Gabings-On Around Town:
Projects, Events, and More
Pasties!!!6/23/2019 And my exciting news is...
Gonna have to wait just a little longer because I HAVE to give a shout out to my amazing partner - Julia Chereson - and her fantastic web series PASTIES. "Pasties", has just premiered in the New York Lift-Off Online Film Festival. Look it up and check out this fantastic series about the fun backstage goings ons at a burlesque company. You'll have access to many other cool shows and get to vote on your favorites. The fest is only up this week so take advantage of this great opportunity to see young artists at work. As for my good news...I promise I'll share soon :) Below is a link to the festival: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/newyorkpreview2?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vod-vod_new_video-201408&utm_campaign=10297&email_id=dm9kX25ld192aWRlb3w0ZTdiZmNlZmM5MzhiYjY1MDNiNjE1YzYxODMwZTM3NjcxN3w5OTk5NjMwMnwxNTYxMjEzNDU2fDEwMjk3&fbclid=IwAR3FBIKhsr-8ZjwBqkUZhsrRTgNulXGElDNfikO6YiHcB7dcvpOPQoIClq4
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ATX TV Fest!6/13/2019 Last week was spent taking in the delights of the 8th annual Austin Television Festival. There were so many great moments including (and this was really just the tip of the iceberg) a screening and discussion panel of HBO's Los Espookys , a screening and discussion with Arturo Castro of Alternatino, and a showing and discussion around the rebooted One Day at a Time. If you're noticing a pattern (a glorious glorious pattern) these are ALL shows that present a variety of Latinx characters and stories. There is still much more work to be done para la gente but we're hoping going in a progressive direction. ¡Eso!
There were truly so many other amazing panels with discussion topics like representing aging on TV, changing the narrative of crime/justice on Television, female friendships, writing for stage vs screen and so on and so on. I encourage anyone who is curious about their programing to check out the podcasts from the event: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-tv-campfire The festival was quite a filling and inspiring time and I am still floating from all the good vibrations felt under that big ole Tejas Sun. Lastly, coming up very soon...a particularly special announcement :) Last chance to see this great production, here are some moments from our wonderful show: Educational Show4/25/2019 We had some fantastic middle school and high school students at the show today - made it a GREAT Q&A!
Here’s a link to an interview from yesterday morning with my lovely cast mate: https://www.fox16.com/klrt-good-day/native-gardens-now-playing-at-the-rep/1949840991 And another weekend of fun shows just around the corner... Opening Weekend4/22/2019 Fantastic Opening this weekend for “Native Gardens” here at the Arkansas Rep Theatre! The show is wonderful, the crowds have seemed very happy and it was a tremendous birthday gift to be doing a Sunday Matinee with such a wonderful group of people. We’ve got a couple more weeks of shows so if you’re in the Little Rock area come on down - tickets are at the box office or at the TheRep.org
This process continues to be such an amazing journey with so many fun opportunities and below is a picture of one of them at a talk we gave at the Clinton School of Public Service. From left to right you’ll see our director Steve Broadnax, and the cast of Rachel Harker, Aurora Leonard, yours truly, and Kurt Zischke. “Native Gardens” Interview4/10/2019 Check out the following link to see an interview on THV11 with myself and Steve Broadnax, Director of “Native Gardens” here at The Rep:
https://www.thv11.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/the-vine/arkansas-rep-director-promises-new-spring-play-will-deliver/91-6ad71e67-ff2b-4858-ba74-a398e5a93671 The Rep!4/8/2019 Hey folks! Writing to you from Little Rock, Arkansas. We’re a couple of weeks into our work on “Native Gardens” here at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre “The Rep”, and I am super excited to open this wonderful play on April 19th! It’s the story of neighbors - a younger Latinx couple and a more established Anglo-American couple, who want to be “good neighbors” but when a property line dispute disrupts things it suddenly becomes much harder for everyone to be quite so neighborly. Hilarity ensues in this incredibly relevant an relatable work by Karen Zacarías.
For tickets to the show check out: http://www.therep.org/attend/2019-season/native-gardens/ In other news, I was lucky enough to participate in a reading done by a local story telling group called “The Yarn” that was centered around stories having to do with neighbors. It was such an honor to get to be a performer AND writer that night as I shared my defense for why my favorite neighbors are the ones that are a little farther than next door :) More news on the production to come for sure. Opening night approaches....April 19th! That's a wrap!3/17/2019 Yesterday was the wrap party for "Dope/Sick" and it was a a lovely gathering of the talented folk who worked on the project. I want to give special shoutout to Enzo Flores who wrote and directed the piece - it was a real pleasure getting to be part of his vision. You'll see yours truly as "Domingo", a member of the underground drug trade in Brooklyn, in the pics below.
In other news, this will be my last NYC post for a while as I will be spending the next couple of months performing at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre "The Rep" in the play "Native Gardens"! "Dope" Month Ahead2/20/2019 Winter is...here. Snow and cold, and yet, I feel so much warmth. It's been a month of wonderful experiences, starting with the chance to partake in a reading of an original musical being written (in part) by a wonderful, fellow-Penn Stater, Chris Rayis.
Secondly, I'm happy to announce that I'll be playing the role of "Domingo" in a short film called "Dope Sick" Directed by Enzo Flores. I'll be a cool and cruel drug boss - can't wait to send updates from the Brooklyn shoot! Lastly, got to enjoy a truly FANTASTIC ALP session this evening with Anna Fatica from DGRW. She was a moving reminder that there are genuinely kind, thoughtful, and supportive folks working very hard to help actors on their journeys. ¡Año Nuevo!1/17/2019 Happy New Year! So much to be thankful for in 2018 and so much to look forward to in the coming year. This year brings adventure with an apartment move (still in lovely Queens), a one year anniversary of being in the beautiful madness that is New York City, and many unknowns that are yet to be discovered and filled.
2019 has already started off on a great note with a WONDERFUL session of Actors Launch Pad featureing Anthony Aiello of One-Entertainment. Got some great advice from the Question and Answer portion and had a blast sharing my monologue. I wish everyone a year of wonder, curiosity, and grace and look forward to sharing some of my adventures here in the coming months :) Gabriel Peña
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May 2020
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