TORCHED! 2022

Pregones/PRTT’s acting and music ensemble’s fresh take on the Bronx fires.

TORCHED! speaks to the now legendary era of the Bronx fires during the 1970s, lifting stories of survival to lay bare the infamies of the arson-for-profit business. Alternating from past to present and pulsing to salsa and hip hop sounds, the show is part investigative theater and part poetic fiction – delivered by Pregones/PRTT’s Latinx ensemble cast of ten actors/musicians. Conceived and directed by Pregones/PRTT Artistic Director, Rosalba Rolón, with original music by Pregones/PRTT Musical Director, Desmar Guevara, this new work foregrounds human stories often swept under the rug.

“TORCHED! pays tribute to real people who fought back, who continue to want to set the record straight, who continue to research, give testimony, and unmask ugly truths behind the fires. With this production, we join the generations of Bronx artists and activists shining light on this period of our history. TORCHED! invites audiences to tap into living networks of popular resistance, storytelling, music, and triumph,” says director Rosalba Rolón, a US Artists Fellow and Doris Duke Artists Award recipient who serves as Pregones/PRTT’s Artistic Director.

Rolón developed TORCHED! over five years and consulted with historians, theater makers, scholars, and activists who jointly helped lay the groundwork for TORCHED!. “Everything came to a head during the long and thankfully productive months of pandemic when a revolving roster of ensemble artists helped give the production its current musical form, says Rolón. “They all share in its triumphs. TORCHED! is so much about reclaiming a shared history and about giving credit where credit is due.”

TORCHED! is Pregones/PRTT’s first fully staged in-person production since 2020, and everyone is thrilled to greet a live audience again!

Performed in English and Spanish with titles.
Duration: 85 minutes. No Intermission.

2022 CREATIVE TEAM — Ensemble Actors: Christin Eve Cato, John Cencio Burgos, José Joaquín García, Claudia Ramos-Jordán, Pat D. Robinson, Nyseli Vega. Ensemble Band: Álvaro Benavides (bass), Anthony Carrillo (percussion), Desmar Guevara (keyboard and tapes), Camilo Molina (drums). Director & Book: Rosalba Rolón. Music Director: Desmar Guevara. Lighting Designer: Lucrecia Briceño. Costume Designer: Harry Nadal. Projections Designer: Eamonn Farrell. Sound Designer: Milton Ruiz.

COMMUNITY ADVISORS, COLLABORATORS, SOURCES: Joe Conzo Jr. (photographer hailed for capturing the birth of hip hop), Caridad De La Luz (performer, HBO Def Jam alum), Elena Martínez (folklorist), Elba Cabrera (cultural activist, educator), Edwin Pagán (film/media artist, activist), Clara E. Rodríguez (author and scholar, Latin Looks: Images of Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. Media), Petr Stand (historian, urban planner, architect), Vivian Vázquez Irizarry and Neyda Martínez (filmmakers and educators, Decade of Fire).

In-person performances at PREGONES THEATER (575 Walton Avenue in The Bronx)

This event is open to the general public. COVID-19 visitor safety protocols remain in place including proof of full vaccination and use of face mask over nose and mouth at all times. Purchase your tickets early; seating is limited. Use online Box Office link at the top of this page.

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