Director’s Note:

Brown Face is a near-apocalyptic piece of theatre that draws elements from slam and spoken word culture. I originally encountered this piece in 2024, when the piece was written to be set in 2019. In conversations with the playwright, we felt the need to bring this piece into the present day as the world and the political climate facing latinos in the United States has escalated significantly. Here we’ll see young people so confident that their art is going to change the world for the better. But like so many in Portland, they’re distracted by virtue signaling and morality politics that they become ignorant of their privilege, and ultimately their youthful conceit beckons tragedy. Even so, I’m a firm believer that young people demanding change are the ones to listen to. So please pay attention to this story as we show you what the world looks like through the eyes of young latinos. I intend this piece to be confrontational. Reconsider your preconceived notions, and ask questions of yourself and others. But the last thing we’re here to do is talk at you. Brown Face is a conversation, call-and-response, so please hum, ooh and aah, buzz and snap; we need your participation through the whole piece for this to work.