Theater as a Tool for Liberation
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Margarita Espada will talk about her theatrical piece “What killed Marcelo Lucero? a work created with the community as a response to the Hate Crime committed by young white men in Patchogue, Long Island against Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorian immigrant in 2008. She will talk about the artistic process and the civic dialogues and a reflection on where we are today.
Presenter’s Bio
Margarita Espada, MFA
Founder and Director Teatro Yerbabruja
Margarita Espada has traveled the world in her careers as an artist, educator and cultural organizer, training in physical approach to theater practice. Margarita is the founder and director of Teatro Experimenantal Yerbabuja, an art organization with the mission to use the arts as a tool for social change (www.teatroyerbabruja.org) . She is part of the faculty at the Department of Women Study at Stony Brook University where she teaches theater and activism.
Margarita received her Master of Fine Art in Dramaturgy from Stony Brook University and her Bachelor of Art in Education from Puerto Rico University. She is a New York State and Puerto Rico-certified theatre teacher with over 30 years of experience as an educator, performer, playwriter, arts activist, and cultural and community organizer.
She has conducted research, supported school and organization change efforts, and facilitated teacher / professional learning around applied theater, culturally responsive practice, curriculum design, problem-solving, and reflective communication. Margarita also works as a project manager for Center for Community Inclusion, Long Island University. Her works include coordinating with Family Engagement Specialists/Parent Liaisons in various districts to develop and conduct family-friendly practices within schools. Margarita has won multiple awards for her arts excellence and community work including Suffolk County Proclamation, 2019, Recognition Senator Boyle, 2019. Martin Luther King Living Legend Award, NAACP Islip, NY, 2018. Citation for Cultural Organizer, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, 2018, Artist of the Year, Legislator Monica Martinez, Suffolk County, NY, 2016. She has received numerous awards and proclamations for her leadership, her art and community work including Suffolk County Proclamation, 2019, Recognition Senator Boyle, 2019. Martin Luther King Living Legend Award, NAACP Islip, NY, 2018. Citation for Cultural Organizer, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, 2018, Artist of the Year, Legislator Monica Martinez, Suffolk County, NY,2016. Her work has been reviewed in the New York Times and by the Associated Press, Newsday, and numerous other media outlets.