By Teatro del Pueblo Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater are proud to have been chosen to receive the prestigious 2012 Joyce award to commission artists of color to create new works that reflect the intersections between the Latino and Asian communities.

The Joyce award comes with a $50,000 grant to commission three playwrights. Lead artist, Luis Alfaro, will be working with Aravind Adyanthaya and Marlina Gonzalez to create the Latino/Asian Fusion series in collaboration with Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater, two Twin Cities theater companies. The project unfolds a series of plays inspired by the merging of Latino and Asian cultures. The new work intends to challenge the current aesthetic of theatrical artistic norms by the establishment of a new type of hybrid work that speaks to the changing demographics in our communities and builds bridges of understanding between the Latino and Asian community. Specific topics covered will include love stories of interracial couples, difficulties within each culture, and tensions between the ethnically diverse communities.

Created in 1948, The Joyce Foundation’s grant making focuses on “initiative that promise to have an impact on the Great Lakes region. Their culture program is intended to strengthen the infrastructure of culturally specific arts organizations and support the commissioning and production of the new works that are relevant to minorities.