Alvaro Saar Rios and Students
More than just a social art form, theater is a dialogue. Alvaro Saar Rios welcomes that dialogue with This is Washington Park. This is Milwaukee. His new project has UWM theater students engaged in telling the story of the Washington Park neighborhood of Milwaukee through oral histories collected from the people who live there.
It’s interesting how social media is changing the way we understand the histories of individuals. There is a remarkable amount of documentation amongst individuals that there hadn’t been even ten years ago. Personal histories are becoming strikingly detailed and vivid. The generations that existed just prior to the explosion of social media might be seen as something of a mystery existing in the shadow of a major movement in personal expression through digital media. We are in danger of losing so much history. It’s nice to see Alvaro Saar Rios working to help preserve the stories of those who may otherwise pass into the tapestry of Milwaukee history.
This is Washington Park. This is Milwaukee. is a docu-drama. Early in May, Rios will be presenting a staged reading of a draft of the play. Members of the community are encouraged to attend the reading to provide feedback. The reading takes place May 7 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Hmong American Fellowship Association on 3824 W. Vliet St. A performance of the completed script will be staged at UWM Oct. 12 - 16.
