June 1-18, 2023
An Original Pregones/PRTT Music Theater Production
Pregones/PRTT’s acting and music ensemble’s fresh take on the Bronx fires!
Book & Lyrics by Rosalba Rolón
Music by Desmar Guevara
Dramaturgy by Christin E. Cato, Omar Pérez
Additional Music & Lyrics by José J. García, Nyseli Vega, Christin E. Cato, Rosal Colón
Directed by Rosalba Rolón
The legacy of the Bronx fires is a sticky one and forever tied to histories of popular resistance and uplift. Pulsing to the beat of salsa, funk disco, and hip hop, Pregones/PRTT’s TORCHED! alternates from 1970’s New York —when news of the fires dominated headlines— to present day survival and rebuilding. Part investigative theater and part poetic fiction, the production brings forward true stories of those who lived through the devastation to lay bare the infamies of the arson-for-profit business.
TORCHED! pays tribute to the real people who fought back, who continue to want to set the record straight, who continue to research, give testimony, and unmask the ugly truths behind the fires. With this production, the artists of Pregones/PRTT’s performing ensemble join the generations of Bronx artists and activists shining light on this period of our history. Performed in English and Spanish with titles.
Duration: 85 minutes. No Intermission.
Limited Run!
In-person performances at
THE PUERTO RICAN TRAVELING THEATER
304 W 47th St, between 8th & 9th Avenues
in Manhattan
Buy your tickets early online. Link below or at top of page.
GENERAL TICKETS: Starting at $25
BEST PRICES: BECOME A MEMBER and get deep savings for the entire season! When you buy a one year $45 tax-deductible membership to Pregones/PRTT you obtain 25% discount for up to two (2) tickets per event this season.
New! TICKET BUNDLES: See all 4 shows and save — available now by phone only 718-585-1202. Previews Bundle $92: 1 (one) Orchestra Ticket for each of 4 (four) Mainstage productions on first week of performances; four (4) tickets total. Premium Bundle $140: 1 (one) Premium Orchestra Ticket for each of 4 (four) Mainstage productions on any other week of performances; four (4) tickets total. Please note: Bundles are not tax deductible. Other offers and discounts do not apply.
GROUPS of 10 or more: $20 per ticket! Phone reservations/purchases only. Some date restrictions may apply. 718-585-1202
OTHER OFFERS AND DISCOUNTS: Zip Tickets—in person purchase and proof of residence required, Seniors, Students
For more details call us at 718-585-1202
ROSALBA ROLÓN, Artistic Director of Pregones/PRTT, is an accomplished actor, director, and dramaturg specializing in the adaptation of literary and non-literary texts for stage performance with live music. Distinctions include United States Artists Fellowship, Ford Foundation Visionaries Fellowship, Doris Duke Artist Award, and Creative Capital Award (with Paul Flores and Yosvany Terry). Rolón’s numerous theater credits include We Have IRÉ with Paul Flores, Betsy! with Roadside Theater, Dancing In My Cockroach Killers with Magdalena Gómez, Harlem Hellfigthers on a Latin Beat based on the Puerto Rican presence in the all-Black 369th Regiment of the US Army, El bolero fue mi ruina adapted from a story by Manuel Ramos Otero, Quíntuples by Luis Rafael Sánchez, and many others. She is a member of The American Thatre Wing’s Tony Awards Nominating Committee.
DESMAR GUEVARA, Resident Composer and Musical Director of Pregones/PRTT, is a recognized champion of new music idioms in Latin jazz, a composer of experimental and non-traditional music for live theater and film, and an in-demand pianist with numerous concert, touring, and recording credits. He has composed, arranged, and music directed dozens of ensemble theater productions of varying scale, from chamber to Off-Broadway. He is founding director of chamber jazz ensemble Taller Sicá, founding member of Afro Puerto Rican ensemble Viento de Agua, and has collaborated with many musical luminaries including Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, Xiomara Fortuna, Andy Montañez, Soledad Bravo, and Danny Rivera. Recent premieres include Grados Inefables, which delves into the esoteric symbolism and philosophies of Freemasonry, co-commissioned by arts presenters in New York, Colorado, and California.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
An original Pregones/PRTT Music Theater Production
Book & Lyrics by Rosalba Rolón
Music by Desmar Guevara
Dramaturgy Support by Christin E. Cato & Omar Pérez
Additional Music & Lyrics by Christin E. Cato, Rosal Colón, José J. García, Nyseli Vega
Featuring: Christin E. Cato, John Cencio Burgos, José J. García, Claudia Ramos, Devan Kelty, Nyseli Vega.
