Behind The Curtain: Co-Pro!
Co-productions are a special collaborative process that allows different theatre companies to join forces, with staff, resources, and creative ideas all working in harmony to create an experience that audiences deserve to see. Think of it like the Marvel Avengers of theater! Some shows provide logistical puzzles that are too much for one company to solve, and choosing to undertake these problems with other theatres allows companies with different strengths to assist each other and bring important works to more audiences. Quixote Nuevo is an example of a great co-production, and showcases the best parts of how this process uplifts all aspects of a show to create a better whole.
Although working together is a positive end unto itself, each co-production has its own unique problems to solve. Quixote Nuevo has been lovingly referred to as a mini West Coast tour, beginning at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California, traveling to Seattle Repertory Theatre, and ending here with us at Portland Center Stage. Of course, this means the set that we shared not only needed to be loaded up and shipped up and down the coast, but also needed to match each of our stages. All three theatres have different floor shapes, and the team found the best solution; make three floors! The rocks that you see on our set were used at the other theatres, but might have swapped or moved to adjust to different sight lines. Using these tricks and ways to minimize cost, in addition to working with the combined resources of the different companies, co-productions are more cost effective and create a great path towards bringing more expansive shows to our stages in a way that is economical and sustainable. Co-productions not only allow for theaters to share resources, it exposes talented artists to different communities that they might not often get to travel to otherwise. For example, the cast and creative for Quixote Nuevo range from Chicago to San Diego and many places in between, while our second co-production of the season, Clyde’s, allows local favorites like Lauren Steele and Orion Bradshaw to travel to Syracuse before joining us again in Portland later this season.
More about Quixote Nuevo:
An Old Story Made New
What to know about Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605) to understand Quixote Nuevo (2019)
Octavio Solis’ play Quixote Nuevo is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s book Don Quixote de la Mancha written in 1605: perhaps the most famous novel ever written in the Spanish language. To understand the play, it is useful to know a little about the original story.
Frontera Glossary: Border Glosario
Quixote Nuevo is a play that welcomes both English and Spanish speakers into its audience. Here are a few words your ear might encounter as you follow Don Quixote on his journey throughout La Plancha, Texas.
A Picture of Life on the Border
Much of Quixote Nuevo takes place in aging professor Joe Quijano’s “fever dream” as he struggles with encroaching dementia. Throughout the play, we’re provided a window into Quijano’s imagination—a karaoke bar becomes a castle, a herd of sheep sounds like a dragon.
While these fantastical elements are important, the play is ...
Making it Nuevo: A Conversation with Playwright Octavio Solis
Considered one of the most prominent Latino playwrights in North America, Octavio Solis has been produced from New York to California and everywhere in between. Read what he has to say about his play Quixote Nuevo, the characteristic humor of the play, and what keeps him writing.
Reviews of "Quixote Nuevo*
"The most extraordinary show I’ve seen at PCS in several years!"
"Energetic and ambitious. A spectacle for the senses. Not a single dull moment."
"The costumes, the set, the puppets, the amazing actors. So much to enjoy. The show had me smiling, crying, and enthralled ...
Quixote Nuevo Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of Quixote Nuevo.
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