By the Hand of the Father
Bios
Theresa Chavez (Co-Writer/Director/Co-Producer) is a co-founder and Artistic Director of About Productions. She is an interdisciplinary theater artist based in Los Angeles. In 1997 she was included in "Women Playwrights of Diversity," a book which describes the work of 90 women playwrights identified by professional theaters or scholars as significant theatre voices of the 1990s. In 1999 her play, L.A. REAL, was published in the anthology Urban Latino Cultures. Since 1988 her work has been seen extensively throughout the Southern California area, Chicago, Seattle, Telluride, Austin and in New York. She has received numerous awards for her work with About Productions including ones from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, and the Flintridge Foundation. She is on the faculty at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) where she teaches classes in Interdisciplinary Studies.
Alejandro Escovedo (Composer/Musician) is an Austin-based singer/songwriter who is regarded as a consummate storyteller and is held in the highest esteem by his peers, one of whom describes him as a "poet of the ordinary event." Since 1992 he has recorded six albums of original music, all of which have been praised by critics for their depth, beauty and sophistication. Though his heart is in rock and roll, Alejandro's music defies boundaries. He occasionally performs solo, but more often with bands of varying sizes, including his 13-piece orchestra. Alejandro was named Artist of the 90s by the alternative country/folk music magazine No Depression. The recently released, "Por Vida," is a tribute to the songs of Alejandro Escovedo, and benefits the Alejandro Escovedo Medical and Living Expense Fund wihch supports Alejandro's recovery from hepatitis C. This special double CD package has been described by Ice Magazine as "stunning" and gathers luminaries of alt-country and roots-rock including Lucina Williams, Steve Earle, and John Cale. For more information on this Fund, go to www.alejandrofund.com
Eric Gutierrez (Writer) is a an Artistic Associate of About Productions. His one-man show, The Go-Go Prince, brought him to the attention of producers of PBS Great Performances for which he wrote the mini-series Trials. Recipient of a Brody Literary Fellowship, his journalism, essays and commentary on cultural issues, travel and film appear in the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Westways, Out, Vanidád, Sí and elsewhere. He is the former Senior Editor for Entertainment and Fashion at Latina Magazine.
Rose Portillo (Writer/Performer) is an actress, writer and visual artist. She is the Associate Director of About Productions. Since writing her solo play, KNOW YOUR PLACE, she has co-authored, along with Theresa Chavez and Alan Pulner, the critically acclaimed plays VOX, MEMORY RITES and PROPERTIES OF SILENCE. Also for About Productions she performed KNOW YOUR PLACE and starred in THE CORRECT POSTURE OF A TRUE REVOLUTIONARY and L.A. REAL by Theresa Chavez. Her numerous TV credits and films include "...and the earth did not swallow him" and "Zoot Suit." Her role in Carlos Avila's Fotonovelas for PBS earned her an Alma award from the National Council of La Raza.