INTERVIEW: New York Theatre Workshop partners with Dominican Artists Collective
Photo: Melissa Crespo directs The Cooking Project from the Dominican Artists Collective. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by NYTW with permission.
The New York Theatre Workshop has found a way during this pandemic to offer artists a variety of opportunities to express themselves and explore numerous important themes. One recent example includes The Cooking Project, a new streaming art piece by the Dominican Artists Collective (DAC). Headed by Melissa Crespo, DAC has created three short films that explore the “multidimensional facets of Dominican identity and culture both here in the States and in the Dominican Republic,” according to press notes.
Until Dec. 15, audience members can stream The Cooking Project and experience the work of DAC, which was formed in 2019 in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Featured in the short films are Massiel Armengot, Sean Carvajal, Yohanna Florentino, Gineiris Garcia, Katherine George, Dilson Hernandez, Maribel Martinez, Andres Pina, Paola Alexandra Soto, Merlixse Ventura and Little Veras.
The theater group is truly multidimensional, creating art across platforms and working with actors, directors, writers, producers, visual artists, musicians, theater-makers and filmmakers. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Crespo about The Cooking Project. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did the Dominican Artists Collective first develop? What was the initial motivation?
The group first developed in the fall of 2019 as a way to create a collective that is dedicated to producing work by and for Dominican Artists.
What can audience members expect from these three short videos on the NYTW website?
We’ve actually combined the three sections — or menu items — of The CookingProject into one video, or meal, as it were. The Cooking Project is a complex journey through our ancestral roots juxtaposed with the American experience.
How important is it that more opportunities are given to Dominican artists?
It’s crucial! The Latinx community is not a monolith. We are Black, White and everything in between, and Dominicans have rich, complex cultural histories that are screaming to be told.
How difficult was it to coordinate these three videos during a pandemic?
With an abundance of safety protocols in place, as well as teamwork among the collective, we managed to rally and do the majority of our filming outside or virtually. When there is a will there is a way!
What’s the future look like for DAC?
The future for DAC is bright with more new work on the way, and the Collective is growing! DAC is a bright spot in a time where our industry is suffering during the pandemic.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The New York Theatre Workshop and Dominican Artists Collective present The Cooking Project, directed by Melissa Crespo. Click here for more information and access to the streaming video.
