Co-writers Liz Filios and Tanaquil Márquez share their excitement and hopes before this weekend’s concert presentation of TWELFTH NIGHT, O LO QUE QUIERAS.
Q: You’ve been developing this piece for 2 1/2 years. What gives you excitement about sharing the music with audiences for the first time next weekend?
LIZ: It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 1/2 years since we began work on this project. It’s been such a journey and I’m so grateful for the support of my collaborators and the great artists that I’ve met along the way.
I think one of the things I’m most excited about in sharing this music with audiences for the first time this weekend is seeing all of the way those creative threads are woven together and what we create as a community. Because we’ve been working on it so closely for so long, it will be really exciting to step back and see what it looks like and sounds like and how audiences respond to it out in the world.
TANAQUIL: The piece has had so much transformation because the world has evolved so much. Of course excited to share the music and the story, but I am most interested in hearing what the audience will connect with. How do they see themselves represented on stage and through the story? As you will see the story follows twins who are escaping their country for a better life, but what they are met with are even more struggles and challenges. I hope this concert brings a sense of community to the folx watching and opens perspectives that no matter who we are or where we come from we all want to love and be loved.
Q: How do you hope the audience experiences the balance between Spanish, English, music, and Shakespeare?
TANAQUIL: I hope they lead with curiosity and openness. Growing up in a bilingual household, it has been my goal to bridge these two worlds together for others. Each piece: Spanish, English, music, and Shakespeare has its own movement and energy, it is so exciting to have these many textures in one presentation.
LIZ: I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the different languages that are being employed in this version of the story. It’s really humbling to watch people speak fluently in Spanish, fluently in Shakespeare, fluently in music – and the fact that our cast brings such an incredible intersection of skills to the table allows us to communicate in all of these languages. My hope is that when people listen to the music and the languages, that they start to coalesce into one larger language that can be felt and seen. So that even if a word seems strange the meaning of that word is clear and recognizable. So I guess my hope is that our audiences see themselves in this piece and that recognition allows them to transcend the language barriers that stand between us, not only in this show but in real life.
