Saludos!

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We are writing to tell you about an all new sketch comedy revue by Chicago’s very own Latin-flavored comedy troupe – Salsation Theatre Company, NFP. We are the same company who presented The Devil Wears Chanklas and My Big Fat Quinceañera to sold-out houses. Salsation presents Bank of A-mattress-ca: GhettoDog Millionaire at Gorilla Tango Theatre opening April 18th.

Below is a press release and information regarding the particulars of our show and company. We would appreciate any assistance you can provide in helping us get the word out about our show.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Very Truly Yours,

Alonzo Alcaraz, Managing Director and Co-Public Relations
Rose Guccione, Co-Public Relations
Salsation Theatre Company, NFP
“comedy with a LATIN flavor”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FAQ

PORQUE/WHY

Salsation Theatre Company, NFP is a comedy ensemble founded by Latino actors in the Chicago Improv comedy community to bring you comedy with a Latin flavor. Salsation strives to educate people on Latino issues through laughter.

QUIEN/WHO

Salsation is the original Latino comedy ensemble performing Improv and sketch, founded in the Midwest, and the only Latino ensemble to work in the advanced “long-form” style of Improv.

Ensemble members have appeared on stage, in film, on television and in commercials. Alumni have performed with the Second City Touring Company and on the Tonight Show.

Most come from Chicago’s comedy community: The Second City, Improv Olympic, Players Workshop and the Annoyance Theater. Some have studied at Chicago’s top collegiate theater programs including Columbia College Chicago.

Their families hail from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, but most grew up in Metropolitan Chicago.

QUE/WHAT

Salsation performs…

• Sketch Comedy-prepared original comedic scenes ranging from brief standup like pieces to extended theatrical comedy scenarios.
• Improvisational Comedy-spontaneous, unrehearsed comedy, off the cuff, from audience suggestions. They perform both Chicago-style “Long Form Improv” where a single word or phrase from the audience can generate 5 to 40 minutes of stories and scenes. Or the classic “Short Form Improv” games that have more audience involvement.
• Bi-lingual Comedy-English and/or Spanish. (Majority English)
• Customized Shows-Salsation performs adult, “all-ages”, and special event shows.

Production Staff Bios

Ed Garza, Director

Ed Garza is delighted to return to Salsation with this production of Bank of A-mattress-ca: GhettoDog Millionaire. His directing credits includes: DiJo Production’s premier, A Dozen Guns-n-Rosas; CheepBoos’ revue NonTextual Relations; Theatre Building Chicago’s concert reading of Dia de los Muertos; Relatively Functional and Bluetooth Decay for Midtown; Salsation’s (Chicago’s Sketch Comedy with a Latin Flavor) VeraCruz Cirque de Salsation, My Big Fat Quinceañera, Crouching Wetback, Hidden Migra, A Whole Lotta Shakira Goin’ On and Diane Herrera in The Job which premiered at New York’s Manhattan Theatre Resource. Ed wrote and performed in the original production of GayCo’s Whitney Houston, We Have A Problem!, as well as, Everyone’s Coming Out Rosie!” (both revues received the After Dark Award for Best Ensemble Performance), Don’t Ask, Don’t Teletubby The Miseducation of Dr. Laura, When Bush Comes to Shove, 99 Bottles of Queer on the Wall, and Cinco de GayCo performing throughout the U.S. and in Amsterdam. Last summer he recreated his original choreography for GayCo’s remount of Whitney Houston, We Have A Problem! at the Center on Halsted. He has been a faculty member of The Second City Training Center for fifteen years. Ed also teaches theatre at Francis W. Parker School.

Rasa Aliukonyte, Stage Manager

Rasa Aliukonyte is happy to be back in theater production work, both for immersing in various discussions and fun interactions. One day she will be sitting in Lithuania and remembering that not a single minute spent stage-managing, acting, or producing was wasted. Today is one of those days that will make it happen.

Nelson Velazquez*, Co-Producer

Nelson Velazquez is of Puerto Rican and Brazilian decent and grew up in San Antonio, Texas for most of his life. There he participated in many different high school and college music programs as well as serving in the Lonestar Drum and Bugle Corps, at the time Texas’ only competitive drum corps. After emigrating to Chicago in 1998, Nelson began an illustrious career fronting and supporting local Chicago bands. Shortly thereafter, Nelson opened Courageous Studios, an audio and electronic recording studio.

Creatively, Nelson is a by-product of the Second City where he trained heavily in both musical and theatrical improvisation. He’s performed in such shows as “Brazilian Wax Museum”, “Gettin’ Paid:An Improvised Musical”, and “Faceplant: A Musical Revue of the Demented, Twisted, and Wrong”. He’s currently performing with Second City Outreach and Diversity’s “BrownCo” enemble, Second City’s “EdCo” ensemble, understudying with Wavelength, Inc., the all-Latino sketch comedy troupe Salsation Theatre Company, and the musical improvisational team Recapitulation. He has also been busy producing shows for Recapitulation as well as Salsation’s latest sketch revue Bank of A-mattress-ca: GhettoDog Millionaire. In addition, Nelson is handling drumming duties for Static Republic while helming his own musical project Courageous Rue.

