime, because I'm then stillhaving to do all the admin work
in the evenings or in the day,depending on the schedule, is
it's worth it, like it fills me.
So I realized last year, afternot having done it for about
four years, to create spacewithin my year, right A month,
where I can do that is important.
So that definitely brings me somuch joy.
I remember once hearingLin-Manuel Miranda and the
(18:03):
amazing Miranda family who welove, say that when he was
playing Hamilton, just being anactor in those whatever you know
brilliant play, but like justbeing an artist in one form,
there's such like.
It's like not the easiest partof the day I think I forget how
he said it, but for me being inthe rehearsal was like not all
the other million things I'mdoing, just working with actors
(18:26):
right here, right now, to tellone story is so beautiful, so
that's definitely the one thatbrings me the most joy.
I would say I can't just chooseone, so the other one is being
with our kids, being with theyoung people doing advocacy One
of the things even though I'mnot in the classroom anymore, I
still engage with our youngpeople doing advocacy work.
(18:46):
So I work with Leticia Cortez,who's our youth and family
advocate, and we take our youngpeople to Albany and we take our
young people to rallies and youknow we have them do lobby days
and speak with electedofficials and I've built these
relationships over 15 years withelected officials and it brings
me so much joy to be able to,you know, say this is Brianna,
(19:08):
brianna, talk to Senator GustavoRivera, talk to Senator Jackson
, talk to Assemblyman Manny delos Santos, and they're able to
speak so beautifully andpowerfully because theater does
that.
We're able to communicate, wecan speak, we know how to do
that and I remember when wefirst did that many years ago,
some of the elected officialswould be like wow, but they're
amazing, how much have they done?
(19:30):
It's like they've never done it.
But they are actors.
Our work is about them tellingtheir own stories and how to
speak about themselves.
And there's, you know, wealways say theater and
storytelling is the first thingwe need to do to change hearts
before we change policy.
If you hear directly from thosewho are impacted, so that
brings me a lot of joy too.
The most challenging right youimpacted so that brings me a lot
(19:52):
of joy too.
The most challenging, right?
You asked me the mostchallenging Time management.
Time management I can't, it'shard.
That is the most challenging.
How do I fit it all in?
And then I'm also a mother, soa lot of my work happens outside
of regular office hours, right.
If there's a dinner, if there'sa gala, if there's a coffee, if
there are drinks there are alot of weekend things.
So it's also finding thebalance with life and work,
(20:16):
right.
So I've been able over the lastfew years to create spaces for
that and know that if I worklate I can come in later the
next day and I take Fridayafternoons with my kids and I
limit how many evening events aweek I do.
There are some busier times ofthe year, but I think the
balance and I think any otherexecutive director will tell you
(20:36):
that too time management andbalance is the most challenging
that I struggle with, for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
That makes a lot of sense and I think it's
interesting, because I thinkyou've been able to find this
interesting way to channel yourcreativity and channel all of
the things that fuel you abouttheater through this
organization.
So in a way that you're notnecessarily in every play and
you're not necessarily in everyproduction, but you are able to
see them come to life andprovide the resources that they
(21:02):
need to come to life and thesupport and the staffing and the
everything, and I just am inawe, right, because what you're
doing is you're reallybroadening your impact in ways
that it's not inherent, thatyou're an artist and now going
to run a nonprofit right, likethose are not necessarily the
(21:34):
same transferable skills, butyou've been able to do it like
really gracefully.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Thank you and it's true, I mean it definitely, like
in the years, as we'vecontinued to like, build and
grow like, okay, literarymanager, you know, playwright,
what do you want to do?
And that definitely has been athing.
Like a producer, right, I'm atheater producer, which I'm not
in the room all the time.
I'm not, you know, we haveother but, like, I know that we
are creating a space for art toflourish and that is and we've,
(21:59):
like every time an artist comesto me, people who know of me or
know what people feel, like PTPmeans so much.
I know it's a home for me as aLatino artist, as a Dominican
artist, right, as a, as a Latinoartist, as a Dominican artist,
right, as an immigrant, right,we have immigrants from all over
.
We started Claro, pretty Latinouptown, and we'll always be core
Dominican and Latinos, but havebroadened.
(22:20):
You know when, eight years ago,we're, like you know, we are
immigrant serving, we're reallybuilding that into the mission
and we have artists from Ugandaand Korea and China, our
creative producers from China,our development director,
japanese and El Salvador, andyou know.
So it's really beautiful to seethat diversity.
