OUR HISTORY
L: (L-R) The Sol Project Founding Members: Kyoung Park, Elena Araoz, Jacob Padrón, David Mendizábal, Laurie Woolery, Adriana Gaviria and Claudia Acosta. (Photo Credit: Tammy Shell)
R: A group of Latiné theater artists and scholars gather for a day-long meeting to discuss The Sol Project in August 2014 in New York. (LTC)
Jacob G. Padrón conceived The Sol Project after attending the 2013 Latinx Theater Commons (LTC) National Convening in Boston, a movement that aims to transform the narrative of the American theater by increasing presence of Latiné works. He realized that if true representation of Latiné Stories on America’s stages was to be possible and true, something needed to change locally first. Considering the credence many regional theaters give to the vibrant ecology of the New York theater scene, Padrón was driven to build this initiative in order to activate and unite the historically bifurcated Latiné theater community in New York with the ultimate goal of inciting change nationwide. Inspired by the playwrights’ collective 13P, Padrón devised a model for a highly visible platform for Latiné playwrights in New York City and beyond.
In August 2014, the LTC hosted a day-long meeting for leading New York City Latiné theater artists and scholars. The insight gained from this gathering nurtured the development of The Sol Project and the goal to work towards gathering the collective wisdom of the community to answer the question: What does the Latiné theater community in New York City need in order to continue growing and expanding?
After its jumpstart, the conversation and planning for The Sol Project continued. By December 2014, a New York City-based artistic collective assembled to begin building and bringing the initiative to fruition.