Nelson would like to thank all of those who has supported him in pursuing his dreams especially his wife Jill and his son Alexander.

Patrick Garone*, Co-Producer

Patrick Garone has been working with Salsation since 2003 when he was box-office manager for My Big Fat Quinceañera. Since then, he has worked with the company as a stage manager, writer and actor and as the company’s Literary Manager. He appeared in Little Sweatshop of Horrors in 2005 and he co-directed the 2005 edition of Salsation’s touring show That Latino Show. He was the director of Salsation’s 2006 revue The Fanta Menace.

Patrick is a recent graduate of Northeastern Illinois University where he has appeared in such shows as The Real Inspector Hound, Life is a Dream, Boy Gets Girl, as Goldberg in The Birthday Party and as Pablo Picasso in Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. At NEIU, he also wrote and directed the original sketch show Backwardly Mobile and directed N. F. Simpson’s Was He Anyone? as well as a production of Jose Rivera’s Cloud Tectonics.

Patrick is also a filmmaker and has made a number of short films as well as Salsation’s 10 Year retrospective Salsation X.

Patrick wants to say that he is grateful to have such a wonderful creative family in Salsation and that laughter is Pan American.

Gorilla Tango Theatre, Co-Producer

Gorilla Tango Theatre is diversity. GTT is a live theatrical venue where audiences can consistently go each week to see a wide variety of performances by a diverse group of talented artists. GTT exists to provide artists and organizations of all sizes and genres the opportunity to produce their work in a professional environment. GTT offers beginning and continuing professional training for all skill levels.

Cast bios

Maritza Cabrera

Maritza Cabrera is thrilled to make her Salsation debut. Stage credits include Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, and things in college…ILL! Most recently the ETC stage in her graduate show from The Second City Conservatory. Recognize her face or her elbow? Fleeting glimpses as an extra on films and TV shows including, The Dark Knight and Leverage. She was also Angelina Jolie’s stand in on WANTED. Maritza also stays busy doing industrials, voiceovers, student films, and internet projects…no…not porn. For resume details, check her out at www.imdb.com. Maritza thanks her husband, family, friends, and teachers for their love and support.

Rainbow Cooney

Rainbow Cooney – Rainbow is my real name. I am 5’5″ with a husky build, brown hair and brown eyes. I’m a Scorpio (not the nutty kind – you know who you are). This is my second show with Salsation, my first show ever writing. I like long walks on the beach. One of my guilty pleasures is tanning. I drink way too much. I love to cook. Another guilty pleasure is Karaoke. I have taken classes at Second City, Annoyance & Piven Theaters. As much as this stuff scares the crap out of me, I love it and I have met some pretty fantastic people doing it. I hope everyone enjoys the show, it was a blast doing it and hopefully I will be fortunate enough to do more in the future.

Gabe Martinez

Gabriel Martinez is of Mexican descent. He was raised in Glendale Heights and Carol Stream. Gabriel has been performing improv/comedy for 9 years. Gabriel has trained at Improv Olympic, The Annoyance Theater and the beautiful C.I.A. Theater in Lincoln Square. He spends most of his time playing guitar and watching America’s Most Wanted. Gabe would like to thank his family, friends and his amazing girlfriend Laura for their love and support. Also his psychiatrist for making him realize the importance of all those things. And of course the wonderful people of Salsation for allowing him to perform with them.

Horacio Ramirez

Horacio Ramirez was born and raised in Chicago. Although there were attempts to deport him he managed to stay in the country. His voice can be heard on many commercials for radio station Power 92.3 and his face on many police sketch drawings. Horacio has previously worked with Salsation as a touring member and contributing writer. His previous acting experience consisted of pretending to work at his day job. He would like to thank his family and friends for doubting him all these years. Horacio is available for weddings, conferences and dates.

Michael Villarreal

Michael Villarreal is a actor, writer, director and a Chicago native. He is delighted to work with Salsation once again, as you may remember seeing him in The Fanta Menace. Michael’s training includes Piven Theatre Company, The Second City, The Annoyance Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre and life’s precious moments. Writing and directing credits include: They Tell You They Love You, Sangre de Atole, El Matador, Flight Change, A Blank Stare is Better Than an Empty Chair. Currently employed by NEIU-CTC as a Program Coordinator within the Cicero-Berwyn Education Initiative, Michael enjoys sharing with teachers, students and parents his first love: The Theatre. He is also Founder of Hot Mess Productions, a theatre company dedicated to community based writing and presentations. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with Señor Garza and such a gifted cast. Hello.

*Denotes Salsation Ensemble Member.