Producer Jacqueline Flores speaks to the over 100 theatremakers gathered in Boston to celebrate 10 years of the Latinx Theatre Commons. (Photo by Anna Olivella)
BOSTON: The Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC) and HowlRound Theatre Commons have announced that the Latinx Theatre Commons will sunset its work as a flagship program of HowlRound as of July 1 and will thereafter operate independently. Moving forward, the LTC will have Producer Hub as their fiscal sponsor. More information on the LTC’s new operational structure, which will remain rooted in a commons-based approach, will be shared at a later date.
“Throughout the last year, the steering and advisory committees of the LTC engaged with HowlRound in deep reflection about the past decade of work and the road ahead,” said LTC producer Jacqueline Flores in a statement. “This shift will allow us to explore new opportunities to deepen our impact and continue fostering the Latine theatre ecosystem in dynamic and innovative ways. The Latinx Theatre Commons is grateful for over a decade of deep relationship with HowlRound and all we have been able to accomplish together. We are glad to have HowlRound’s support during this transition and are mutually invested in each other’s continued success. This next phase is not an ending, but an evolution to a new kind of relationship.”
The LTC emerged in May 2012 at Arena Stage when a group of eight Latinx theatremakers, led by playwright Karen Zacarías, came together in Washington, D.C., under the auspices of what is now HowlRound. That group partnered with Latinx theatre communities from across the country to create a dedicated steering committee of more than 30 practitioners who worked together to produce the first LTC National Convening, held in October 2013 and produced by HowlRound at Emerson College in Boston. There, the LTC self-determined to continue, and the LTC Steering Committee grew to almost 50 practitioners passionately working on initiatives all over the country.
“It has been one of the biggest honors and joys of my career to support the work of the LTC,” said HowlRound director and co-founder Jamie Gahlon in a statement. “Since the first meeting in Washington, D.C., I have been energized and inspired by the way the LTC has activated the concept of commoning to transform the narrative of theatre in the United States. HowlRound has been proud to incubate the work of this deeply impactful commons and looks forward to remaining a partner in and supporter of their work for years to come. We also look forward to carrying forward the learnings from this long-term partnership into our ongoing commons-based organizing work with the International Presenting Commons (IPC) and future efforts.”
During its more than a decade of operations, the LTC has engaged over 100 artists as part of its rotating steering committee. Collectively, they have produced 15 convenings around the United States, including the Carnaval of New Works, which has had iterations in Chicago and Denver. These convenings have fostered multiple artistic collaborations; out of the 14 new plays showcased throughout the Carnavals, nine have received world premieres. The LTC has also cultivated Latine designers and directors through its Colaboratorio in Portland, Ore.
In addition, the LTC has advanced the field of Latine theatre and performance scholarship through publications such as The Latina/o Theatre Commons 2013 National Convening: A Narrative Report by Brian Eugenio Herrera, and by supporting the publication of multiple anthologies about the Encuentro festival at the Latino Theater Company and Latinx theatre content in the HowlRound Journal. The LTC has been central to the movement of amplifying the voices of Latine theatremakers across the field in diverse ways.
In 2024, the LTC celebrated its Tenth Anniversary Convening, published its concept paper on archiving Latine theatre supported by the Wallace Foundation, and produced a national convening in Los Angeles during the Latino Theater Company’s Encuentro Festival. The LTC also announced its next cycle of programming, which spans 2024 to 2027.
The LTC will produce the María Irene Fornés Institute Symposium this weekend in Princeton, N.J., the Actor Training Laboratorio in Madison, Wisc., in spring 2026, the Carnaval of New Latinx Musicals in San Diego, Calif., in summer 2026, and the Forum on the Future: Language, Technology, and Provocations in Multilingual Theatermaking in Washington, D.C., in summer 2027.
In addition, the LTC will be partnering with the We Will Dream Festival in New Orleans, the Candela Playwriting Fellowship in New York City, and the Fornés Playwriting Workshop in New York City. The LTC remains committed to these programs and to continuing to advance and amplify Latinx performance and theatremaking.
The LTC is stewarded by an evolving steering committee of 38 professionals in the theatre field and 36 advisory committee members. “The legacy of the LTC has been built by daring to imagine a world that does not yet exist and creating programming that celebrates and amplifies Latine artists and performance making,” said Flores in a statement. “We’ve seen the impact of our work across the stages in the United States over the last decade.”
Of the LTC’s ongoing mission and immediate next steps, Flores continued, “Our steering and advisory committees are committed to being of service to, and striving for the advancement of, our art form. We are looking forward to sharing more about our operational structure with our community in the near future. You are all at the forefront of our minds as we navigate these decisions and we are looking forward to the next decade of service and continuing to be a space for all Latine artists.”
