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Second Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough
by Teresa Marrero

Second-Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough
by Teresa Marrero
Directed by Sorany Gutierrez
Edited by Danielle Georgiou

Streaming April 14-18, 2021

Synopsis:
Second Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough explores the topic of living with dementia/Alzheimer’s through the story of two creative women who are nearing the end of their lives. Yet, their identities can still be discerned in spite of the fog.

Cast:
Frida Espinosa-Müller - SHE
Rosa Mendoza - MAMI
Armando Monsivais - MEN
Laura Yancey - IF

Notes from Director Sorany Gutierrez:
This is an homage to two cuban creative women nearing the end of their lives.  “IF” is based on Maria Irene Fornes, a Cuban-American playwright and director, long recognized as one of the most influential playwrights and teachers of the 20th century, who died at age 88 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. “MAMI” is based on the playwright’s mother, a highly skilled dress-maker who lived with dementia between the years 2000 and 2015 when she passed away at age 85.

Thanks to Undermain Theatre for the challenge of creating in a new virtual stage, to Teresa Marrero for the invitation to direct the reading of her script, we enjoyed a lot with the world and words of these characters. Thanks also to Michelle Mernam who let us meet Fornes through her recordings.
 

“This play was inspired by two events: attending a week-long play writing seminar with Maria Irene Fornés in 1998 at UCLA and watching Michelle Memran’s soulful documentary, The Rest I Make Up at the ATHE conference in Orlando, Florida, summer 2019. This fanciful conversation was sparked during a long road trip while driving a car. There is a sense of movement embedded in it. It also harks to the playwright’s and Fornes’ shared fascination with shopping at resale and consignment stores, and their respective sense of style. The character of Mami is based on my mother, a highly skilled dress-maker who lived with dementia between the years 2000 and 2015 when she passed away at age 85.”

- Teresa Marrero on her inspiration for Second-Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough

 

 
Second Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough
by Teresa Marrero

Second-Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough
by Teresa Marrero
Directed by Sorany Gutierrez
Edited by Danielle Georgiou

Streaming April 14-18, 2021

Synopsis:
Second Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough explores the topic of living with dementia/Alzheimer’s through the story of two creative women who are nearing the end of their lives. Yet, their identities can still be discerned in spite of the fog.

Cast:
Frida Espinosa-Müller - SHE
Rosa Mendoza - MAMI
Armando Monsivais - MEN
Laura Yancey - IF

Notes from Director Sorany Gutierrez:
This is an homage to two cuban creative women nearing the end of their lives.  “IF” is based on Maria Irene Fornes, a Cuban-American playwright and director, long recognized as one of the most influential playwrights and teachers of the 20th century, who died at age 88 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. “MAMI” is based on the playwright’s mother, a highly skilled dress-maker who lived with dementia between the years 2000 and 2015 when she passed away at age 85.

Thanks to Undermain Theatre for the challenge of creating in a new virtual stage, to Teresa Marrero for the invitation to direct the reading of her script, we enjoyed a lot with the world and words of these characters. Thanks also to Michelle Mernam who let us meet Fornes through her recordings.
 

“This play was inspired by two events: attending a week-long play writing seminar with Maria Irene Fornés in 1998 at UCLA and watching Michelle Memran’s soulful documentary, The Rest I Make Up at the ATHE conference in Orlando, Florida, summer 2019. This fanciful conversation was sparked during a long road trip while driving a car. There is a sense of movement embedded in it. It also harks to the playwright’s and Fornes’ shared fascination with shopping at resale and consignment stores, and their respective sense of style. The character of Mami is based on my mother, a highly skilled dress-maker who lived with dementia between the years 2000 and 2015 when she passed away at age 85.”

- Teresa Marrero on her inspiration for Second-Hand Conversations with Irene: Remembering Long Enough