CUAUHTÉMOCZIN
A new play by Diego Florez-Arroyo.
October 6-14th, 2023 @ MCA Denver at The Holiday Theatre
January 11-20th, 2024 @ The People’s Building
Where does the spirit of the warrior live?
Following the sold-out run of Cuauhtémoczin at the MCA Denver @ the Holiday Theatre and successful workshopping through the Emerging BIPOC Playwright Program created in collaboration with Flamboyán Theater, Control Group is thrilled to bring a new iteration to The People’s Building in 2024.
The new version of Cuauhtémoczin dives deep into the subconscious of the protagonist Dante, as he navigates the boundaries of the realities of prison-life and the prison of his mind to find liberation from 500 years of darkness and disconnect from Aztec culture, traditions, language, and basic humanist ways of life. Repeatedly imprisoned, Dante fights for liberation mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and, most importantly, physically to find his connection with the last Aztec tlatoani, Cuauhtemoc. Exploring the family dynamics of a single parent hope, Cuauhtémoczin dissects the prison of religion, the self-imposed limitations of adequacy and acceptance, and carrying the weight of the byproducts of assimilation starting in 1492.
Cuauhtémoczin’s January run includes new cast members and characters including local theater legend Magally Luna and longtime member of Los Mocochetes Jozer Guerrero as Dante. The run at the People’s Building utilizes the space’s black box structure to create a new set and storyline that utilizes 3D projections and immersive staging. “It is a vast difference in the work- a clearer vision, stronger rhythmic changes, and nuanced character explorations” Florez-Arroyo explains, “This is what an artistic process looks like using the canvas of theater that is able to have the opportunity to redevelop a work with the support of the community.”
MEET THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
Diego Florez Arroyo is a full time poet, artist, and musician. Diego has worked on and produced a variety of projects. As a multi-instrumentalist, writer, and composer, Diego is a founding member of the Denver band, Los Mocochetes; he regularly performs with Art Compost and Word Mechanics, and is also a part of a Soul Jazz Rock Trio called, “The Cosmosmiths”. Earlier this year, he opened an art installation and exhibit at the Alto Gallery of RiNo Art Park, called "Mensajes Mestizos" (messages from the mixed ones),focusing on the spectrum of diversity among Chicano and Mexicano peoples along the American southwest, and northern Mexican region, before and after the establishment of colonial borders.
Cipriano Ortega- Assistant Director of Cuauhtemoczin. Is also a visual artist, actor, musician and poet. Cipriano has been fortunate enough to have his work recognized and shown both nationally and internationally. Cipriano strives to create works of art that probe the mind and make people question what they perceive as the normative. Whether that is shown in music, theater, visual art or some sort of culmination of all of the above; Cipriano enjoys blending all creative forms of expression. As a sociological artist, Cipriano deconstructs the worlds around him and observes it under a nihilistic perspective. As an indigenous POC, they also have no choice but to deal with colonialism head on by making it a daily practice to see the divisions we as a society create and continue to make the ‘normative.'
Sid Madrid is a Denver based multi hyphenate. As an active Musician, Author and actor, Sid spends his time staring into the void of existence and experiencing life.
Noah Pacheco is an actor, producer, musician, and visual artist from Denver. Noah is incredibly excited to be a part of Cuauhtemoczin production and to share the story of triumph over disempowerment. Noah is a part of the RATTLESNAKER performance group alongside Jesse Lee Pacheco.
Lynn Mandziuk is a Denver-based multi-discipline creative and performer. She also is a professor at the University of Colorado Denver and holds a MFA in Illustration.
This is Nina's second production since moving from Washington, DC. She was last seen in Cyrano de Bergerac (Le Bret) at Wheat Ridge Theatre Company. DC-area credits: Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), Dracula (Lucy); Baltimore Shakespeare Factory: King Lear (Regan); Next Stop Theatre Company: White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, East of Eden (Abra/Mrs. Bacon); Imagination Stage: ¡Ratón en Movimiento!, Óyeme, the Beautiful; Capital Fringe 2019 Curated Series: Shakespeare’s Worst. She has starred and co-starred in episodes of For My Man with TV One and Disappeared with Investigation Discovery. Nina is a graduate of The Catholic University of America.
