Staff Bios
Artistic Director, Theresa Chavez
Theresa Chavez is About Productions’ Artistic Director. Her work as director/producer and playwright has been seen extensively in Southern California, in Canada, and throughout the U.S. including the Public Theater (NY), Hogg Auditorium (UT Austin), The Mexican Museum (Chicago), The Getty Center (L.A.), and the Mark Taper Forum (L.A.). Most recently she co-wrote, directed and produced About Production's critically acclaimed productions They Shoot Mexicans, Don't They?, By the Hand of the Father, and Showing Our Age. They Shoot Mexicans, Don't They? explores the cinematic and historic encounter between early Hollywood and Latino culture. This original theaterwork was a collaboration between Chavez & Rose Portillo, music director Quetzal Flores (of the band "Quetzal"), choreographer Francisco Martinez, and filmmakers Isaac & Jude Artenstein. It premiered April, 2005 during the inaugural season of the Luckman Fine Arts Complex Intimate Theatre (L.A.) and enjoyed an extended run in Sept/Oct 2006 at the Autry National Center (L.A.). By the Hand of the Father explores the 20th century experience of the Mexican-American father, and combines text, video, and original music by Alejandro Escovedo. It was featured on the 2002-03 season of Austin City Limits (national PBS television) and was the first theatrical presentation in the 25+ year history of this television show. Premiering at Plaza de la Raza's Margo Albert Theatre in 2000, it continues to tour throughout the U.S. In Spring 2006 she was the first Artist-in-Residence at the University of California, Merced during its inaugural year. A published playwright, she is included in "Women Playwrights of Diversity," a book which describes the work of 90 women identified by professional theaters or scholars as significant theatre voices. From 1991 to 2007, she directed and taught in the California Institute of the Arts Interdisciplinary Studies program. She earned her B.F.A. and M.F.A. in photography from California Institute of the Arts and an interdisciplinary B.A. in the social sciences from UCLA.
Associate Director & Director of Education, Rose Portillo
Ms. Portillo is an accomplished actor, writer and visual artist whose stage and film career began with a lead role in Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit. Since appearing in Theresa Chavez’s solo play, L.A. REAL, she has co-authored (with Chavez) and performed in 9 critically acclaimed About Productions’ theaterworks, including: Vox, Memory Rites, Properties of Silence, On earth as it is in heaven, By the Hand of the Father and They Shoot Mexicans, Don't They? This spring she will be seen in AP’s premiere, Showing Our Age. A member of the Mixed Blood Theater Co. of Minneapolis (actor/director), she has also performed regionally at The Mark Taper Forum and Taper, too, South Coast Repertory, San Diego Repertory, The Old Globe (S.D.), and The Public Theatre (NY). Numerous television and film credits include the international award-winning film, ...and the earth did not swallow him. Commissioned plays: Into the Wind (CTG P.L.A.Y.), Out from Under; Last Call; A Matter of Time (Shakespeare Festival/L.A.), The Hollow Crown (California Institute of the Arts, C.A.P); solo plays: Know Your Place, I Can’t Be Here Today. Director: Spinning Into Butter, La Nona (Mixed Blood, MN); Sink Eating; Kick, The Last Angry Brown Hat (L.A.). Past Residencies include: William Inge Performing Art Center (KS); UC Merced (with Ms. Chavez); Plaza de la Raza (L.A.); the University of La Verne (CA). Current Faculty: Pomona College Department of Theater and Dance (Claremont, CA). Rose is also Director of Education for AP. Her visual artwork has toured nationally and internationally through Self Help Graphics and Art, Inc.
Managing Director, Frier McCollister, Jr.
With Theresa Chavez, Frier has co-produced the company's successful production of THEY SHOOT MEXICANS, DON'T THEY? at the Autry National Center. Most recently, he served as Production Supervisor for Eric Idle's RUTLEMANIA! for limited engagements in Los Angeles and New York. He also serves as producer for the hip-hop dance hit GROOVALOO, which was presented at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Samueli Theatre in June, 2008. Since arriving in Los Angeles from New York in 1994, he has served as producer or general manager on over forty theatrical productions.
Administrative Director, Alison M. De La Cruz
Alison supports all of AP's current productions, such as "Showing Our Age" and the Young Theaterworks Program. She has also produced events throughout Southern California at venues such as the David Henry Hwang Theater, the Aratani/Japan America Theatre, Point Fermin Park, Highways Performance Space, Shakespeare Festival/LA and California State University, Northridge. A multi-disciplinary artist, Alison's ’s solo work has been presented locally and nationally at venues such as the Kirk Douglas Theater, the Northwest Asian American Theater, Bindlestiff Studio and the San Diego Asian American Repertory Theater. Alison has also had several residencies working with emerging artists through Shakespeare Festival/LA’s Will Power to Youth, the HeART Project, APIRH’s H.O.P.E. for Girls, About Productions’ Young Theaterworks Program, Cal Poly Pomona’s Asian Pacific Islander Student Center. Alison is also an accomplished facilitator and has led trainings and workshops for over 40 Southern California non-profit organizations, colleges, universities and community groups.