And, like someone from Ugandawould be like Nino, ptp existing
(22:42):
means so much to me, you know,as an artist, and that means a
lot to me to know that we arecreating a space, as you said,
where it's like so much biggerthan I could have done just
maybe in that if I would havestayed as just an individual.
So I'm very grateful for that.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
You know I'm very big on people can do well and do
good at the same time.
As an executive director ofnonprofit, which you founded
right, Can people make a decentliving doing this type of work,
or are they bound to be superpoor because it's nonprofit?
Speaker 1 (23:13):
and that's just the way that it is.
We have to keep channeling Imean championing and pushing the
sector a hundred percent and wecan't do this alone.
So one of the things that I'llsay is I mean, we have actively
been as a nonprofit and togetherwith our board and our
leadership team, pushingsalaries.
You're continuing to grow thatand I think there is a movement
(23:37):
to do that there.
You know, the nonprofitindustrial complex is a thing
that's you know, is a term andis real right.
There's this expectation thatbecause you're doing good, you
shouldn't be able to live good,and that is a fallacy.
We all work really hard justbecause we're passionate about
it.
So I'm very proud of the workwe've done to really do our
(23:58):
wages and increase our wages,and where we are now.
And I would say you don't haveto, we don't have to buy into
that.
I think the sector will pushyou to say it's just nonprofit,
but we need to continue to pushit.
And our team has been pushingus and I am grateful for that
because I believe in that.
And then we've been pushing ourboard and other, you know,
other nonprofits are continuingto do that and I think if we all
(24:20):
come to.
I mean, I am an organizer, soif we advocate together we can
elevate together, because thework we are a company, we don't
have an owner right.
So that's that should even be athing that I think for other
people who are looking to startnonprofits, work in nonprofits,
especially for founders orexecutive directors, it's like
you know, if I would havestarted a for-profit, you know I
(24:41):
would get stuff.
At the end of this I getnothing, I get a salary, that's
it Right.
And so that's why it's soimportant to make sure that
these salaries are equitable andour compensation packages and
our benefits are reallywonderful and we give them tons
of PTO time right, like Europestandards right Weeks and weeks
and weeks right, because we knowthat it's a work-life balance
(25:03):
and we believe we all deserve it.
So even if at the beginningwages are not where they should
have been, where they have to be, then there's other ways we can
complement right.
So our packages of what we do,you know we do six weeks right,
a vacation, we do, you know, forall the other things that are
more standard.
But really creating space foremployees to have that balance
(25:27):
is a way to do it.
So I think you can.
I think the world needsnonprofits.
Government can't do it alone.
For-profit companies can't doit alone.
They do good work too, but Ithink there is such an important
place, especially in New YorkCity, for nonprofit
organizations to be pushingforward equitable living and
justice for our communities, andso we need the sector to come
(25:49):
on up to raise those salaries sothat we can all continue to do
this work.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Yeah, absolutely, and you mentioned earlier, you
started this without a salaryright and now you've been able
to grow it.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
I have three other jobs, yeah, at the beginning,
but I think that's the thing forany startup right, you start
and you're like figure it out,but if you're committed to your
mission, you have your clearvision of where you're going.
You have the right team right,a co-founder with my partner
who's still in the organizationmanaging director, and like
having that core group whoeverthat is is so important as
(26:21):
you're building something.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Is this what you always wanted to do for a living
?
Like I know when you, when youwere speaking earlier, it
sounded like direct acting orproduction of plays was more of
your driver.
But like, when did that startfor you?
Speaker 1 (26:33):
You know, I feel like my mom would say like of course
this is what you were going todo.
You know, like I definitely putup a theater camp for my
cousins when I was 10 andorganized curriculum and did all
the things that we did shows.
So at one point I do think thatthis was my purpose and what I
was always going to do.
And my mom has a company in DRand, like you know, like I think
(26:56):
what I saw, she worked togetherwith with, with my dad, and is
a designer.
So it's our in the art space.
But there was a moment in myearly twenties where I was like
I want to act and I want todirect.
But I'm glad that I did that,for because I learned so much in
that space, right, but I dothink that I never thought like
I was going to be executiveartistic director.
(27:16):
You know, like I didn't know itwas going to be what it is
today, or that PTP exactly wouldbe this.
But I think, creating a spacewhere artists can work, where
young people can thrive and becentered, where advocacy, where
working collaborative and andkind of running things, creating
things I do kind of feel likethat's where I was meant to be.
(27:38):
And now, at 43, I can say yes,this, this was it.
In hindsight, I was like I knewthat when I was seven probably,
I did a program in college.
I built a whole program incollege too.
So it's like I think it waslike part of me to be like okay,
this is something that needswork, that needs fixing or needs
happening.
