Carl(os) Roa

October 21, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Roberto Lugo gets crafty in Taller Puertorriqueño homecoming show

Did you know that Kensington-grown art star (and Artblog favorite) Roberto Lugo has been in residence at Taller Puertorriqueño since mid June? Here Carl(os) Roa reports back on what Lugo’s been up to in his hybrid exhibition/studio space and reflects on the strength and creativity that come from embracing what you have and where you come from. Check out this great project before the residency and exhibition close on October 27, 2018.

August 13, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Many facets of the South Asian diaspora at Mustard Seed Film Festival

Carl(os) Roa chats with Hariprasad Kowtha and Natasha Cohen-Carroll, co-founders of the Mustard Seed Film Festival. Screening throughout the city August 16-19, Mustard Seed promotes socially engaged cinema that speaks to the rich diversity of the South Asian experience.

July 15, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Artistic collaboration and conflict and some advice from experienced professionals

Carl(os) asks artists in the field how they deal with artistic disagreements and conflicts and he gets solid advice, which he shares. Talking and creating space for discussion are key. Read on and see more of what the professionals have to say.

May 27, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

You can’t handle the Machine Dazzle

Carl(os) chats with Machine Dazzle, costume designer for Taylor Mac’s upcoming performance of “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music,” at the Kimmel Center June 2nd and 9th. They talk hoarding, trash aesthetics, designing on instinct and much more.

April 22, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Fernando Botero in the casting room, a thought experiment

Carl(os) Roa is back and thinking about fat bodies in visual art and on stage. Prompted by a recent trip to Colombia, he ponders what is gained when we challenge prevailing notions of what a protagonist looks like.

March 8, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Las Mujeres brings ancestral feminism to Power Street Theater Company

Carl(os) Roa previews the Power Street Theater Company’s production of “Las Mujeres,” a new play by Erlina Ortiz, running March 9th-17th at West Kensington Ministry. Supported by a pantheon of feminist icons from Latin American history, “Las Mujeres” adapts the unorthodox structure of Caryl Churchill’s 1982 working-woman play, “Top Girls,” to the complexities of contemporary Latinx life.

January 22, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA) arrives with Tiger Style!

Carl(os) Roa sits in on a rehearsal for Tiger Style!, a comedic play, written by Mike Lew, about two Chinese American siblings coming to terms with their upbringing on an inter-continental voyage. Running from January 26th through February 4th at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, this will be Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists’ first full-fledged production since their founding three years ago. Roa also speaks with key members of the PAPA community about what makes their organization so vital.

January 12, 2018 by Carl(os) Roa

Mina Zarfsaz presents ‘Dead Ringer,’ a house of mirrors at Vox Populi Gallery

Carl(os) Roa visits Mina Zarfsaz’s Dead Ringer, a multimedia installation on view through January 21st at Vox Populi Gallery. An assemblage of found objects and recorded voices sandwiched between two mirrors, this absurdist sculpture begs for audience participation, and Roa puts himself right in the scene.

November 13, 2017 by Carl(os) Roa

Carl(os) Roa hangs out with ILL DOOTS

Playwright, performing artist and former Artblog New Art Writing panelist, Carl(os) Roa, is our newest man on the street. Here he embeds himself with rising local hip-hop ensemble, ILL DOOTS, on the eve of their two-night engagement at the Painted Bride’s Bride Next residency culminating showcase. Check them out November 17th and 18th and BYO pretzels.