Music Ensemble: Álvaro Benavides, Nelson Matthew González, Desmar Guevara, Camilo Molina
Lighting Design By Lucrecia Briceño
Projections By Eamonn Farrell
Costumes & Scenic Consultant Harry Nadal
Sound Design By Jimmy Kavetas
Assistant Director, Movement Coach, Choreography Yaraní Del Valle
Associate Lighting Designer Emmanuel Delgado
Stage Manager Julia Perez
Assistant Stage Manager Tala Munsterman
Audio Engineer Assistant Danny Hernández
Wardrobe Maintenance Eliana Yost
Master Electrician Jeffrey D’ambrosio
Electricians Christian Bravo, Jarrod Fries, Jael Hoyos, Devan Kelty, Cait Simonton
Titles Operator Hector Luis Carmona
Artwork Jeison Rivera
Photos 2022 Michael Palma Mir
Photos 2023 Krystal Pagán
Carpenter Bobby Bodón
Production Assistant Luissana Carreño
Press Representative Rosanna Plasencia
Production Manager Jessica Moya
Assistant Director/ Movement Coach Yaraní Del Valle
Directed By Rosalba Rolón
Special Thanks: Joe Conzo Jr., Caridad De La Luz, Elena Martínez, Elba Cabrera, Edwin Pagán, Clara E. Rodríguez, Doris Colón, Petr Stand, Vivian Vázquez, Neyda Martínez, Oscar Olivier Didier, Julia Gutiérrez, Axel Piazolla, Ken Corrigan & firefighters David González, José Prosper, FDNY Engine 38, Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, LP Percussion
All musical arrangements by Desmar Guevara with Alvaro Benavides, Anthony Carrillo and Camilo Molina.
Opening Montage: Photographs by Joe Conzo Jr. with music composed by Desmar Guevara
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION – THE ACTORS AND STAGE MANAGERS EMPLOYED IN THIS PRODUCTION ARE MEMBERS OF ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, THE UNION OF PROFESSIONAL ACTORS AND STAGE MANAGERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS THEATER OPERATES UNDER AN ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION OFF-BROADWAY NYC-LOA.
Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (aka Pregones/PRTT) is a multigenerational performing ensemble, multidiscipline arts presenter, and owner/steward of bilingual arts facilities in The Bronx and Manhattan. Our mission is to champion a Puerto Rican/Latinx cultural legacy of universal value through creation and performance of original plays and musicals, exchange and partnership with other artists of merit, and engagement of diverse audiences.
PLEASE NOTE: Face masks are suggested but not required for this event. By purchasing a ticket or asking for entry to our events, you agree to abide by this rule.
If you have a sore throat, are feeling sick in any other way, or have been recently exposed to COVID-19, we kindly ask that you stay home. We will gladly exchange your tickets to a different date, pending availability.
This production of Pregones/PRTT’s TORCHED! is generously funded by the Axe-Houghton Foundation. Our Mainstage is also generously funded by Ford Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, and Scherman Foundation. Programs also made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; and New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For a full list of our funders, please visit www.pregonesprtt.org.
Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
304 W 47th St (b/w 8th & 9th Avenues)
New York, NY 1036
Trains # 1, C, E to 50th Street
For more information call us at 718-585-1202
GET TICKETS!
Event Details
Location
The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
304 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036Date & Time
June 1-18, 2023
Thu-Fri @ 8:00PM
Sat @ 3:00PM & 8:00PM
Sun @ 3:00PMCollaborators
Book & Lyrics
Rosalba RolónMusic Composition
Desmar GuevaraLighting Design
Lucrecia BriceñoProjections
Eamonn FarrellCostumes/Sets
Harry NadalSound Design
Jimmy KavetasAssistant Director
Movement Coach
Choreography
Yaraní Del ValleGraphic Design
Jeison RiveraProduction Manager
Jessica MoyaDirected by
Rosalba Rolón