Let's build something.
Work together.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
And you were born and raised in Dominican Republic.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Born and raised in DR in Santo Domingo.
I came here because I got ascholarship and went to college.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
And even at that age you knew like I'm going to go
into theater and study.
Was it theater that youactually studied, or what was
your actual I?
Speaker 1 (28:15):
did.
I did so.
I was actually studying incollege there to be education
and philosophy I was doing in DR.
And then I saw I didn't.
At that point I did not know Iwas going to do theater at all
because it wasn't something Igrew up.
I grew up doing some theaterbut, like in DR, back then in
the 80s and 90s, there was not abig theater scene.
That was not a thing thatyou're like I'm gonna be an
(28:37):
actor, that's not a thing.
Now it's changing and there'sdefinitely Bella Sarpies has an
amazing theater school, but backthen in 1998, it wasn't it
really.
It was like wasn't a career,right?
Um, so I was gonna be a teacher.
And then there was the firstinternational theater festival
in DR in 1998 and 1999.
(28:58):
And it changed my life andthere were companies from Chile,
from Spain, from Cuba, fromColombia, from Mexico and I was
like, wait, you all live andtour the world doing theater.
Like what is this?
This is a thing.
I never met that or seen that.
So at that point I dropped outof college.
I was still working during theday as a theater, as a teacher,
(29:21):
not theater as a teacher, firstgrade teacher assistant.
I was doing college, which isvery common there in the
evenings.
But I instead started doingtheater and street theater while
I applied for schools.
So I applied too, and this isbefore online applications.
There was no such thing.
The internet existed I'm notthat old, but it was not online
applications.
It was all like printing outpackets and da, da, da da, and
(29:44):
at the end I didn't think I wasgoing to come to the US.
I really didn't.
But it ended up being where Iwas able to get the most support
financially and it was closerthan South America and my
parents were freaking out for meto go too far.
So it ended up being you know,there are daily flights to New
York from DR.
(30:05):
That New York was the placewhere I ended up, and it was.
You know, life works in waysthat you sometimes don't know.
I never thought I would come tothe U?
S and it's definitely is thehome where I should have been
and where I was able to build,you know, people's theater
projects, so very grateful.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Wow, and this is, you know, just the exposure of
attending a festival and likehow that can change your entire
trajectory.
Like I love that.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
My entire trajectory.
It was literally I neverthought theater was a career.
And then suddenly it was likeboom, study theater and all that
.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
And now you're providing that exposure to
others.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
I love it.
That's great.
Are there any forms of mediathat could be books, podcasts,
anything that you've consumed orread or anything that has
shaped you personally orprofessionally?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
I'm sorry that I didn't think of this.
It's so funny because, as yousay, this one of the things that
I've been devouring many booksrecently and it has been like
the nourishing and many plays,but it hasn't really been around
my career because part of it isletting go of that, because
(31:11):
part of it is letting go of that, like creating space to just
nurture my art has been verygood for me, creating that kind
of that balance.
So there's a couple of authorsthat I love Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie is one of them,esmeralda Santiago and there's
another author there.
Of course it's terrible thatI'm not remembering, since I've
read four of her books this year.
First name Rachel I will getback to you so you can put it
(31:34):
when this podcast is posted butit's an author who writes about
love, all kinds of love, lovebetween friends and sisters.
I recently lost my father andthere was love between an
ancestor and self and it's justbeen very nourishing to just see
all the different spaces wherelove can exist and nurture and
relationship building.
(31:55):
And I think, in a way, kind ofthis work is about relationship
building.
No nonprofit, no individual, noartist can exist without
building relationships and therelationships that I have today
with you know elected officialsstarted when they were interns
15 years ago, you know, orstaffers, so it's been, you know
(32:17):
, in a way not directly, I'm notreading about careers, but I'm
really about the importance ofrelationships and love and
centering love and joy, and itjust Rebecca Searle, that's her
name, rebecca Searle, and I'veread four of her books this year
and it's just been like and Icry and I laugh and that kind of
(32:38):
gives me that, okay, let's goand cry and laugh together about
the world, about the work youknow.
So those three authors and not Ilove fiction, I mean, I'm an
artist.
What can I say?
Speaker 2 (32:48):
that's great.
Are there any plays that you'vewatched that you think folks
should go check out?
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I've seen so many shows recently.
I'm so I love theater.
People should definitely go seelive theater.
I think it's closing, but justlast week I saw Stereophonic on
Broadway and it's still on.
I don't know when it closes,but it was so good.
It was such a wonderful play.
