TEATRX annual festival encapsulates Hispanic Heritage Month by exploring rich and inspiring short stories through live theatre and cinema. This year TEATRX is realizing its long-held aspiration of also providing programming for young audiences by adding La Vida Es Cortitos, two performances dedicated to showcasing short plays and films for young audiences ages 5 and up!

This inaugural performance of La Vida Es Cortitos, or Cortitos, will feature short films made for young audiences alongside 3 short plays selected from a nationwide search. The selected plays will take audiences on an exploration of the past, the present, and the future. They include: a Mayan folktale titled The Hummingbirds Wedding adapted by Ramón Esquivel and directed by Brenda Palestina, La Ley De La Vida by Valeria Pacheco directed by Alicia Olivo a charming tale of parents attempting to make sense of a pet's death to their young daughter, and Like A Jet-Fueled Mariposa brings a futuristic tale about two undocumented sisters searching for a better life written by Mabelle Reynoso and Houston’s own Alvaro Saar Rios directed by Rhett Martinez.

La Vida Es Cortos/Life Is Shorts Festival will feature a brand new slate of short plays by TEATRX and 3 other local Latinx theatre collectives. TEATRX will produce two plays: Cafecito by Marielle Vizcarra directed by Ceaser Jaquez which depicts a ladies’ night of poker and drinking interrupted by a ghostly visit and Arpilleras by Justin P. Lopez directed by Gabriel Regojo, a Chilean matriarch processes her husband's disappearance by sewing arpilleras, small handmade pieces of fabric, but her daughter still tries desperately to search for answers. Theatre artist and TSU professor Rosarito Rodríguez-González will make her TEATRX directing debut after acting in the festival in 2021 by directing her own adaptation of Iván Brave’s novel Awake and Asleep. 

The festival will showcase a diverse and compelling lineup of short films by independent filmmakers from around the US and Latin America. The lineup will also include short dance films to provide a multidisciplinary experience like never before. Following every performance, audiences will vote for their favorite short film and the winners will compete during the final performance for the chance to be named “LVEC 2023 Audience Favorite Film” and win a $100 cash prize!

La Vida Es Cortos/Life Is Shorts Festival is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. TEATRX is a sponsored project of Fresh Arts, a non-profit service organization. Contributions for TEATRX must be made payable to Fresh Arts and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by the law.

September 29 through October 1

Runtime: TBD

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Will

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_{TEATRX is a sponsored project of Fresh Arts, a non profit service organization. Contributions for the purpose of TEATRX must be made payable to Fresh Arts and are tax deductible to the extent permitted by the law.}