Jesse Lee Pacheco is an interdisciplinary artist, and writer from Denver, CO. He's one half of the visual/performance art collective RATTLESNAKER. Recent credits include Santi in Palomita (RuddyDuck Theatre Co.) and the film Quantam Cowboys (2022)
Magally received her degree in Dance from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her passion is the study of dance from Indo-Afro-America, the cultural movement expressions in celebration and reverence. Using dance as a medium of education, she has taught Mexican, Colombian, and Caribbean Folkloric Dance and has danced professionally worldwide.
Kian Way is Colorado born and raised and has been acting now for over 7 years. His dream is to make a career in Acting, Voice Acting, Theatre, and Filmaking and he hopes to ba able to inspire more artists of color to broaden and expand their avenues for creativity and economics. Especially in the Colorado state.
Lilian is a mixed media artist specializing in costume design, paper mache installations, and ‘rascuache’ art. Her art leans on the dramatic and creates an outrageous display of pageantry out of the everyday. As a second generation Mexican immigrant, she remembers learning how to reuse, repair, and repurpose objects as a matter of survival. Transforming these recycled and discarded items past their intended use and appearance is a challenge she still enjoys and embraces as a matter of pride. In true Rasquachismo fashion, she makes the most from the least, creating a new identity in every work as an act of defiance and innovation. For her, these displays of outrageous pageantry become a way to celebrate the resilience and resourcefulness found in our communities
David Rodriguez I’m 22 years old. Born in East LA to a mother from Santa Ana, El Salvador and a father from Zacatecas, Mexico. Lived in Colorado Springs most of my life. This’ll be my first time being a part of a production and I couldn’t be more excited or proud of Cuauhtémoczin.
My name is Hannah Victoria Lucero. I was born and raised here in so-called Denver, Colorado and my roots stem from the Pueblo/Tiwa lands of New Mexico. I am an artist, passionate in the realms of painting and modeling, among many other mediums. I love playing with dogs, learning about native plant life, and listening to rap music. My heart and strength of spirit are driven by the presence of community, with my relatives and on the sacred lands in which my people reside.
Charlie Apple is a music producer, visual artist and creative technologist. He earned his MFA from the University of Montana in Media arts and specializes in interactive media, performance and emerging technology.
Dillon Autry is an aspiring actor, making his debut in Cuauhtemoczin. Coming from Atlanta, GA Dillon has grown up surrounded by the arts and spent years as a writer for musicians. By day Autry's occupation includes running a successful Insurance Brokerage, as well as co-founding a non-profit for Colorado's youth. Helping kids achieve their passions and dreams. He is highly proficient in guitar, and piano. He enjoys spending his time with friends, his girlfriend, and teaching the kids from the youth group a thing or two about basketball and soccer. He looks forward to his debut and progressing his acting career to film.
Cuauhtémoczin is made possible through support from SCFD; the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; Colorado Creative Industries; Community First Foundation, Denver Theatre District, Birdseed Collective, Impresario LLC, and many generous individuals.
GLOSSARY
altepetl- a city-state. The three altepetl Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan, and Tetzcoco made up the alliance of what is known as the Aztec Empire
Aztlan- The legendary homeland of the Aztec people. For more information head here.
Cuauhtémoc-The eleventh final tlatoani of the Aztecs, who ruled from 1520 to 1521. Cuauhtémoc is often translated as one who has descended like an eagle.
Chalchiuhtlicue- a goddess of the waters, often associated with tenderness and love.
Coatlicue-a goddess of the earth and fertility. A mother.
tlatoani-hablador, o gran señor. (From Alonso de Molina, one of the first translators of the Nahuatl language in the 1500s)
Mexica-the people we now refer to as the Aztec people.
All translations from the online Nahuatl dictionary