It started in the off-Broadwayscene and you get a glimpse into
(33:18):
a recording, like a band makingmusic in the 70s, and it really
feels like a glimpse intosomething that you don't, we
wouldn't as regular people whoare not a band from the 70s and
I love Fleetwood Mac and thatwas part of the inspiration.
But it was so well done, theacting was so beautiful, and
then you get to see the bits andpieces of them recording and
(33:39):
the actors who are actors someof them used to be musicians.
I mean, some of them kind ofplayed an instrument.
Most of them didn't have tolearn how to play an instrument.
All they know is how to playthose songs, but they actually
record in an album.
So, like in the play, you'renot going to hear the whole song
, you're going to see the bitsof how you build music and the
disasters that come.
And it was just so cool.
It was like I didn't know.
(34:00):
You layer things, you just dovocals and then you do the, but
then actually after you candownload and hear the whole
album.
It's like oh my god, that wasthe moment in that scene when
she was having a mentalbreakdown, or that was that.
So it's like so beautiful thatthe play even continues beyond.
And the piece is also aboutwhen you are you ready to give
up on your career and this istoo hard, right?
(34:21):
That's what it deals about.
So I loved it, Highly recommendit, and that's the one that's
front and center for me now.
But anything at Perigones,definitely come see People's
Theater Project.
We have a reading coming up,Domino Effect at New York
Theater Workshop and then at ArtNew York next spring.
But yeah, check out whatOff-Broadway is doing, Check out
what your local communitygroups are doing.
(34:43):
That's where the real work youknow is happening.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
National Black Theater I'm a big fan of their
work in Harlem, so yeah, how canpeople work with, participate
in support, partner all thethings with People Theaters
Project?
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Yeah.
So there's a few ways to dothat.
We have so many kind of entrypoints, of collaboration.
We are in a place of growth andexpansion.
We want to meet new people, wewant to meet new companies, we
want to have people join ourteam.
So the first way is, like, goto our website and sign up for
our mailing list.
Get to know what we're doing.
Come see a show.
A lot of our work is free,because that's the point, right.
(35:19):
That initial thesis of makingtheater accessible is still
holds true, right?
So we have a free stage readingof a brand new work that will
be a world premiere of Broadwayproduction in the spring.
That's happening in a couple ofweeks.
Tickets just went out, they'refree.
We have a festival of new worksuptown happening in December.
Like, come to that.
(35:39):
We have a community fundraiser.
That is a party, a big partyuptown that's happening in
November.
Come to that, get a drink andsupport a nonprofit.
So I think, attending, comingto be an audience member and
also, if you want to volunteerwe are always looking for ushers
or people to come and volunteerwith our young people as well.
We have our Palante workshop.
So you're someone who is aprofessional in the field and
(36:02):
you're a person of color, you'rea Latino.
We want our young people toknow, to hear you talk, to tell
them about all the differentcareer paths we do that in
October.
Tell them about financialmanagement, whatever it is.
We have so many differentpockets so we can connect you to
our education team there.
And, of course, if you want todonate, if you want to support
our scholarships, all of ourprograms are free to students.
We don't charge tuition.
(36:23):
We fundraise for it so thatthey don't have to pay.
So we're definitely looking forpartners, both for our capital
project this is.
You know someone who works at acompany and they want their
name somewhere.
Contact me, meino, at People'sTheater Project, and we'll make
that happen.
So, yeah, there's so manydifferent ways to get involved,
(36:45):
both as an audience, as anartist.
If you want to act with us,like and the best way is go to
our website, find us, follow uson social People's Theater
Project on Instagram andFacebook, and we'll reach out
and find a way.
It's all about collaboration.
I love it.
I rarely say no, which my teamdoesn't love, because then I
create more work, but it'sreally about building and
creating spaces, and that cancontinue forever and in so many
(37:06):
ways.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Is there anything we haven't discussed today that the
world should know about Meno?
Speaker 1 (37:11):
I don't think so.
I think we did pretty good.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I think so.
I think we covered a lot Um anddefinitely about the Genesis
and the growth of people'stheaters, project Um, and even
what sparked the idea to get tothis point.
So you know, I appreciate youtaking the time to come on today
and to and to speak with us.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Thank you so much.
This was great and I reallyappreciate the invitation.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
If you did and believe on themission we're on, please like,
rate and subscribe to thispodcast on whatever platform
you're using, and share thispodcast with your friends and
your networks.
Make sure you follow us onInstagram and LinkedIn at Career
Cheat Code and tell us peopleor careers you would like to see
highlighted.
See you next week with somemore cheat codes.
Peace.
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